La Seine, Paris

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Favorite thing: The river Seine is not as wide as the Tames or the Rhine but is so more beautiful when crossing Paris. Not because of the river itself but because of the scenery on the banks of the Seine.

A cruise on the Seine, especially at night, will reveal all the well lighted monuments. There are many. I'm not aware of any greater scenery than the banks of the Seine not only the famous and so many monuments but also the houses with their homogeneous Haussmann style.
There are two cities in Europe whose architecture stands above all others for me: Paris with its nearly perfect order and Rome with its baroque exuberance.

If you say "la Seine" you can not avoid the bridges. I like all bridges but have some preferences for the pedestrians bridges like the "Ponts des Arts" between the "Cour Carrée" (Sully wing) of Le Louvre and the "Institut de France" on the Rive gauche and for the "Pont Alexandre III" which is one of the most stunning bridges of Paris. When approaching from the Right Bank i.e. by the Grand Palais, there is a sight all in gildings: the four columns with sculptures of the bridge and in the background the gildings of the imposing dome of the Invalides.

Most bridges on the Seine in the centre of Paris provide nice views. The Pont Royal is certainly one of them. It is the usual link between Le Louvre and the Terrasse des Tuileries with the Musée d'Orsay on the Rive gauche.
The view on the former station d'Orsay is one of the best you can find for you photo's On your left, towards the east, you will distinguish the Isle de la Cité with, from left to right the fine and high turret of the Chapelle Royale and the towers of Notre-Dame.

Here I have to stop; I wrote already so many tips about Paris.

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Favorite thing: One of the best ways to see a bit of "Paris" is by Seine River Cruise. During one of my previous visit to Paris to celebrate my birthday a few vt friends and I decided to do exactly that. We had a great time seeing Paris from the river cruise.

VincentJJ came baring gifts, he brought the ladies all roses, how sweet.

Fondest memory: Getting together with some VT friends to celebrate my birthday was fantastic!!

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Favorite thing: One of the world’s ‘great’ rivers, the Seine has been immortalised in songs and paintings. As may be seen in these photos its importance does not stem from its size or, for that matter, from its length. No, the Seine derives its ‘instant recognition’ status from its locale and historical significance, not to mention the romance associated with it. Should you wish to take a short cruise, there are plenty of ferries and tours available, but I was content simply to wander along the shores, enjoying the views and the passing river traffic .

Whatever tourists may make of it, the Seine is still very much a commercial river, with extensive river traffic passing through Paris. I thought you might care to ‘virtually’ share some of that variety with me.

The main photo might be of particular interest to other motoring enthusiasts, because parked on the back deck of this barge is a red ‘Amphicar’, a curious (and now rare and collectable) amphibious motor car produced in small numbers in the 1960s. I wonder if it is intended as a lifeboat or as a shopping trolley when in port! The second photo shows a canal boat, possibly off on a holiday cruise. No question about the third photo though, it is a cargo barge being pushed by a no-nonsense tug, while the fourth photo shows a tour boat passing Notre Dame.

Favorite thing: A river cruise on the Seine is an excellent way to discover Paris, the beauty of its bridges and monuments and the richness of its history. Along side visiting the oldest districts of Paris and experiencing a live description of the best views of Paris, this is a must.
The river cruise offers the chance of taking a one hour cruise along the Seine, a lunch cruise or a dinner cruise.
But I only made the cruise without no food..and I think someday when return to Paris, I will make another cruise!! :-)

Fondest memory: For me it's the last thing I did, in the last day , but I suggest to all, to make the cruise in the first day...you can have a panoramic view of almost all the monuments..and a view that you can't have from other places.
After have made the cruise you can go, by foot for a better exploration of all you can view in the boat.

The fondest memory for me , are the vision of passing in front of me, so much history..all the buildings are wonderful..I have no words..you have to see it! :-)

The Eiffel Tower, the Conciergerie, the Hotel de Ville, the Ile de la Cit? with Pont Neuf, Pont Alexandre III...everyting looks even more beautiful seen the the Seine River.

Favorite thing: If you only have one night in Paris, be sure to take a walk along the Seine (and if you're there for a week, you'll likely do it every night). You'll understand why it's called the City of Lights. It really is beautiful and remarkably peaceful (in Nov. anyway). It's a really nice way to unwind if you spent the day scrambling to see the many wonderful sites of Paris.

Favorite thing:

We arrived late to Paris and as soon we got into the hotel, we went out to see the Notre Dame at night, crossing through Republic square and down to the Seine.

But my first impressive view was the bridges at night illuminated..... Just beautiful.

This is Pont Marie that takes us to Ile St-Louis

Favorite thing: Visiting Paris, it's almost inevitable to see the Seine. This river played a important role in the origin and development of Paris. Many of the important monuments are built along the river, like the Tour Eiffel, the Notre Dame and the Louvre.

At many places a lot of trees are planted along the riverbanks. It's a nice place to sit on a bench for a while or to walk. You can find bookstalls, a city beach, but also a 'musée en plein air'.

Favorite thing: The River Seine runs through Paris, dividing it into two parts: The Left Bank and the Right Bank. A great way to see Paris is by taking a Bateaux-Mouches cruise along the River Seine. You'll get terrific views of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower as well as other sights.

Favorite thing: Inaugurated in 1578, the New Bridge is the oldest one of Paris.
During the 17e century, a song told : "on the Pont Neuf, one is sure to meet at any hour a monk, a white horse and a prostitute".
Now you are sure to meet in this place a tourist, a backpacker and a police agent.

The semi-round spaces with a bank which are on the parapets of each sides, are initially made for the street vendors. Now they are an ideal rest place for the tired tourists or for the lovers looking for a romantic site.

Fondest memory: On the picture, in the far, there is the department store La Samaritaine, of which moto was "on trouve tout a la Samaritaine" (one finds everything at the Samaritaine). It is false, of course.

The name Samaritaine which comes from the Gospel, was initially given to a pump which was there to take out the water of Seine.

Now the water pump is replaced by a money pump.

Favorite thing: In an area where both Rome and London fail (except for precious few examples), the bridges in Paris are almost as worthy of study and contemplation as the neighboring museums and palaces. Few are alike, but all have the common characteristics of blending in perfectly with their surroundings, of linking important points on either bank so that few steps are dull or unncessary, and most importantly in keeping close and intimate their relationships with the river.