 | Paris Things To Do | Tips 41 - 50 of 9573 |  |
 | |  |  | Le Marais: Walking around in Le Marais | Tip Rating:   |  |  | |  |
The Marais is a beautiful part of Paris and perfect to get 'lost' in. I loved wandering around in the small streets, look at all the houses, which have so many architectural details. Old doors, decorated with wonderful wooden carvings, a funny cornerstone build in the wall, balconies, balconies and more balconies, often filled with flowerpots. I just didn’t know where to look anymore! In the old days the Marais used to be a marshland, which is really hard to believe when you walk around this area these days… There are some famous houses in this area, like Hôtel des Francs-Boureois, Hôtel de Sully and Hôtel de Lamoignon, all which I planned to look at. But strangely enough I forgot about those plans within no time. The Marais had put its spell on me and made me love it as a whole. I forgot my urge to see specific houses; I just wanted to absorb it all. I was too amazed by all the details of the houses, the grandeur; all I wanted tot do was look around one more corner to see what surprises I would find there…… Leave a Comment Directions: 3rd and 4th arrondissements
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| | | | La Seine and Its Bridges: Oldest Bridge in Paris | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The Pont Neuf was commissioned by Henry III in 1576. Despite its name, which translates as New Bridge, it is now the oldest bridge in Paris. Henry III was in tears when he laid the foundation stone for the bridge in May 1578. This was because he had just returned from funeral services for two close friends who had been killed in duels. So, at first, the bridge was refered to as the "Bridge of Tears". This was soon replaced with the name Pont Neuf because in its construction, Henry broke with tradition whereby all Parisian bridges had houses on them from one end to the other. No houses were to be built on this bridge. Before the construction was finished Henry III was assassinated and the bridge was completed in 1604 by his successor Henry IV. When Henry IV was assassinated in 1610 the Grand Duke of Tuscany presented his widow, Marie de Medicis, with a bronze horse as a memorial. The boat that transported the horse to France sank off the coast of Sardinia in 1613 and the horse went down with the ship. A year later it would be found and set on to Paris. It would be placed on the Pont Neuf rider-less for twenty-one years. In 1635 Louis XIII had a statue make of his father Henry IV and placed him on the horse. This it would sit for the next 157 years. In 1792, in the third year of the French Revolution, the Paris mobs took down the horse and the riding king. They smashed them both to bits. Most would go off to be melted down while the rest went into the Seine. The Pont Neuf would remain without a statue until the return of the monarchy in 1814. Louis XVIII then ordered a replica of the horse and Henry IV cast in bronze, using part of the melted down statue of Napoléon that had been on top of the Vendome column. The caster was happy for the work, but also was a Bonapartist. He is said to have placed a small statue of Napoléon in the right arm of Henry IV's right arm. In the belly of the horse he placed papers containing songs and celebrations from the Napoléonic era. Leave a Comment Directions: Connects the streets of Rue Dauphine and Rue du Pont-Neuf, cutting across Ile de la Cite where Ste. Chapelle and Notre Dame are located.
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| | | | Montmartre / Sacré Coeur: Sacre Coeur | Tip Rating: | | | | |
This basilica sits on hill that can be viewed most of Paris’ other monuments. It’s very Byzantine (although referred to as Neo-Romanesque) in style with its elongated white domes. The white stone called Chateau-Landon whitens with age, thus making it more beautiful as time goes on. If you look at my Intro picture, taken from the top of Notre Dame, you can see the Basilica dazzling white on the distant hill of Montmartre. It has a 19-ton bell that can be heard for some distance. The statues you see on it’s facade are the bronze equestrian statues of St. Joan of Arc and St. Louis with a statue of Christ with his hands raised in blessing. The interior is beautifully decorated with mosaics and a lovely figure of the Virgin and Child. It’s built on the site where Saint Denis was beheaded in the 3rd. Century. Like many of the other Christian sites, druids worshiped on this very spot and a site for early Christian churches. The St. Pierre de Montmartre, a 6th century Parisian church, still sits next to the Basilica. The Sacre Coeur was started in 1875, but wasn’t consecrated until after WWI in 1914.The Basilica is an important place for pilgrimages and welcomed by the Benedictine nuns of the Sacred Heart. Although the Sacre Coeur isn’t considered architecturally beautiful, it’s a very imposing and important landmark of Paris. Metro line 2 or 12 : Abbesses (then take hill tram), Anvers (then take hill tram), Barbes-Rochechouart, Chateau-Rouge, Lamarck-Caulaincourt. Bus: 30, 31, 80, 85 and Montmartrobus (from Métro Jules Joffrin or Pigalle) Opening hours Basilica open from 6am to 11pm Dôme : open from 9ham to 5h30pm (7pm in summer) Fees Free for the basilica. Dome: 5 euros Crypt: Free Leave a Comment Address: Parvis du Sacré Coeur , 75018 ParisPhone: 33 (0)1 53 41 89 09.Directions: MontmartreWebsite: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/
