Shared shuttle transfer to the Sewer Museum in Paris

History and visit to Paris Sewer Museum

In the basement of the seventh arrondissement of Paris, district Tour Eiffel – Invalides, is one of the most unusual museums in Paris, the Museum of the Sewers. The entrance is on the esplanade Habib Bourguiba at the Pont de l’Alma, facing No. 93 on the Quai d’Orsay on the left bank of the Seine. Although the creation of this museum has some skeptics, however, the public seems to be delighted. The number of annual visits is around 90,000. To get there, it is the first metro line 9. It is then down to the Alma-Marceau station and cross the bridge. There is also the RER C line where you have to go down to the station Pont de l’Alma. Stopping Alma-Marceau bus is nearby. It is possible to lines 42, 63, 80 and 92. For opening hours is from 11 am to 16 pm between October and late April. From June to September, it stays open until 17 pm. The museum is closed every Thursday and Friday.

What makes this museum unique is that it is part of the sewer which is also still active. It has just been built to accommodate visitors. Therefore, the museum’s history is closely linked to the history of Parisian sewers. Paris is currently topping the list for the effectiveness of these drains, but this has not always been the case, especially during the thirteenth century where despite improvements made by Philippe Auguste, Paris wastewater made the air unbreathable capital. That said, the history of Parisian sewers back a little further than that, in Roman times. After their departure, no one paid attention. Traces of these ancient sewers are still visible in the Boulevard Saint-Michel in Paris. We had to wait for the fourteenth century that serious developments taking place under the leadership of Marshal Hugh Aubriot. Sewers and septic vaulted sewers were built. He built a vast network of pipes beneath the streets of Paris while others were open. In the eighteenth century, it was realized that the feces in false polluèrent groundwater and water wells. At first they were emptied, but the cholera epidemic of 1832 forced the city to Paris to find a better way to deliver wastewater.

A network of 50 km of sewers underground was created. The sewer system of Paris now runs 2400 km through the city. The site was placed under the direction of engineer Eugène Belgrand. Improvements were undertaken as adding a settling pond or a wastewater treatment plant in 1930. Access to the museum is paying for more than 6 years and for tours, it is imperative to make a reservation. The tour lasts about an hour. Previously, it was possible to visit on board a boat, but some visitors could not help but touch the water. It is closed during most holidays. It is allowed to take pictures provided you do not use them for commercial purposes. There is also a gift shop and souvenirs.