Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements.
They are arranged in the form of a snail.
Six arrondissements are on the left bank of the Seine river. Fourteen are on the
right bank.
In the middle of La Seine are two islands: Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.
Le Métro
The most used transportation by Parisians is the underground railway,
also known as the Métro.
There are 14 métro lines and 5 suburban train lines.
There are over 300 métro stations in Paris. The metro was created in 1900 for the Exposition Universelle
(World Fair). Most of the stations were designed by Hector Guimard in the style of Art Nouveau.
Station Louvre-Rivoli was designed by the French artist Othoniel.
Le vélib’
Parisians also use vélibs to travel around the city. They are free
bicycles found throughout the entire city.
Famous Landmarks
La Tour Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 for
l’Exposition Universelle (The World
Fair)
and
was
supposed
to
be
dismantled at the end of the fair.
The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres high.
You can access the first and second
levels by using the stairs or the
elevators. You can access the third
level only by using the elevator.
From 6pm to 1am every night, the Eiffel Tower lights up and sparkles for 5 minutes
Les Invalides
A few minutes away from the Eiffel Tower is les Invalides. It was
first constructed in 1670, as a home and hospital for aged and
unwell soldiers. It now hosts the Army Museum .
After leaving the Invalides and crossing the Seine river, you will
find yourself on the Champs-Elysées.
L’arc de Triomphe
Napoléon ordered the conctruction of the Arc the Triomphe in 1808. The Arc the
Triomphe is located on a roundabout – the biggest in the world – that opens onto twelve
avenues.
The Arc the Triomphe is located at the end of the Champs-Elysées, the most famous and
most expensive avenue in Paris.
The Arc de Triomphe was created to commemorate battles won by the French army.
Under the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
La Concorde
At the other end of the ChampsElysées,
facing
the
Arc
the
Triomphe, stands la Place de la
Concorde. It is the biggest square in
Paris.
The old Luxor Obelisk – an Egyptian
construction 3300 years old – was
transferred to Paris in 1836.
It was offered to France by Egypt as
a recognition of the work of
Champollion, who was the first man
to translate hieroglyphics.
Le Louvre
When you leave
the Place de la Concorde, you enter the
Tuileries garden that will lead you to the Louvre Museum.
The Louvre was once the Palace of French Kings until Louis XIV
moved to Versailles.
The glass pyramid was completed in 1989.
The most famous painting in the Louvre is La Joconde, also known as the Mona Lisa. It was painted between
1503 and 1505 by Leonardo Da Vinci. In reality, the rather small size of the painting always surprises the many
tourists of the museum.
On the contrary, the Musée de l’Orangerie hosts Les Nymphéas (the Waterlilies), a six-metre
painting by the French artist Monet.
Le Pont des arts
To go from the Louvre to the left bank, you will need to cross Le
Pont des Arts .
On each side of the brigde, hundreds of locks have been placed.
They are put here by couples who write their names on the locks
and then throw away the key in the river as a sign of their undying
Notre- Dame de Paris
The Cathedral is located on an island on the Seine river and was used as the
setting for the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.
It took over two centuries to build Notre-Dame.
On the forecourt of the cathedral is the Millenium point, also known as kilometre
zero of French roads, that is still used today to calculate distances.
Les gargouilles
On top of Notre-Dame you will
find the gargoyles.
Their name comes from the
Latin word for throat.
were
designed
to
They
convey
water away from the roof and
the side of the building.
Gargoyles were also built to
scare the evil spirits away from
the cathedral.
Centre Pompidou
The Centre Pompidou was completed in 1977 and is named after a former French
president. It is the largest museum of modern art in Europe.
The Place Georges Pompidou, in front of the centre is usually the scene of street
performers such as mimes, jugglers, singers…
The pipes
The pipes on the outside of the
building have a purpose.
The blue pipes are the air
conditioning ducts
The green pipes convey water
The
yellow
pipes
convey
electricity
The red pipes are for the
elevators.
Fontaine Stravinsky
Right next to the museum you will find the Stravinsky Fountain.
It was created in 1983 by the artists Nikki de Saint Phalle and
Jean Tinguely, and represent the work of the composer Igor
Stravinsky
Galeries Lafayette
The Galeries Lafayette is the biggest department store in Paris. Each
floor is dedicated to something different (cosmetics, shoes, apparel,
accessories.)
Every year for Christmas, a giant tree is set under the dome, and the
exterior windows are a major attraction in the city.
Moulin Rouge
Le Moulin Rouge is the most famous cabaret in Paris. It was created in 1889. It is known as being
the spiritual birthplace of can-can. It is located in Montmartre, home of main artists of the time.
Toulouse-Lautrec was a famous regular customer of the cabaret.
Le Sacré-Coeur
Is a church that was built in 1870 and is at the top the hill of
Montmartre.
You can access the top of the hill by using the stairs or the Funiculaire (a little cablecar).
Montmartre is famous for its narrow streets and its street painters. The hill was the home of
painters like Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Picasso or Van Gogh.
Bastille
The Bastille was formally a fortress.
For years, it was used as a prison by
the kings of France.
On the 14th July 1789, during the
French Revolution, the townspeople
broke in, freed the prisoners then
completely demolished the prison.
in 1899, the foundations of the Liberté
Tower were uncovered and moved to
the centre of the square where they
can still be seen today.
La Bastille became the symbol of French revolutions. Since 1790, La prise de la
Bastille (the Storming of Bastille), is celebrated annually on the 14th July .
Bastille Day, is the major French public holiday. Every year, there is a military
parade from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysées, and there is a
flyover with jet streams in blue, white and red.
La Défense
In eastern Paris is la Défense , the business district of the city.
La Grande Arche (on the right) is the most iconic building of the
district. Inside the tower are offices.
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles was the
home of French kings and queens.
In 1682, Louis XIV moved from
the palace of the Louvre to
Versailles to suit his dreams of
grandeur.
However
in
1789,
during the French revolution, the
king, Louis XVI, his wife Marie
Antoinette and their family had to
move back to the city
One of the most important features
of the palace is the Gallery of
Mirrors, where the king asked for
everything to be covered in gold.
The gardens of Versailles represent
one of the finest example of jardin à
la française. Versailles also features
five chapels and the domain of the
Queen called Le Trianon.
Le Trianon is located opposite the
palace and was the private domain
of Marie Antoinette, where you can
find her little palace, gardens à
l’anglaise and a farm.