General Information

Boulevard du Montparnasse is located on the edge of the 6th, 14th and 15th arrondissements. It connects the Place Léon-Paul-Fargue and the Place Camille-Jullian. It leads to the foot of the Montparnasse Tower, Place du 18-Juin-1940.

History: Highlights

During the first half of the 19th century, the first two Montparnasse railway stations were built along the Boulevard, facing the Rue de Rennes. The second was destroyed during the 1960s, to make room for the Montparnasse Tower, while the new rail infrastructure has moved several hundred metres to the south.

History: Explained

The boulevard is named after a hill which stood on the way up to the current Place Pablo-Picasso. This hill was named Mont de Parnasse in the 17th century in reference to Mount Parnassus, home of the Muses of Greek mythology. Neighbouring students, who came there to declaim verses, have given it that name derisively. The mound was first crossed by the Boulevard, and then completely flattened in the middle of the 18th century.