Paris

1. Paris The City of Lights

2. Paris Geography • When people talk about where in Paris something is located, they use two basic terms: which "bank" the place is on, and which "arrondissement" it is in. • The bank refers to which side of the river (if you are facing downstream).  Since the Seine is flowing west towards the English channel, the area north of the river is the Right Bank (or Rive Droit), and the area south of the river is the Left Bank (or Rive Gauche). • The arrondissement refers to a system of districts within the city.  These districts are numbered 1-20.  • They start in the heart of the city at the Louvre, and spiral around to the outside. • All kinds of things are organized by arrondissement, including postal codes, etc. • There are also two islands: Ile de la Cité and Ile St Louis.

3. La Seine, les Bateaux Mouches & les Ponts • The river Seine arches through the historic core of Paris, separating it into its two banks. • For first-time visitors, and even some returning tourists, a boat tour along the river is a must.  The most famous of the boat tours are the Bateaux Mouches, although there are several other companies that also offer tours.  Many of the most beloved and famous sites in Paris can be seen from the boats.  Tour guides describe the passing scenery in multiple languages for the many tourists on board.  • Ponts: • Over 30 bridges span the river within the city, some of which are notable in and of themselves.  Some people say that everyone who knows and loves Paris has a favorite among her bridges.

4. Le métro • The Paris subway system is called the métro.  You can quickly get anywhere in the city through the use of its various lignes (lines). • Each ligne has a number, and two endpoints.  To use the subway you need to know the number and which endpoint you are traveling towards (the direction).  • Whenever two or more lignes meet in a station (where you can change from one to the other) it’s called a correspondance. • Buy your tickets from the vending machines in the station.  It's cheaper to buy them in carnets, packets of ten tickets. You can also buy tickets at the ticket booths if you want to ask questions or the lines at the machines are long. • You have to put the ticket in a slot in the turnstile to enter. Follow the signs to the ligne and direction you need. • Many of the older stations have interesting decor inside, and can be entered through great Art Nouveau entrances.

5. First Arrondissement • This is in some ways the center of the city of Paris and is located mostly on the Right Bank (Rive Droit). In addition to the Louvre, it also contains the Tuileries Gardens and the ritzy Place Vendôme. Forum des Halles is also in this district. • A little bit of the Ile de la Cité falls into the 1st also, including the Palais de Justice, containing Sainte Chappelle and the Conciergerie.

6. The Louvre • The Louvre is probably the most famous art museum in the world. • It is certainly one of the largest. • The most crowded room is the room where the Mona Lisa (called La Jaconde by the French) is kept.  She has a special glass box protecting her, not to mention the guards. • Other famous works of art here include Venus de Milo and Winged Victory. • Enter through the glass pyramid in the courtyard.

7. The Tuileries Gardens • The Tuileries Gardens lie between the bustling Place de la Concorde and the popular Louvre Museum. The central walkway continues the line of the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe du Carrosel and ultimately the Pyramid du Louvre. • The Tuileries name comes from a separate palace near the Louvre, the Tuileries, which was built by Catherine de Medici. The palace was attacked during the Revolution, and then burned to the ground during the uprising in 1871. • Today's Tuileries offer a peaceful rest on benches beneath the trees, along the gravel walkways. • They also offer entertainment.  In summertime there are carnival rides and attractions along the northern edge of the park.  Year round, you can ride the huge Ferris wheel the French call La Grande Roue.

8. Place Vendôme • At the center of Place Vendôme is a bronze column, made from melted cannons.  Napoleon had this Column of the Grand Army built to honor his soldiers.  On its top is a statue of Napoleon himself. • Around the sides of the square are found some of the more expensive stores in Paris.  Jewelry stores such as Cartiers and Van Cleef & Arpels are here, along with the exclusive Ritz Hotel.

9. Forum des Halles • This location has actually been a center of commerce for a thousand years.  Obviously, it has undergone some changes in that time. • Les Halles is the name of the old central Paris food market.  For hundreds of years, farmers and other vendors brought their goods here to the center of the city. • However, the traffic congestion just got too impractical for the center of the city, and the food market moved to the outskirts of the city. • In its place was left a huge hole, and eventually this unusual, mostly underground mall, the Forum des Halles, was built.  On four underground levels are 300 shops, movie theaters, fitness center, pool, etc. 

