The public toilets of Paris, historical monuments of the Belle Époque, reopen: how much it costs to use them

History reopens its doors. Actually, their bathrooms. is that some public toilets in paris they are the ones that are re-enabled later twelve years of closure. But I am no one: these are architectural relics of the Belle Époque which are considered historical monuments.

They are located at one side of the emblematic French church The Magdalene. And from this Monday, who pays two euros You can use them to relieve yourself surrounded by the original decoration of the last century. As if you were traveling through time.

Is that the bathrooms are made as part of a structure with modernist style. OR Art nouveauas is known, the current of artistic renewal that developed between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century.

They were closed since 2011 because they were affected by it various escapes. In the same year, they had been classified as a historical heritage of the city of Paris which is considered the first in the world “in terms of toilets in public spaces“.

However, in 2015, a company that manages five other luxury bathrooms in the capital of France acquired a ten-year concession for the de La Madeleine and has begun a process of remodeling them so they can be reused.

The public toilets of Paris: how they are and where they are

The historic baths of Paris are located next to La Madeleine church. You must log in go down some stairs that lead to a basement.

The way to the subway is embellished with period mosaics which offer a little journey back in time.

Already in the toilets, the walls are made of varnished mahogany, stained glass and ceramics modeled in soft green matches a phrase greeting the user on input: “The beautiful, the luxury and the useful”.

In this sense, Eric Salles – founder of the luxurious Point WC public toilets – wants to transform the place into obligatory “destination” for tourism and Parisian culture.

The bathroom renovation process in Paris

According to the mayor of the 8th arrondissement of Paris, Jeanne d’Hauteserre, present on Monday at the reopening of the place, the public toilets would have been “affected by infiltrations”.

From the roof of the place –i.e. at street level-, enter filtered daylight for a floor of historical glass which for this occasion has been reinforced by “a triple waterproof layer“.

The period furniture, meanwhile, has been preserved. And even if the city still has to restore the mosaic of the scale, “everything is with its original elements”.

As they pointed out, from the company they are firm looking for a shoe shiner for the post, to fill the work that has been exercised in the toilets for decades, together with a platform that is still there.

Paris, pioneer city of public toilets

With 750 public toilets and urinalsParis claims to be the first city in the world “in terms of toilet facilities in public spaces”.

They are generally freeafter a decision by the authorities in 2006. But there are exceptions for some toilets located in very touristic places such as Notre-Dame, the Louvre museum or the Champs Elysees.

Among the historic baths, the Paris mayor’s office noted that there is another that dates from the early 20th century. It is an example of a vespasiana, another type of public toilet Only for menlocated on viale Arago.