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| | | | Versailles: Side trip to Versailles | Tip Rating: | | | | |
If after a few days in Paris, you are ready to leave the city for a quick day trip, Versailles is a good option. Just take a 30-minute ride on the RER train, Line C, to Versailles Rive Gauche Station, the last stop on the line. This station brings you within just blocks of the famous Chateau of Versailles and the Hotel de Ville. The Chateau is the major tourist draw in Versailles. The original hunting chateau was completed in 1624, and after some expansion, it became the official residence of the King in 1682, moving from the Louvre in Paris. The Royal family remained in residence here, constantly building additions and upgrades, until the French Revolution. In 1837, the Chateau became a museum dedicated to displaying French history. Also worth seeing are the gardens, the park, and the Grand Trianon. The Chateau is open Tuesday - Sunday, 9 am until 6:30pm in the summer and 5:30pm in the winter. The fee is 7.50 Euros. Visitors may request a guided tour or tour on their own. Leave a Comment Website: http://www.chateauversailles.fr/ Other Contact: e-mail: direction.public@chateau
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| | | | Parks, Gardens, and Squares: Visit place Emile Gordeau | Tip Rating: | | | | |
On our first visit to Paris, we stayed at the Timhotel Montmartre, which fronts this little oasis of tranquility. Even though it was winter, the trees bare and the weather bleak, I know the distinct charm of this ‘place’ helped to confirm my enthusiasm for Paris: the old saying about ‘never forgetting the first time’… On this visit in late spring, the trees provided a leafy canopy from the sun and I just had to stop for lunch, readily available from shops nearby, while I soaked up the ambience. Apart from being a pleasant spot for a break, Place Emile Gordeau has a Wallace drinking fountain, numerous park benches, and is fronted not only by the hotel but also by the historic Bateau Lavoir (see next tip). After your rest, you can continue up the hill from here to the ‘place de Tertre’ and the Sacre Coeur. Directions: To reach the ‘place’, start from Métro Abesses heading west (ie with the church on your left), then turn right up rue Ravignan, the first street on your right, and begin the climb up the hill, crossing rue des Trois-Freres.
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| | | | Arc de Triomphe: Architecture : L'Arc de Triomphe | Tip Rating: | | | | |
After you've done your last bit of shopping and reached the end of the Champs Elysees, the grand l'Arc de Triomphe (The Arch of Triumph) will greet you in a truimphant glow of yellow light.The first sight of this giant monument will be startling. Understandably so , since it is the largest arch in the world, anyway! Of course, don't be daft and try to brave the mad traffic surrounding the arch. If you need to know, it is surrounded by 12 great avenues converging in a star shape so that there'll be a crazy carousel of French driving there. Brave it and the next gate that you'll see is the one by St Peter's. Haha! Tip: In my opinion, the Arc de Triomphe offers a fantastic perspective of Paris and the star shaped convergence of all the roads. %On hindsight: This is probably just my opinion, but I noted that this giant thing boasts the victories of the little emperor ( Napoleon ) and apparently ignores his exile, imprisonment and early death.. Leave a Comment Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle EtoileDirections: Metro Line 1, 2, RER A : Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile
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| | | | Musée d'Orsay: RENOIR - The dances. | Tip Rating: | | | | |
The museum of Orsay contains a beautiful collection of Auguste Renoir's works among which the two large paintings with dancers impressed me from my first visit here. "Dance in the country" and "Dance in the city" (1883) belong to the second period called "Ingresque" or "dry" of Renoir. The drawing is more net, the outline more precise than with his first "impressionistic" period (1864-1883). Renoir wrote "I had gone up to the end of the impressionism and I arrived to the observation that I did not know how to paint or draw." Amazing this questioning by a master of the impressionistic art! He painted three couples of dancers among whom two are here on display in the museum of Orsay, room 39, the third is in Boston. I was particularly seduced by these couples of dancers. The man leaning forwards murmurs soft things to the ear of his partner; she, beautiful woman, red-haired, follows with elegance the movement of the music (a waltz?). We know that she is Suzanne Valadon who was also a model for Puvis de Chavannes and Toulouse-Lautrec and became herself a painter and mother of the painter Utrillo. After his short "ingresque" period from 1883 till 1890, Renoir enters his period "nacrée - pearly" The term represents very well the shape, the colour, the light and the sensual delight of this period during which he paints numerous "baigneuses - the bathers". In the same room 39 are two other beautiful paintings of his pearly period - "période nacrée" "Jeunes filles au piano" (1892) and "Grand nu" (1907). Renoir was a very prolific painter: more than 4000 paintings! Address: Musée d'Orsay, upper floor, room 39Directions: Métro: line 12, Solférino station; RER: line C, Musée d'Orsay stationWebsite: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/
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