Full of crime, but the Bondy area on the outskirts of Paris – where Mbappe was born and raised – still has many attractive tourist attractions.

Kylian Mbappe – the talented midfielder of the French team – is becoming one of the few hottest names in the 2018 World Cup finals, thanks to his “wind-breaking” speed and many historic goals. The 19-year-old player is even considered the new Pele, will be the second Henry and will be even better than Neymar at the Paris Saint Germain club. The African-American player was born and raised in the suburb of Bondy, northeast of Paris. The first team that Mbappe played for was also his hometown team Bondy.

Mbappe once returned to the Bondy area where he was born and raised. Photo: About French Property.

This place is only about 10 km from the center of Paris, but in the eyes of the French, it is no different from a “slum”. Areas like Bondy are considered working-class, complex and crime-ridden. However, Bondy is also a land with many cultural features through ancient French villages or ancient churches with unique architecture, attracting tourists.

Bontiacum is the Roman name for the land of Bondy, first known in 600 AD, meaning  “property of Bonitius”. Bonitius was a landowner during the Gallo-Roman era. During the Middle Ages, Bondy was a large, wild forest area, so many robber gangs chose this place to hide. In the 11th century, Bondy came under the ownership of the abbey of Saint-Martin-of-Fields.

In 2005, in the center of Bondy, archaeologists discovered a necropolis from the Merovingian and Carolingian periods. In these tombs, many items were found, including eight short swords and many locks made from bone and metal, of important historical significance.

Around the 1960s, Bondy gradually expanded into a suburb of Paris with its population doubling. Due to its close location to Paris and convenient public transportation, Bondy becomes an ideal place to live for those who do not like the noisy atmosphere caused by tourists. Room rent here is less expensive, from Bondy, people can still easily get in and out of the city for work.

Eglise Saint Pierre Church in Bondy, Mbappe’s hometown. Photo: About French Property.

As a suburb, Bondy is considered an attractive town in the eyes of tourists because it retains the traditional French village atmosphere. This area has many green open spaces, where locals and tourists alike can enjoy the fresh air. One of the places you cannot miss in Bondy is the  10-hectare Le Bois de Bondy park . In addition, in 2006 Bondy also proudly won second prize in a prestigious contest of flower-filled villages in France.

Bondy has a combination of shops and eateries with both modern and traditional styles. Coming here, visitors can visit some weekly markets such as Marche Suzanne Buisson and Marche Neuburger. If you want to stay, visitors also have many options from luxurious to economical. Restaurants and bars can also be easily found. However, tourists coming here are always warned to be careful with their belongings and limit traveling alone in deserted places due to many criminals.

From the center of Bondy, you can easily visit a number of tourist attractions such as the Musee de la Musique,  Eglise Saint Pierre church, Le Marais old town , Basilica  du Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre… To get to Bondy, you can travel by many different means such as bus , metro, RER, train, light rail. Or from Bondy to famous Paris landmarks such as Montmartre Hill, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral… it’s not difficult.

Poor suburbs in France are considered the “cradle” that produces many young football talents, especially African immigrant players. Other French players also had similar situations to Mbappe: Paul Pogba from Lagny-Sur-Marne and Roissy-en-Brie, N’Golo Kanté from Suresnes, Blaise Matuidi from Fontenay-sous-Bois or Benjamin Mendy from Longjumeau. Instead of falling into ruin, they all became symbols, a light for their homeland and more or less promoted tourism for the place of their birth.