Skip to content
Site Tools
Narrow screen resolution Wide screen resolution Auto adjust screen size Increase font size Decrease font size Default font size default color blue color green color
You are here: Home arrow Europe arrow France arrow Paris > A Guide for Tourist Sights
Paris > A Guide for Tourist Sights E-mail
User Rating: / 0
PoorBest 
Written by Emil Netzov - Video from Lonely Planet TV   
Monday, 15 October 2007

 


Recommended Tours | Day Trips & Sightseeing Tours in Paris

Eiffel Tower Dinner, Paris Moulin Rouge Show and Seine River Cruise - Likely to Sell-out! Moulin Rouge regularly sells out weeks in advance. Book ahead of time to avoid disappointment. A visit Paris would be incomplete without a visit to the famous Eiffel Tower. It looks simply spectacular lit up at night time, you will find the image breathtaking. Combine this with dinner and then a visit to the famous Moulin Rouge show and you have a tour not to be missed!

Paris City Tour by Minivan, Louvre Museum and Seine River Lunch Cruise - Enjoy the glamour and romance of vibrant Paris as you see the major sights such as Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, the Concorde, the Eiffel Tower and Saint-Germain des Pres. Explore the Louvre Museum and enjoy a cruise along the Seine River followed by a visit to Notre Dame Cathedral.

Paris Pass - Discover the joy of unlimited sightseeing with the Paris Pass which gives you free entry to the best attractions Paris has to offer. Save time as you skip the queues with fast track entry at many attractions, including the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay, and take advantage of specials offers at numerous Paris restaurants and shops.

Seine River Cruise and Paris Illuminations by Minivan - For a night to remember, cruise along the river Seine, pass under the many bridges and admire the architecture of the historical buildings. Soak up the wonderful Parisian atmosphere and admire the monuments all around you. Paris looks simply stunning at night time, come and see for yourself!

Dinner and Show at the Paris Moulin Rouge with Transport - Experience the heady nightlife of Paris with a three-course dinner and show at the Paris Moulin Rouge, home of the French Cancan in bohemian Montmartre. Wine and dine while watching the Moulin Rouge's brilliant new show, "Feerie", the essence of Parisian cabaret. While at the Moulin Rouge you'll enjoy fine traditional French food such as foie gras, pate or fine seafood, accompanied by wine or champagne. Your tour includes pickup by air-conditioned coach from a central Paris location.


 

Paris Guide - Sights & Interesting Places to Visit in Paris

Paris has always been one of the major tourist destinations in Europe. The city is situated on the banks of the Seine River and is one of the largest European capitals. The metropolitan area of the city is one of the most populated in Europe, about 11.5 million people live in it. Paris is a leading political, business and cultural centre with a global influence on the arts and fashion. Many international organizations and large companies have their offices in the city. Paris is world-known with its neo-classical architecture and is a home to many museums, art galleries, historical monuments and recreation places.

The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. It is an iron structure erected on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River. It is 324 m. high and stands out against the skyline of the city. The tower was built for the celebration of the French Revolution centenary and was inaugurated on March 31, 1889. The builder and architect of the tower, Gustave Eiffel is also famous for designing the iron backbone of the Statue of Liberty. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited building in the world. The annual flow of visitors is about 6 million a year, more than the Empire State Building with 3.6 million and the Tokyo Tower with 3 million. The tower was the tallest structure in the world for its times and replaced the Washington Monument. It remained so until 1930. The tower was struck by lightening in 1902 and 300 feet of the top were reconstructed. Today, the tower has 1660 steps to the top and elevators. It is made on several levels and is a host of several venues. The twinkling lights of the tower were at first made for the arrival of the year 2000. They did not function for about a year and were brought back in 2003. Today, the Eiffel Tower looks elegant and alive with 4 floodlights rotating on the top, which make it visible miles away from the city.

At the end of Champes-Elysees is the Arc de Triomphe. It is situated in the middle of the large circular square Place Charles De Gaulle, from which about 12 streets named after French military leaders emanate. Built between 1806 and 1808, it followed the model of the Arc of Constantine in Rome. It commemorated the victories of Napoleon and the grand army who had won them. The Arc de Tromphe is lavishly decorated in rose marble in the columns and the front paneling. The bronze horses on the top of the monument were taken from Sr. Marc in Venice. There are the names of generals who were in charge of the French troops during the regime of Napoleon engraved on the Arc. It is adorned with many bas-reliefs commemorating the battles of the emperor. The most famous one is the Departure of the Volunteers in 1972, also known as the Marseillaise. At the top of the monument there are 30 shields, each of them bearing the name of one of the successful battles of Napoleon. The Arc includes as well the Grave of the Unknown Soldiers from WWI. The Arc is a home of an observatory with glorious views of Paris and places in the city.

Notre Dame de Paris is a Holy place of worship, a premier tourist attraction and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the city. It is located on the banks of the Seine River and in the eastern part of the Ile de la Cite. It is the place of residence of the archbishop of Paris for the Roman Catholic Church. It is a supreme example of the Rayonnant style. It has two massive towers from the Early Gothic period, which crown the western façade divided in three stories and doors adorned with carvings and surmounted by figures of the Old Testament kings. The western façade of the cathedral is the most famous sight for tourists. Stained glass is its major feature. A 'Rose Window' is an intricate and massive window located in the centre of the front. The southern tower houses Emmanuel bell cast in 1631. The connection between the two towers is the Grand Gallery, which holds the famous gargoyles of the cathedral.

Monmartre is a historic hill at an altitude of 130 meters in Paris and is crowned by the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It has always been connected with culture and trends and has many cafes and studios of many great artists. Sacre Coeur is a Byzantine basilica and is crowned by white elongated domes. The white stone whitens with age and gets more beautiful as time passes by. It has a bell weighing 19 tons, which can be heard from the distance. The remarkable statues on the façade are made of bronze and depict Joan of Arc, St. Luis and Christ with his hands raised in blessing. The interior of the basilica is adorned with mosaics and a figure of the Virgin and Child. Sacre Coeur was erected in 1914. It is an important place for pilgrimages of worshippers from all over the world. It is an imposing building and a landmark of Paris.

The Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world and one of the most famous. It began as a fortress, later it was a royal residence and in 1793 it became a museum. It has an enormous and varied collection of 300 000 works of artists from all over the world. The art of works spans over 3000 years. The collections on display are: Western art from the Middle ages to 1848 and civilization, which have influenced it. There are the Oriental, Egyptian, Etruscan and Greek departments with art objects and graphic art. There is a section devoted to the history of the Louvre as well as divisions dedicated to Asian, African, Oceanic and American art. The latest addition to the museum was the Glass Pyramid, which is a combination of modern art and historic architecture. It allows light to penetrate to the underground floor... For more information please visit: The Eiffel Tower.

About the Author: Emil Netzov from Europe travel

Comments (0)Add Comment

Write comment
quote
bold
italicize
underline
strike
url
image
quote
quote

busy
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 September 2008 )
 
< Prev   Next >

Vacation Alternatives

Home Swapping
Weekend Home Exchange

Trip Advisor, Guide Books

Eyewitness Travel Guide

Shop Before You Go!

France Videos