10. Sainte Chappelle • Sainte Chappelle was intended to hold the crown of thorns and other relics Louis IX (later canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint Louis) believed he had purchased.  • Louis built the upper chapel in high gothic style.  Its style emphasizes height and light, with tall stained glass windows virtually covering all the walled surface above head height. • For the most gorgeous display from the windows, visit on a sunny day in the late afternoon.  To visit, go to the Palais de Justice, and follow the signs. 

11. Conciergerie • The Conciergerie was originally part of a fortress built on the island by the kings of France.  Later it became a prison.  Its tourist attraction lies primarily in its years as a prison. • During the French Revolution, this is where prisoners were held before being taken to the guillotine.  The cell in which Marie-Antoinette was held has been restored to look as it might have been during her stay there.  It even has a wax dummy simulating Marie herself. • You will also see the vast chambers in which the soldiers lived and ate, the kitchens, and cells in which various other famous people were imprisoned, as well as a small courtyard in which the prisoners might have taken some air.

12. Second Arrondissement • Located on the right bank, the 2nd Arr. is home to the stock exchange (La Bourse) and the business district. The eastern end is the garment district. 

13. La Bourse • La Bourse is the Paris stock exchange.  Visitors may watch the trading from a gallery. • Some audio-visual aids are available to help you figure out what is going on but most of it is a mystery to those who are not brokers themselves.

14. Third Arrondissement • The Marais, a former swamp that is now a trendy art neighborhood. This Picasso museum is here. This area also has a great Jewish quarter, with excellent restaurants and shops.

15. Le Musée Picasso • When Pablo Picasso died, his heirs gave hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and other art to the French government to pay his estate taxes. This collection became the National Picasso Museum. • The museum is organized chronologically, so visitors can trace his career from the early days through his late work. There is also art by some other artists of the same period (that he had purchased) which complements his own work.

16. Fourth Arrondissement • The heart of Medieval Paris, this district includes most of both islands and part of the right bank. It has many sights for the tourist; Notre Dame, the Hotel de Ville, and the Pompidou Center are here. The Marais spills into the 4th Arr. and the Place des Vosges, known as the most beautiful square in Europe, is here as well.

17. Notre Dame (de Paris) • The cathedral of Notre Dame lifts its towers from the true heart of the city.  Located next the the Seine on the larger of the two major islands in Paris, it lies above the ruins of the Roman era Lutece.  You can visit the ruins of homes from 2000 years ago. • Inside, the light is dim. Outside light trickles in through the many stained glass windows. Candles glow at many shrines around the sides of the interior. • Outside, there is an entrance to the stairs climbing up the north tower.  Wind your way up the worn steps. On the bridge, greet the gargoyles, up close and personal. (The gargoyles are the stone statues and monsters which decorate the towers). • In the south tower, you can enter and visit the big bells.  You can also climb (again) to the very top of the south tower for a view over the entire city. • It has been added to and changed and renovated.  It is, essentially, however, a building that has watched over the city for 800 years.

18. Hôtel de Ville • This ornate building is Paris City Hall.  The current building was constructed in 1871, after the previous building was burned down.  The style of architecture was chosen to resemble the Renaissance original.

19. Pompidou Center (Beaubourg) • The Centre Pompidou was built during the 1970s.  Many people disliked the unusual architecture, saying it looked like an oil refinery.  Others like it as a breath of fresh air, something new in a city filled with the old.  The alternate name, "Beaubourg," comes from the name for that neighborhood. • On the third and fourth floors is the National Museum of Modern Art.  It has works by artists such as Matisse, Picasso, Dali, and Warhol. • On the southern side of the building is the Stravinsky fountain., created by French artists, inspired by and named for the Russian composer.

20. Place des Vosges • Place des Vosges is Paris's oldest public square.  It is also one of the more pleasant squares in Paris.  Its quiet center is a park, with fountains, grass, and shaded benches.  Around its sides are small restaurants, antique stores, and small boutiques. • It is also home to the Victor Hugo museum.  Victor Hugo lived at number 6 Place des Vosges.  He is remembered as one of the great French writers.  His novels include such works as Les Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame.

