Paris

1
Paris

• The City of Lights

2
Paris Geography

• When people talk about where in Paris something
  is located, they use two basic terms which
  "bank" the place is on, and which
  "arrondissement" it is in.

• The bank refers to which side of the river (if
  you are facing downstream).  Since the Seine is
  flowing west towards the English channel, the
  area north of the river is the Right Bank (or
  Rive Droit), and the area south of the river is
  the Left Bank (or Rive Gauche).
• The arrondissement refers to a system of
  districts within the city.  These districts are
  numbered 1-20. 
• They start in the heart of the city at the
  Louvre, and spiral around to the outside.
• All kinds of things are organized by
  arrondissement, including postal codes, etc.
• There are also two islands Ile de la Cité and
  Ile St Louis.

3
La Seine, les Bateaux Mouches les Ponts

• The river Seine arches through the historic core
  of Paris, separating it into its two banks.
• For first-time visitors, and even some returning
  tourists, a boat tour along the river is a must. 
  The most famous of the boat tours are the Bateaux
  Mouches, although there are several other
  companies that also offer tours.  Many of the
  most beloved and famous sites in Paris can be
  seen from the boats.  Tour guides describe the
  passing scenery in multiple languages for the
  many tourists on board. 
• Ponts
• Over 30 bridges span the river within the city,
  some of which are notable in and of themselves. 
  Some people say that everyone who knows and loves
  Paris has a favorite among her bridges.

4
Le métro

• The Paris subway system is called the métro.  You
  can quickly get anywhere in the city through the
  use of its various lignes (lines).
• Each ligne has a number, and two endpoints.  To
  use the subway you need to know the number and
  which endpoint you are traveling towards (the
  direction). 
• Whenever two or more lignes meet in a station
  (where you can change from one to the other) its
  called a correspondance.
• Buy your tickets from the vending machines in the
  station.  It's cheaper to buy them in carnets,
  packets of ten tickets. You can also buy tickets
  at the ticket booths if you want to ask questions
  or the lines at the machines are long.
• You have to put the ticket in a slot in the
  turnstile to enter. Follow the signs to the ligne
  and direction you need.
• Many of the older stations have interesting decor
  inside, and can be entered through great Art
  Nouveau entrances.

5
First Arrondissement

• This is in some ways the center of the city of
  Paris and is located mostly on the Right Bank
  (Rive Droit). In addition to the Louvre, it also
  contains the Tuileries Gardens and the ritzy
  Place Vendôme. Forum des Halles is also in this
  district.
• A little bit of the Ile de la Cité falls into the
  1st also, including the Palais de Justice,
  containing Sainte Chappelle and the Conciergerie.

6
The Louvre

• The Louvre is probably the most famous art museum
  in the world.
• It is certainly one of the largest.
• The most crowded room is the room where the Mona
  Lisa (called La Jaconde by the French) is kept. 
  She has a special glass box protecting her, not
  to mention the guards.
• Other famous works of art here include Venus de
  Milo and Winged Victory.
• Enter through the glass pyramid in the courtyard.

7
The Tuileries Gardens

• The Tuileries Gardens lie between the bustling
  Place de la Concorde and the popular Louvre
  Museum. The central walkway continues the line of
  the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe du
  Carrosel and ultimately the Pyramid du Louvre.
• The Tuileries name comes from a separate palace
  near the Louvre, the Tuileries, which was built
  by Catherine de Medici. The palace was attacked
  during the Revolution, and then burned to the
  ground during the uprising in 1871.
• Today's Tuileries offer a peaceful rest on
  benches beneath the trees, along the gravel
  walkways.
• They also offer entertainment.  In summertime
  there are carnival rides and attractions along
  the northern edge of the park.  Year round, you
  can ride the huge Ferris wheel the French call La
  Grande Roue.

8
Place Vendôme

• At the center of Place Vendôme is a bronze
  column, made from melted cannons.  Napoleon had
  this Column of the Grand Army built to honor his
  soldiers.  On its top is a statue of Napoleon
  himself.
• Around the sides of the square are found some of
  the more expensive stores in Paris.  Jewelry
  stores such as Cartiers and Van Cleef Arpels
  are here, along with the exclusive Ritz Hotel.

9
Forum des Halles

• This location has actually been a center of
  commerce for a thousand years.  Obviously, it has
  undergone some changes in that time.
• Les Halles is the name of the old central Paris
  food market.  For hundreds of years, farmers and
  other vendors brought their goods here to the
  center of the city.
• However, the traffic congestion just got too
  impractical for the center of the city, and the
  food market moved to the outskirts of the city.
• In its place was left a huge hole, and eventually
  this unusual, mostly underground mall, the Forum
  des Halles, was built.  On four underground
  levels are 300 shops, movie theaters, fitness
  center, pool, etc. 

