Riding Through the Sky : A Journey on Paris Metro Line 6

By Elisabeth Pérotin

There’s a certain kind of magic in discovering Paris not just by foot, but from above — gliding through the city on rails suspended in the sky. That’s exactly what Metro Line 6 offers: a semi-circular route that loops gently along the southern edge of Paris, linking two iconic hubs — Charles de Gaulle–Étoile and Nation — while unveiling some of the city’s most beautiful panoramas along the way.

Unlike most underground lines, nearly half of Line 6 runs above ground, offering passengers breathtaking views of monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Montparnasse Tower, and even the distant hills of Montmartre. For visitors and Parisians alike, it’s a moving postcard — one of the most scenic and underrated rides in the city.

In this article, I’ll take you through this charming 13.6-kilometer journey, stop by stop, sharing the hidden gems, architectural views, and poetic moments you can catch just by choosing the right window seat.

28 stations. 13.6 kilometers long

Paris metro line 6 follows a semi-circular route to the south of the city on the old outer boulevards, between the Charles de Gaulle – Étoile stations to the west and Nation to the east. its charm and appeal. It is a line that is touristic because of the many Parisian monuments that run along it and includes 28 stations. 13.6 kilometers long, 6.1 kilometers of which are overhead, i.e. 45% of its route, and equipped with rubber-tyred equipment since 1974, this line is one of the most pleasant on the Paris metro, thanks to the many views, sometimes exceptional, which it offers on several major monuments and landscapes of the capital.

Unique views of several monuments

With just over one hundred million passengers in 2004, it is the network’s sixth busiest line. It offers unique views of several monuments. From the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, one can make out the Eiffel Tower dominating the Seine, the Palais de Chaillot, the bell tower of the Saint-Augustin church, the top of the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the Montparnasse tower, the dome of the Invalides and the Butte Montmartre on the horizon on one side, on the other the house of Radio France, the Île aux Cygnes and the Beaugrenelle district. Before the Cambronne station, you can see the Invalides for a few seconds, before finding them near the Sèvres-Lecourbe station, where you can see the perspective of the avenue de Breteuil on the Invalides before plunging back underground. To the east, during the aerial route, we can make out the Ministry of Finance and the Paris-Bercy sports center as well as the François-Mitterrand library and, in the distance, the apse of Notre-Dame cathedral.