Porte Maillot

The French hierarchy of roads is determined by who is in charge of their construction and maintenance. So if the communes (municipalities) are in charge of the routes communales, and the départements in charge of the routes départementales, the nation, that is, the French state, is in charge of the routes nationales.

The routes nationales (RN) form a national road network that predates autoroutes (highways/motorways). Contrary to the autoroutes (highways/motorways), there are no toll stations on the Nationales, making them a cheaper (if slower) alternative.

The RN 13 is one of the main Nationales starting out from Paris. It links Paris with the town of Cherbourg in the département Manche, as one of four Nationales between Paris and Normandy.

The *Nationale 13* with the métro 1 running at its center, the *Porte Maillot* construction site and the *Arc de Triomphe* in the background.

On the stretch between Porte Maillot and La Défense business district, it accommodates up to 160,000 vehicles per day.

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Porte Maillot is one of over 60 portes de Paris (Paris city gates) and one of 35 entrance/exit point of the Boulevard Périphérique, the ring road encircling Paris that is mostly built along the Thiers city wall.

Porte Maillot is an interchange between the Boulevard Périphérique, the Place de l’Étoile and La Défense business district. Seen from above, it looks almost like a rugby ball. Currently, however, it is a giant construction site, as part of the reorganization of the entire interchange area.

On the north, it is flanked by the Palais des Congrès, a concert venue, convention center and shopping mall, beyond which towers the Hyatt Regency hotel.

The train station in the northeast corner gives access to the RER C. The current building, constructed at the time of the 1900 World Fair, has barely changed in over a hundred years.

Mayken Brünings

Writing Middle Grade fiction in Paris

Tag Archives: Porte Maillot

La Nationale 13

Porte Maillot