Seine-Saint-Denis: The 93, Olympic Venues, and Urban Change
Seine-Saint-Denis, often called the 93 after its department number, is the most ethnically diverse department in France and among the poorest in the Paris region. Its 1.68 million residents live in dense urban communes like Saint-Denis, Montreuil, Aubervilliers, and Bobigny (the prefecture). The Stade de France in Saint-Denis hosted the 1998 World Cup final and served as a centrepiece for the 2024 Olympics.
The department has been undergoing significant transformation. The extension of Metro Line 12 and the ongoing Grand Paris Express project are improving connectivity. The Basilica of Saint-Denis, burial place of most French kings from the tenth to the eighteenth century, is an often-overlooked masterpiece of early Gothic architecture. Film studios in La Courneuve and Montreuil, the Cite du Cinema opened by Luc Besson in Saint-Denis, and a growing tech sector are changing the economic profile, though unemployment remains well above the national average.
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Seine-Saint-Denis, often called the 93 after its department number, is the most ethnically diverse department in France and among the poorest in the Paris region. Its 1.68 million residents live in dense urban communes like Saint-Denis, Montreuil, Aubervilliers, and Bobigny (the prefecture). The Stade de France in Saint-Denis hosted the 1998 World Cup final and served as a centrepiece for the 2024 Olympics.
The department has been undergoing significant transformation. The extension of Metro Line 12 and the ongoing Grand Paris Express project are improving connectivity. The Basilica of Saint-Denis, burial place of most French kings from the tenth to the eighteenth century, is an often-overlooked masterpiece of early Gothic architecture. Film studios in La Courneuve and Montreuil, the Cite du Cinema opened by Luc Besson in Saint-Denis, and a growing tech sector are changing the economic profile, though unemployment remains well above the national average.
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