French landmarks

1. French landmarks

2. The Arc de Triomphe Facts on the arch of triumph The Arc de Triomphe • The arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, but he was ousted before the arch was completed. In fact, it wasn't completed until 1836 during the reign of Louis-Philippe. The Arc de Triomphe is engraved with names of generals who commanded French troops during Napoleon's regime. • The arch is located at the end of the Champs-Elysées, in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle, a large circular square from which no less than 12 streets emanate. The streets are named after French military leaders.

3. La Tour Eiffel Facts on the Eiffel Tower La Tour Eiffel • The Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance arch for the World's Fair in 1889. • It is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company was in charge of the project. • Millions of people climb the Eiffel Tower every year and it has had over 250 million visitors since its opening.

4. Notre Dame de Paris Facts on the Notre Dame cathedral Notre Dame de Paris • Notre Dame Cathedral is the biggest Roman Catholic Church in Paris, France. The cathedral is located on 6 parvis Notre-Dame; place Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris, France. The Cathedral was one of the first flying buttress buildings in the world. On the exterior the cathedral has statues placed. This building has been considered as one of the finest Gothic Architecture of the French and is the world's most known building.

5. le Louvre Facts onThelouvre museum le Louvre • The Louvre was originally built as a fortress in 1190, but was reconstructed in the 16th century to serve as a royal palace. It continued to be expanded over the years. It currently covers a total area of 652,300 square feet (60,600 square meters). In 1793, Louis XIV moved the royal residence to Versailles, and the Louvre became an art museum, exhibiting the royal collection and artifacts. Under Napoleon’s reign, acquisitions came from conquered lands and the museum was known as Musée Napoleon. After his defeat at Waterloo, the museum returned to its original name.

6. Le Moulin Rouge Facts on The Red windmill Le Moulin Rouge • The oldest cabaret show in Paris • Le Moulin Rouge is certainly the most famous cabaret of the World. Since Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, at the beginning of the twentieth century, le Moulin Rouge is one of the legendary monuments of Paris. Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Ginger Rogers, Lisa Minnelli, Frank Sinatra are one of the world famous stars who came to Le Moulin Rouge. We can't neither forget the French Cancan's period with La Goulue or Josephine Baker, Mistinguett and Maurice Chevalier.

7. Métro de Paris Facts on The metro paris Métro de Paris • To create access to Cité and Saint-Michel stations, on the edge of the Seine, the architect Léon Chagnaud exercised great ingenuity... The construction of the tunnel between the two stations was completed with the aid of metallic caissons of 20 to 40 metres in length, assembled on the bank and gradually driven into the river bed. This extremely spectacular operation attracted a number of curious onlookers. To allow the boring of the tunnel designed as a pipeline connecting the two stations, fifteen metres beneath the bed of the Seine, the ground was frozen with a calcium chloride brine at -24°C. • The first six lines were opened to the public in 1910. Immediately prior to the First World War, the 91km-long network included 10 lines and carried 467 million travellers. During the 1920s, the increase in the population of the outskirts of the capital led to a new agreement between the City of Paris and the département of La Seine. The following decade saw the network continue to grow, in particular through the extension of the lines to the suburbs (lines 1, 12, 9, 11, etc.). During the Second World War, several lines were extended despite the shortage of electricity. At the end of the war, the damage caused by the bombings made considerable investment necessary.

8. Château de Versailles. Facts on The palace of versailles Château de Versailles. • The Palace of Versailles is the central part of a complex that housed the French government, most notably its royalty, during the reigns of Louis XIV (France’s famed “Sun King”), Louis XV and Louis XVI. After the French Revolution in 1789, it ceased to be a permanent royal residence. • Located about 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest of Paris, it is beside the settlement of Versailles. Before the construction of the palace by Louis XIV, this settlement was little more than a hamlet but by the time of the revolution it had a population of more than 60,000 people, making it one of the largest urban centers in France. • Before the revolution, the Versailles complex included the palace, gardens, a walled-in royal hunting ground, a smaller palatial structure known as the Grand (or Marble) Trianon and an estate used by Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI’s queen. Between the palace and the town there are also buildings that housed the war and foreign affairs ministries, residences for those not entitled to live in the palace, stables and a kennel, among other structures.

9. Centre Georges Pompidou Facts on the Pompidou centre Centre Georges Pompidou • Situated at the heart of Paris in the Marais district, the Pompidou Centre reveals its unique, timeless and modern architecture, offering its visitors the most beautiful view over the capital. From the upper floors, you can see sweeping views over the City of Light and its most emblematic monuments such as Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Sacré-Coeur. Behind its web of colourful pipes, the building contains numerous spaces entirely dedicated to culture and art spread out over 6 floors, among which the largest modern and contemporary art museum in Europe is housed. With more than 70,000 works, it displays the masterpieces of some of the most famous figures in modern art like Picasso, Kandinsky, Matisse, Chagall, Léger, Miro, Dali, Dubuffet and Klein. It also displays the work of the most famous contemporary artists such as Buren, Boltanski, Opalka, Twombly, Hantaï, Tallon, Widmer and Garouste.

10. Sacré-Cœur Basilica Basilica of the SacréCœur Sacré-Cœur Basilica • The Sacré-Coeur, consecrated in 1919, is one of the most iconic monuments in Paris. At the top of the Butte Montmarte, it provides one of the most beautiful panoramic views of the capital, from more than 400 metres above ground. In a Roman-Byzantine style, the Sacré Coeur is recognizable by its white colour. Inside the building, the ceiling is decorated with the largest mosaic in France measuring about 480 m². The crypt is worth a visit. A bit higher up, visitors can access the dome where the 360° view of Paris is magnificent. A short walk from the Sacré Coeur is the Place du Tertre, the district of Abbesses with its steep, winding roads, and at the bottom of the hill, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.