Who does not dream of visiting Paris, seeing the beautiful places of the French capital? Only now there are realities of life when desire does not coincide with possibilities … Therefore, let's take a virtual journey through the most interesting places in the capital of France, walk along the boulevards and squares, look into restaurants and climb the Eiffel Tower to see Paris from a bird's eye view, a description of which shown below.
Historical background
Paris is the capital of France, located on the banks of the Seine in the northern part of the country. Traditionally, the left bank of the river was considered bohemian. Its inhabitants were professors, students, artists, musicians. And no wonder, because it is here that the Sorbonne and the Latin Quarter are located. But the right bank of Paris is the administrative and business center. Here is the royal palace of the Louvre, and more recently the skyscrapers of the business district of Defense.
Two pearls of Paris adorn the island, lying in a fork in the Seine. These are Notre Dame Cathedral and the royal chapel Sainte-Chapelle.
Cityoccupies a central position in the rich agricultural region known as the Basin of Paris, is one of the eight departments of the administrative region of Île-de-France. It is by far the most important center of trade and culture in the country. City area, 41 sq. mile (105 sq. km). The population, as of 2012, was 2.2 million people.
Paris touristic
Paris has been and remains one of the most important and attractive cities in the world. It is valued for the opportunities it offers for business and commerce, for study, culture and entertainment; is the capital of gastronomy, high fashion, painting, literature. Earned during the Enlightenment, its nickname La Ville Lumière - "City of Light" is still apt, as Paris has retained its importance as a center of education and intellectual pursuits.
Paris is one of the three most visited cities in the world. About 28 million tourists from all over the world are received annually by the hospitable capital of France. Most visited places: Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Montmatre, Louvre, Champs Elysees.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower in Paris has dominated the city for many years. Undoubtedly, it is the most emblematic monument of the French capital, from where you can get a magnificent panoramic view of the entire city.
This massive iron structure, 312 meters high (today 324 meters), was built at the end of the 19th century on the occasion of the World Exhibition of 1889 and wasentrance to it. The construction time of the tower is a record for such a structure - 2 years, 2 months and 5 days. The monument was unveiled on March 31, 1889. On this day, engineer Gustave Eiffel climbed to the top of the tower to hoist the country's tricolor flag over it. The Eiffel Tower in Paris was the tallest building in the world until 1929, when the Chrysler Building (319 m) was built in New York.
Day and night, the flow of tourists who want to visit it does not dry out. Even in cloudy weather, tourists tend to climb to the observation deck, located on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower. They talk about the indescribable feeling of the "transcendental world", where they get, rising above the clouds. Those who are interested in goods and souvenirs can buy them on the ground floor in the shops located around the perimeter. On the second floor, 125 meters above ground, you can let yourself be seduced by a meal at the famous Jules Verne restaurant in Paris.
Arc de Triomphe
Another symbolic monument of Paris is the Arc de Triomphe, which is connected to the Place de la Concorde by the famous Champs Elysees. In a brief description of the sights of Paris, it is mentioned that this is the largest arch in the world. Its construction dates back to 1806. It was built at the request of Napoleon, in honor of the emperor's victory in Austerlitz.
Under the arch is the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. National authorities and associations organized a cult of the memory of fallen soldiers in France to perpetuate throughsymbolic places are an example of their patriotism. At the top of the monument, visitors have a panoramic view of Paris. A museum recreating the history of the Arc de Triomphe is located inside the building.
On the east side of the Place de la Concorde adjoin the Tuileries Gardens, created on the initiative of Marie de Medici. They cover an area of 25 hectares, including luxurious French and English gardens. In the same direction is the famous Louvre, where the French royal family lived for many centuries.
Louvre Palace
What is the Louvre for tourists? In guidebooks describing Paris, it is noted that this is the most visited museum in Europe. About 9 million guests visit its halls every year. It combines everything that is interesting to visitors: a fortress, a palace, a museum.
During the reign of Philip II Augustus (1165-1223), the medieval fortress of the Louvre protected the city from outside enemies. In the second half of the 14th century, King Charles V made it a royal residence, the Louvre Palace. After the fall of the French monarchy, the Louvre became a museum for thousands of art collections in Paris. There are more than 460,000 works from all over the world in the description of the museum brochures. The largest European museum offers its visitors to admire such world heritage masterpieces as the Venus de Milo sculpture, the legendary Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1503-1505, or Eugene Delacroix's painting - La liberté guidant le peuple ("Freedom leading people"). On almost 60 thousand square meters of galleries inThe Louvre houses many works: paintings, sculptures, sketches, ceramics and archaeological artifacts. According to the guides, to get acquainted with all this, you need to spend at least three days.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Paris really has places and monuments filled with history. These include one of the most visited monuments in France, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture - Cathédrale Notre Dame, which is located on an island in the historical center of Paris. The Seine, bifurcating, envelops the island, as it were. The construction of the cathedral began in the 13th century and was completed in the 15th century. During the French Revolution, the cathedral was damaged and restored in the 19th century. Visitors marvel at the stained-glass windows and rosettes, towers, spire and gargoyles (winged devils that look like huge bats).
At the Notre Dame Cathedral, on the eastern facade (rear) of the building, flying buttresses are made, which are clearly visible in the photo above. These 15-meter arched pillars resemble the long, spindle-shaped legs of a spider, bent at the knee, surrounding the building like scaffolding. Climbing up 387 steps, visitors can get a close look at the statues and sculptures that adorn the outer walls of the cathedral.
And below you can admire the masterpieces of architects and architects who created biblical figures in the portals above the doorways. Above the right door is the story of the Virgin's parents, the Nativity of Christ and the good news to the shepherds. Above the central doorway is an illustration of Christ the Judge and Archangel Michael guiding the righteous to heavenand damned to hell. Above the left door is a scene of the completion of the life path (assumption) of the Virgin Mary and the Ark of the Covenant.
Behind the cathedral is John XXIII Square, named after one of the most popular popes of the 20th century. At first, this place was a dump, then the residence of the archbishop, subsequently destroyed and looted by the revolutionaries. The square of Paris was created in 1844 by the Parisian prefect Count Rambuteau, who laid out a wonderful garden on the site of a wasteland.
Champs Elysees and recreation areas
The venue for marches until the 16th century was the most monumental boulevard in Paris, called the Champs Elysees. The lower part of the fields is decorated with the Champs Elysees. The upper part extends to the Arc de Triomphe. This is a place where both tourists and locals like to relax. Here are hundreds of luxury shops, hotels, cafes and restaurants in Paris.
If you want to visit legendary cafes like Café de Flore, you should go to Boulevard Saint-Germain. Picasso, Hemingway and other prominent personalities liked to spend their leisure time in this cafe. The coffee shops and restaurants on Boulevard Montparnasse are great, serving French cuisine and gourmet seafood delicacies.
Big Arch Defense
After passing through the historical places of the center, we go to the new administrative district in the west of Paris. Descriptions of this part of the city in tourist guides focus on the high-rise buildings created in the 1960s at the end of Avenue Charles de Gaulle.
The quarter is named La Defense. All the most modern sights of the city are concentrated in this area, including the second triumphal arch of Defense, covered with white marble. It was opened in 1989 to mark the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.
