La Petite Ceinture

You are standing near the path of the Petite Ceinture, a historic railway line that once formed a complete loop around the city of Paris. Originally conceived in the mid-nineteenth century, this circle of track was designed to bridge the gap between the major train stations that had been built by competing private companies. Because these companies refused to connect their tracks within the city, passengers arriving in Paris often had to cross town on their own to catch a connecting train. The Petite Ceinture solved this logistical stalemate, effectively becoming the first circular transit system for the capital.