21. Fifth Arrondissement • This left bank (Rive Gauche) arrondissement has been known as the Latin Quarter.  It houses such intellectual landmarks as the Sorbonne and the Pantheon.

22. Latin Quarter: La Sorbonne • The most famous part of the University of Paris is La Sorbonne.  The college was founded in 1257 by a Catholic Canon named Sorbonne.  • For most of its history, its students were required to speak in the language of academics, which was Latin.  Not only were classes conducted in Latin, but students had to speak Latin even when they weren't in class!  So the neighborhood around the campus was full of people speaking Latin, hence its name: The Latin Quarter. • Nowadays, the students speak French, of course.  But the streets of the neighborhood are still multilingual.  The bookstores sell books in many languages, the restaurants serve cuisine from all over, but especially Greek, Arab, and Asian food.

23. The Pantheon • The Panthéon is the resting place for great writers, philosophers, and other leaders of France.   • It contains the remains of such greats as Victor Hugo (Les Miserables, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Emile Zola, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Jean Moulin (resistance fighter). 

24. Sixth Arrondissement • The Luxembourg gardens are in this district.  Also found here are the old church of Saint Germain des Prés and the Deux Magots café popular with writers such as Hemingway and Sartre. Cluny, a museum of medieval art, is also in the 6th.

25. Luxembourg Gardens • The Luxembourg Gardens are one of the most popular parks in Paris.  Located just off the Latin Quarter, they also house the Luxembourg Palace, which is the home of the French Senate. • There is a large octagonal pond, which is often busy with children sailing toy boats.  You can rent a toy boat at a nearby booth.

26. Saint Germain des Prés • This is the oldest church in Paris. • The first church at this location was built in the 6th century.  This building came later, around 1000.  There was a Benedictine abby here, which was largely destroyed during the Revolution.

27. Deux Magots • Famous writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Earnest Hemingway sat at the now famous Deux Magots café next to Saint Germain des Prés on the boulevard Saint Germain.  They talked, drank, and wrote at the tiny tables while watching the world go by.  • By the way, the magots here are a apparently a reference to some Chinese statues and Deux Magots was the name of a store in this location before the café was here (the café was founded around1885).

28. Cluny • Officially called the National Museum of the Middle Ages, Cluny is Paris' medieval specialist.  Built above the ruins of Roman baths, this old mansion houses tapestries, statues, furniture from the Middle Ages.  • At Cluny you can see the heads broken from the facade of Notre Dame during the French Revolution.  • You can view the furniture and tapestries from a Europe of 600 years ago.  The most famous tapestries in the collection are the Lady and the Unicorn.

29. Seventh Arrondissement • The Eiffel tower, one of the most recognized landmarks in the world is located in this left bank district. The Invalides, which holds Napoleon's tomb, the Rodin Museum, and the Musee d'Orsay are also in this arrondissement.

30. La Tour Eiffel • Paris's most well-known landmark, the Eiffel Tower, was never meant to last.  For the hundred-year anniversary of the French republic, Gustave Eiffel built a tower of iron, for a Paris showcase in the World's Fair (or Universal Exposition) of 1889. It was meant to be demolished at the end of the Exposition.  After the Fair was over, the tower was kept for its usefulness as a radio tower.  • There are elevators up to the first and second floors in the legs of the tower.  From the second floor, one rides to the third and final level directly up the center of the tower. • There are restaurants and exhibits to see on the various floors. At the base are tourist shops and street vendors selling toys, key chains, post cards, and on hot days, cold soda. • The tower is so vast that it can only be fully seen from a distant vantage point.  This view, the most commonly photographed, is from across the river at the Palais de Chaillot.  The opposite view is from the military school seen under and through the base of the tower here.

