Don’t think of Nanterre as a gray blur on the RER map. This is not true. It’s an old story. The city is located in the Haute-Seine department and was once the industrial center of the region. You can smell the factory from miles away. car. ring. metal. It was noisy and dirty. now? It’s gone.
The river Seine surrounds the eastern bank of the city. Only two suburbs are far from the center of Paris: Puteaux and Neuilly-sur-Seine. Less than 3 kilometers from the center. However, the atmosphere has completely changed.
New control center
If you’re planning a trip, there’s a good chance you’ll skip this place. The city has taken on a new look. In the 1970s and 1980s, extensive administrative complexes began to form. Not beautiful in the traditional sense. It is very practical. Brutalist concrete meets glass. But it means change.
The number of residential areas has increased. It is very modern. They are very tightly packed. They have a large park called Parc Andre Malraux. This is a green area in the middle of a dense urban area. It’s worth a visit if the weather is good.
La Defense and University
Nanterre is located on the western edge of La Defense’s business district. It is one of the largest financial centers in Europe. skyscraper. business building. If you work in finance or technology in Paris, this is probably your everyday reality.
However, it is also home to one of the largest universities in the capital. The energy of the city’s students spreads here. It’s not just an office. This is a classroom. This is a chat mode. This is the place where the history of modern French thought is still being written.
History under the concrete
Come back. Take it a step further. Nanterre is the traditional birthplace of Saint Genevieve. He lived around 422-500 AD. He is the patron saint of Paris. According to legend, he repelled the attack of Attila the Hun. Or maybe he just inspires the defender. Details blur. No effect.
This city is a diocese. You will find the cathedral. A peaceful anchorage in the middle of a busy commuting area.
Arrival and today’s situation
The RER connects Nanterre directly to the center of Paris. It is very fast. Very often. In just a few minutes you are in La Défense or in the center of Paris. The population has increased. In 1999, the number was less than 80,000. By 2014, this number is estimated to be 93,509. This is growth. This is density. This is a change.
Why go there? Most tourists don’t know. They stayed at the Louvre. They missed real life in Paris. Nanterre shows a city that works well. City of residence. The city expands towards the west.
This is not a resort. This is a key traffic hub. But the traffic center will tell you all about the place. Nanterre speaks of ambition. About renewal. The story of a small town that sheds its industrial look and transforms into something completely different.
The river Seine flows through it. The train is running. Students walk to class. this
