 Paris Hotels by Categories
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Paris Hotels by Locations |
- Alesia
- Arc de Triomphe, Porte Maillot
- Bastille
- Boulogne
- Cambronne
- Canal Saint Martin
- Champs Elysees, Concorde
- Charles de Gaulle Airport - CDG
- Chatelet Les Halles, Opera
- Disneyland Paris
- Eiffel Tower, Trocadero
- Epinay Sur Seine
- Etoile
- Gare de l`Est
- Gare De Lyon, Bercy
- Gare Du Nord, Republique
- Grands Boulevards, Opera
- Issy Les Moulineaux
- La Defense
- Louvre, Opera
- Madeleine, Opera
- Marais, Bastille, Nation
- Montmartre
- Montparnasse, Denfert
- Nanterre
- Nation, Bastille
- Opera
- Pigalle
- Place d`Italie, Porte d'Italie
- Porte de Clignancourt
- Porte de Versailles
- Republique
- Saint Germain, Latin Quarter
- Saint Lazare
- Vincennes
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Paris Tourist Information |
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Places of Interest |
| Paris, Notre Dame, it is there between the two banks
of the river where it all began in the second iron age, when the Parisi
settled in the city.
The heart of Paris; a bronze commemoration plate bears witness,
making the zero mile for all the country's roads. It is also the
starting point for most visits of Paris. |
Notre Dame de Paris |
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Proceeded by a Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter, a Christian basilica, and a Romanesque church, construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 during the reign of Louis VII. Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone. Construction was completed roughly 200 years later in about 1345.
In 1991, a 10 year program of general maintenance and restoration has begun, and sections of the structure are likely to be shrouded in scaffolds for the foreseeable future.
During its history, Notre Dame has been the site of numerous official and other ceremonial occasions. In 1430, Henri VI of England is crowned here. The 2nd December 1804, after the anointing by Pius VII, Napoleon seizes the crown from the pontiff and crowns first himself, then Josephine. The 31st May 1980, after the Magnificat of this day, Pope John Paul II celebrates Mass on the parvis in front of the Cathedral.
Nota Bene:
All roads distances in France are calculated from the "zero kilometer", point located on the square in front of Notre-Dame.
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Arc de Triomphe / Etoile |
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Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836. Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are to found on the inside walls. Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.
Here every Armistice Day (11 November) the President of the Republic lays a wreath. On 14 July - the French National Day - a military parade down the Champs Elysees begins here.
View:
Wonderful view of Paris with the twelve great avenues in the foreground radiating in a star shape. From the roof of the Arch, looking eastwards, down the Champs Elysees (one of the twelve great avenues), toward the Louvre, there is the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. In the opposite direction - westwards - in the distance is its larger and newer cousin, Le Grande Arche de la Defense.
Not to miss:
Inside the Arch there is a small museum documenting its history and construction.
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Eiffel Tower |
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The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.
At 300 metres (320.75m including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest building until 1930.
The tower has three platforms. A restaurant (extremely expensive; reservations absolutely necessary), the Jules Verne is on the second platform. The top platform has a bar, souvenir shop, and the (recently restored) office of Gustave Eiffel.
Not to miss:
From its platforms - especially the topmost - the view upon Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best.
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Sacre Coeur / Montmartre |
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From the earliest days , Montmartre has been a place of worship: the Druids, the Gauls, the romains temples dedicated to the gods Mars et Mercury; St Peter's church rebuilt near the Royal Abbey of Montmartre on the XII century by King Louis the VI and his wife Adelaïde of Savoy; and finally the Sacred Heart (Sacre Coeur) erected at the end of the XIX century.
After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, it was proposed to construct a church to the Sacred Heart on the butte Montmartre. The plans for the new basilica called for an edifice of Romano-Byzantine style, and the first stone was laid in 1875. Being now One of Paris' landmarks, the Sacre-Coeur basilica was was not consecrated until 1919 after the World War I ended.