31. Les Invalides (Hôtel des Invalides) • Louis XIV founded Les Invalides as the first Veteran's Hospital.  The hospital held as many as 7000 wounded or disabled veterans at its peak.  Today, there are only a few living there.  Most of the building is taken up by museum space and military offices now.  • The Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum) houses a large collection of weapons.  It was founded in 1794 and includes weapons and other equipment, uniforms, prints and paintings, and other memorabilia.  It has everything from stone axes up through World War II, including an extensive Napoleon collection, up to and including his horse and dog (stuffed)! • Under the Dome of les Invalides lie Napoleon’s remains, in the center of six nested coffins.

32. Rodin Museum • The sculptor Rodin, most famous for his Thinker, lived and worked in Paris. • This former home is now a museum filled with his sculptures and drawings.  • The gardens are also filled with his work, and are a very pleasant place to go on a nice summer afternoon.  There is a nice little cafe, a fountain, and many benches on which to rest and relax from the hectic pace of Paris tourism.

33. Musée d’Orsay • The building that now houses one of the most popular places in Paris started out as a train station. In the 1980s the building was transformed inside to its present use.  • Its galeries display artwork from 1848 to the early 1900s.  One of the reasons this museum is so popular is that this was the time period of the Impressionist art movement. • The central hall of Musée d'Orsay is filled with sculptures by Rodin and others. • The galeries house decorative arts (like furniture, glassware, etc.) in addition to works of Monet and the other Impressionists.  Dégas paintings and sculptures are both on display.  • Van Gogh, Cézanne, and the other Post-Impressionists are also well represented.

34. Eighth Arrondissement • This right bank arrondissement is where you'll find  the glamour of Paris. The Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and famous fashion houses, are all in the 8th.  Place de la Concorde and the Madeleine are also in this district.

35. Les Champs Elysées • The Champs Elysées is one of the most famous streets in the world.  Lined with chestnut trees and broad sidewalks, this is the location for major celebrations and parades for the French capital. • It runs in a straight line from Place de la Concorde to Place Charles de Gaulle and allows sight of the Obelisk from the Arc de Triomphe, and vice versa. • It is home to cafés, fast food, shopping, and just strolling. • A famous song by Joe Dassin claims that you can find anything you want, day or night, rain or shine, on the Champs-Elysées.

36. L’Arc de Triomphe • The Arc de Triomphe was built by Napoleon Bonaparte.  He wanted to honor his army and celebrate their victories. The design is based on Roman triumphal arches, which were, however, much smaller. • In the center, under the arch, is a memorial to French soldiers killed in the line of duty.  It's called the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers, and was originally constructed for the soldiers of World War I, which the French call the Great War.  It also commemorates soldiers killed in World War II and other conflicts. • Inside the top section is a small museum.  The top can be visited by climbing up a long spiral stairway inside one of the four legs of the arch.  (Disabled visitors can use the one small elevator). • You can also visit the open top platform, which allows you a great view down the Champs Elysées.  You can also get a clear view of the Bois de Boulogne, the Eiffel Tower and La Défense from the top.

37. Place Charles de Gaulle (Place de l’Étoile) • Place Charles de Gaulle is one of the two names for the open area surrounding the Arc de Triomphe.  • It is also known as Place de l'Étoile (Star) for the star configuration of the twelve streets which converge and meet here, with the Arc itself as the center of the star. • Looking down from the top of the Arc de Triomphe also affords the best (and safest) view of the traffic flowing around the Place Charles de Gaulle.

38. Place de la Concorde • In the center of Place de la Concorde is the Obelisk.  Standing over 70 feet high, this stone mass is over three thousand years old, from Luxor, Egypt, and was a gift to Louis-Philippe in 1833.  On one side of the square stands the Hotel Crillon, one of the most exclusive in Paris, with the American Embassy next door. • The Place de la Concorde is also known for its bloody past.  During and after the French Revolution, over a thousand people were executed here, at the guillotine in what was then being called Place de la Revolution.  It was renamed Place de la Concorde in 1795. • Place de la Concorde lies at a great crossroad of Paris.  The Champs-Elysées sweeps down from the Arc de Triomphe, ending in this busy, bustling square.  On the opposite side from that great boulevard are the Tuileries Gardens leading to the Louvre.  On the south lies a bridge over the Seine, with the National Assembly (Palais Bourbon) framed by the view from Place de la Concorde.  Looking north, its facade is mirrored in the Greek temple facade of the Madeleine church.

