Paris, Dec 2011
Arc de Triomphe - Was begun in 1806, on the orders of Napoleon 1 to honor the victories of his Grande Armee. It was modeled on the great arches of Antiquity, and has always played a major role in the national republican consciousness. Every evening, the flame is lit on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the Great War.
Eiffel Tower - Built by Gustave-Alexandre Eiffel (who also created the framework for the Statue of Liberty) in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition. It weights 7,000 tons but exerts about the same pressure on the ground as an average-size person sitting in a chair. The tower, including its TV antenna is 317m (1040 ft) high, and from the top you can see for 65 km (40 miles).
The Louvre - one of the largest palaces in the world, and as the former residence of the kings of France, one of the most illustrious, exemplifying traditional French architecture since the Renaissance. It houses a magnificent collection of ancient and Western art, including the Mona Lisa, and works by all of the great masters, including Michelangelo, De Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt...
Mona Lisa by Da Vinci Venus de Milo
Notre-Dame Cathedral -The construction of Notre-Dame began in the 12th century and continued for almost 200 years. The towers ascent to 422 steps (226 feet) above ground level. (on Ile de la Cite)
Versailles - When the château was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometres southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Régime.
Ile de la Cite - an island in the middle of the Seine River and the birthplace of Paris. Home to Notre-Dame Cathedral, La Conciergerie, Sainte-Chapelle and more.
La Conciergerie - Former palace of Charles V in the 14th century.
Sainte-Chapelle - Finest royal chapel built in France and features a truly exceptional collection of stained-glass windows. Built in the mid 13th century.
Opera Garnier - is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera, and probably the most famous opera house in the world.
The Army Museum, located within the Hotel National des Invalides, is home to the Dome Church (Saint-Louis Church), in which Emperor Napoleon's tomb is exhibited.
Champs-Élysées - is one of the most famous streets and one of the most expensive strip of real estate in the world.
Tuileries Gardens - between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre.
Place de la Concorde - The city's largest square, with a view down the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. Amid the fountains, the 3300 year old Luxor Obelisk (a gift from Egypt in 1829) stands near the spot where, in 1792, thousands of revolutionary victims, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, lost their heads on the guillotine.
More Paris Misc
This site was last updated 01/30/12