Gare Montparnasse

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  • Address
    place Raoul Dautry, 14e
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  • Transport
    underground rail: Montparnasse Bienvenüe

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Lonely Planet review

This sprawling train station has several unusual attractions on - of all places - its rooftop. The unique Jardin de l'Atlantique, whose 3.5 hectares of landscaped terraces veil the top of the station, offers a bit of greenery and tranquillity in the heart of a very busy district. Don't miss the futuristic Observatoire Météorologique 'sculpture', in the centre of the garden, which measures precipitation, temperature and wind speed.

Next to the garden the small Musée Jean Moulin is devoted to the WWII German occupation of Paris, with the focus on the Resistance and its leader, Jean Moulin (1899-1943). The attached Mémorial du Maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque et de la Libération de Paris shows a panoramic film on the eponymous general (1902-47) who led the Free French units during the war and helped to liberate the city in 1944.

To reach all these attractions, avoid going through station. Instead board the bubble lift on the pavement opposite 25 blvd de Vaugirard (15e) and go up one floor. From there take the escalator and follow the signs to the garden and museums.