Quai de la Mégisserie, Riverfront in Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, Paris, France.
Quai de la Mégisserie is a riverfront quay on the right bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement, running from the Pont au Change and Place du Châtelet to the Pont Neuf and Rue du Pont-Neuf. Its lower masonry embankment carries a paved walkway with a metal railing, and white capital letters spelling "PISCINE" are mounted on the taller stone wall above. The roadway runs one-way from west to east, and the bouquinistes' boxes line the parapet over the Voie Georges-Pompidou.
The quay was created in 1369 under Charles V as the Quai de la Saunerie, named for the nearby salt port and salt store. Rebuilt around 1520 and extended to the Louvre, it was widened in 1769 and later called Quai de la Ferraille. The name Mégisserie comes from the tanners who worked here until 1673, when they were moved to the Bièvre.
The quai has long been lined with pet shops and plant nurseries, concentrated on the front of the two blocks formed by the rues Édouard-Colonne, Bertin-Poirée and des Bourdonnais. The name comes from the mégissiers, leather dressers who worked here until 1673, when they were moved to the faubourg Saint-Marcel along the Bièvre.
The wharf is easy to reach on foot and offers direct access to the water and the surrounding streets of the area. The nearest metro stations are just steps away, making it simple to visit and explore the district.
The place carried many different names throughout its past, including Valley of Misery, Poultry Quay, and Salt Quay, before gaining its current name. These earlier names show how the character of this spot shifted dramatically over the centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,866 contributors worldwide.