39. La Madeleine • Named for Mary Magdalen, the Madeleine church was designed and redesigned and started and restarted from 1763 until it was finished in 1842.  It finished with a neo-classical Greek temple style, based on the Greek Parthenon. 

40. Ninth Arrondissement • This district stretches to include the glitz of the Opéra Garnier and the seediness of Place Pigalle, including the famous Moulin Rouge.  It also includes some great department store shopping.

41. Opéra Garnier • The Opéra Garnier is the older of Paris' two opera houses.  It has served Paris for centuries.  It was the inspiration for Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera (The Andrew Lloyd Weber musical based on it is now a movie).  His story included the lake, or reservoir, which lies underneath the building.  Like many old theaters, the Opéra Garnier has many stories to tell and visitors can see old costumes and sets on display. • Now the building houses performances primarily of ballet.  The needs of the Paris opera outgrew the building and the opera performs at the newer Opera Bastille.

42. Moulin Rouge/Pigalle • Among the nightclubs and bars at the foot of the Montmartre hill is the most famous, or notorious, Moulin Rouge.  At one time, Montmartre was virtually covered with windwills and wineries.  The hill location was ideal.  The vinyards are all gone (except for one tiny plot) as are all but two of the windmills.  The red windmill (Moulin Rouge) at this club became its trademark.

43. Les Grands Magasins • Paris, like most older cities, is blessed with several great, old department stores. • Three of the most popular are the Galeries Lafayette, Au Printemps, and Samaritaine. • Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are found in the midst of a great shopping district in the ninth arrondissement, near the Opéra Garnier.  Galeries Lafayette is worth visiting just for the splendor of the atrium space.  Au Printemps has a rooftop terrace and café. • Samaritaine is the first arrondissement, right by the Seine, within a couple blocks of the Louvre.  One of its features is a cafe with a view on one of the top floors, and also a viewing deck above.

44. Tenth Arrondissement • There is little to recommend this area for tourists; it has businesses and train stations and not much else.

45. Eleventh Arrondissement • The Opera Bastille has helped to revitalize this once dreary area. There are a few good restaurants here to tempt you too.

46. Place de la Bastille & Opéra Bastille • This square is named for a pre-Revolutionary prison.  A French mob stormed the Bastille prison on July 14, 1789.  They released the political prisoners held there and tore the prison apart and down.  This event marked the "official" beginning of the French Revolution.  It is this event that the French celebrate on their national holiday each July. • The Bastille itself (the prison) is thus long gone.  In its place stands the Colonne de Juillet (commemorating that long-ago day).   • A more recent addition to Place de la Bastille is the Opéra Bastille.  When  Paris decided to build a new opera house with modern facilities, this striking modern building was constructed.  Seating 2700, it opened for the Bicentennial in 1989.

47. Twelfth Arrondissement • The Parc de Bercy is a 26-acre garden at one end of this Arrondissement; at the other end you will find the restaurants, shops, and cinemas that are making this a hip part of town.

48. Thirteenth Arrondissement • This area centers around the Gare de Austerlitz, and is another area that has little to offer the tourist, unless you have a passion for tapestries. The Manufacture des Gobelins is located here at 42 ave des Gobelins.

49. Fourteenth Arrondissement • The north end of this area, known as Montparnasse, was the home to many American writers such as Earnest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and T.S. Eliot.  The Catacombs are also located here.

50. The Catacombs • The catacombs were originally dug thousands of years ago.  Early settlers and Roman occupiers wanted stone for their buildings and they quarried it from deep underground. • Over the centuries the tunnels have been used for many purposes.  During war times, armies, revolutionaries, and resistance fighters have hidden there.  Gypsies hid from persecution in the damp tunnels. • Now TV shows such as "The World's Scariest Places" highlight its depths for its 19th century use.  When the streets of Paris were redrawn to broaden the avenues and highlight the city, paupers' cemeteries were cleared, and the remains brought to the tunnels.  A doorway into this part of the tunnel is labeled "Stop!  This is the empire of death." • Approximately six million skeletons have been stacked here in these tunnels.  Signs label the remains with the location from which they were brought and the date they were moved.