This remarkably white structure is not actually painted, its whiteness comes from a stone that secretes a white substance when it rains! The interior of the church contains one of the worlds largest mosaics, and depicts Christ with outstretched arms. The nearby bell tower contains the ``Savoyarde''. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the worlds heaviest at 19 tons.
Not to miss:
From the top of the Dome, there is a panoramic view in all directions extending over 30 kilometers offering a great view of the entire city.
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Arche de la Defense |
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On the Place de la Defense, where it is the pre-eminent landmark, and distantly on axis with the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees, the "Arche de la Defense" is a skyscraper, a government office tower.
Located in the modern business district, La Defense, a few kilometers west of Paris, the Grande Arche was built by Danish architect Otto van Spreckelsen in 1989 for the 200th anniversary of the 1789 French revolution.
The Grande Arche is white. It is a 106m high cube and has a pre-stressed concrete frame covered with glass and Carrara marble from Italy. Its spectacular architecture was a daring technical achievement when it was designed and built by the Bouygues French engineering company.
Not to miss:
Ride the panoramic lifts up to the one hectare roof of the "Grande Arche" where you will enjoy a fantastic view of Paris, Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees and the historic axis through the capital and its outskirts. Not to forget the model room and the exhibitions halls.
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Place de la Bastille |
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The Bastille has a lot of importance to the French history. By crossing the Seine and following the Boulevard de la Bastille, you will find the site of the Bastille Saint-Antoine, which was a major part of the defences ordered by Charles V, built from 1370. Louis XIV had the ramparts demolished but kept the Bastille as a luxury prison for people of quality.
Promoted to the rank of a symbol of the arbitrariness of the old monarchy, the Bastille was stormed by the Parisians on 14th July 1789, and later razed. To remember the July Revolution of 1830, which replaced the autocratic Charles X with the "Citizen King" Louis-Philippe, a column surmounted by the "Spirit of Liberty" on Place de la Bastille was erected.
Now the Place (square) is surrounded by Carlos Ott's opera, Paris-Arsenal harbour and the Saint-Martin canal.
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Place de la Concorde |
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Between the Champs Elysees and the Tuileries Gardens, there lies the Place de la Concorde. With traffic roaring and careening about seemingly in all directions, it is easy to feel lost in its 84,000 square meters.
Built between 1755 and 1775, many important historical events took place here. Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and 1119 other people lost their lives here, among them Charlotte Corday (the murderess of Marat), Danton, Philippe egalite and Robespierre.
In the center of the square is the Obelisk of Luxor, a pink granite monolith 23 m (73 tt) high and weighing 220 tons. It is 3300 years old and decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaon Ramses II. The obelisk was presented as a gift to Charles X by the Egyptian viceroy Mehemet Ali in 1829. The monument was installed here under Louis Philippe who, bearing in mind the death and destruction witnessed by Place de la Concorde, was pleased to have found a non-political monument to replace the unpopular Bourbon Louis the XVth statue. It took three years of travelling from the Nile riverbanks to get the Obelisk to Paris.
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Place Vendome |
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A masterpiece of classical architecture from the end of the reign of Louis 14th, this square now hosts luxury boutiques.
The Column - 44 metres high - is comprised of a stone core, encased in the bronze of 1250 cannons captured at the Battle of Austerliz (1805). It was designed by Denon, Gondouin, and Lepère and modeled in the style of Trajan's Column in Rome. It was built during 1806 - 1810, The spiral bronze bas-relief was created by Bergeret.
Originally a statue of Napoleon a Caesar was placed on top. This was replaced by a likeness of Henri IV which was removed during the 100 Day (1815) when Napoleon returned from Elba and attempted to regain power. Afterwards Louis XVIII installed an enormous fleur-de-lys, but Louis-Philippe restored Napoleon in military uniform. During 1873 - 1874, the column was re-established at the center of Place Vendome with a copy of the original statue on top.
What to see & do:
The square is surrounded by shops of some of the most famous names in fashion as Cartier, Chanel, Chaumet, Piaget and Van Cleef & Arpels, as well as the Hotel Ritz. An inner staircase leading to the top is unfortunately no longer open to the public.
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