Porte des Ternes

The Porte des Ternes is a city gate with a substantial stone structure marking the northwestern entry to Paris in the 17th arrondissement. It displays typical fortification features and connects multiple major boulevards at its location.

The gate was built in the first half of the 17th century as part of the defensive wall system under King Louis XIII to protect Paris from external threats. It survived the later urban development and remained one of the preserved entrances of the old fortification line.

The gate reflects the shift from a rural village into a wealthy urban district, with its architecture showing traces of that transformation. Around it stand the classical buildings that came to define the neighborhood after its modernization in the 19th century.

The gate sits at a major street intersection with good connection to several metro lines, making navigation in the 17th arrondissement easier. It serves as a reference point for getting around the area and is easily reached on foot via the surrounding boulevards.

The gate is one of the few preserved entrance gates of the old Paris fortification system and stands as a reminder of when this area was completely outside the city. With its stone structure and location along major boulevards, it marks a subtle trace of the former importance of this northwestern frontier.