10
Sainte Chappelle

• Sainte Chappelle was intended to hold the crown
  of thorns and other relics Louis IX (later
  canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as Saint
  Louis) believed he had purchased. 
• Louis built the upper chapel in high gothic
  style.  Its style emphasizes height and light,
  with tall stained glass windows virtually
  covering all the walled surface above head
  height.
• For the most gorgeous display from the windows,
  visit on a sunny day in the late afternoon.  To
  visit, go to the Palais de Justice, and follow
  the signs. 

11
Conciergerie

• The Conciergerie was originally part of a
  fortress built on the island by the kings of
  France.  Later it became a prison.  Its tourist
  attraction lies primarily in its years as a
  prison.
• During the French Revolution, this is where
  prisoners were held before being taken to the
  guillotine.  The cell in which Marie-Antoinette
  was held has been restored to look as it might
  have been during her stay there.  It even has a
  wax dummy simulating Marie herself.
• You will also see the vast chambers in which the
  soldiers lived and ate, the kitchens, and cells
  in which various other famous people were
  imprisoned, as well as a small courtyard in which
  the prisoners might have taken some air.

12
Second Arrondissement

• Located on the right bank, the 2nd Arr. is home
  to the stock exchange (La Bourse) and the
  business district. The eastern end is the garment
  district. 

13
La Bourse

• La Bourse is the Paris stock exchange.  Visitors
  may watch the trading from a gallery.
• Some audio-visual aids are available to help you
  figure out what is going on but most of it is a
  mystery to those who are not brokers themselves.

14
Third Arrondissement

• The Marais, a former swamp that is now a trendy
  art neighborhood. This Picasso museum is here.
  This area also has a great Jewish quarter, with
  excellent restaurants and shops.

15
Le Musée Picasso

• When Pablo Picasso died, his heirs gave hundreds
  of paintings, sculptures, and other art to the
  French government to pay his estate taxes. This
  collection became the National Picasso Museum.
• The museum is organized chronologically, so
  visitors can trace his career from the early days
  through his late work. There is also art by some
  other artists of the same period (that he had
  purchased) which complements his own work.

16
Fourth Arrondissement

• The heart of Medieval Paris, this district
  includes most of both islands and part of the
  right bank. It has many sights for the tourist
  Notre Dame, the Hotel de Ville, and the Pompidou
  Center are here. The Marais spills into the 4th
  Arr. and the Place des Vosges, known as the most
  beautiful square in Europe, is here as well.

17
Notre Dame (de Paris)

• The cathedral of Notre Dame lifts its towers from
  the true heart of the city.  Located next the the
  Seine on the larger of the two major islands in
  Paris, it lies above the ruins of the Roman era
  Lutece.  You can visit the ruins of homes from
  2000 years ago.
• Inside, the light is dim. Outside light trickles
  in through the many stained glass windows.
  Candles glow at many shrines around the sides of
  the interior.
• Outside, there is an entrance to the stairs
  climbing up the north tower.  Wind your way up
  the worn steps. On the bridge, greet the
  gargoyles, up close and personal. (The gargoyles
  are the stone statues and monsters which decorate
  the towers).
• In the south tower, you can enter and visit the
  big bells.  You can also climb (again) to the
  very top of the south tower for a view over the
  entire city.
• It has been added to and changed and renovated. 
  It is, essentially, however, a building that has
  watched over the city for 800 years.

18
Hôtel de Ville

• This ornate building is Paris City Hall.  The
  current building was constructed in 1871, after
  the previous building was burned down.  The style
  of architecture was chosen to resemble the
  Renaissance original.

19
Pompidou Center (Beaubourg)

• The Centre Pompidou was built during the 1970s. 
  Many people disliked the unusual architecture,
  saying it looked like an oil refinery.  Others
  like it as a breath of fresh air, something new
  in a city filled with the old.  The alternate
  name, "Beaubourg," comes from the name for that
  neighborhood.
• On the third and fourth floors is the National
  Museum of Modern Art.  It has works by artists
  such as Matisse, Picasso, Dali, and Warhol.
• On the southern side of the building is the
  Stravinsky fountain., created by French artists,
  inspired by and named for the Russian composer.

20
Place des Vosges

• Place des Vosges is Paris's oldest public
  square.  It is also one of the more pleasant
  squares in Paris.  Its quiet center is a park,
  with fountains, grass, and shaded benches. 
  Around its sides are small restaurants, antique
  stores, and small boutiques.
• It is also home to the Victor Hugo museum. 
  Victor Hugo lived at number 6 Place des Vosges. 
  He is remembered as one of the great French
  writers.  His novels include such works as Les
  Miserables and Hunchback of Notre Dame.

21
Fifth Arrondissement

• This left bank (Rive Gauche) arrondissement has
  been known as the Latin Quarter.  It houses such
  intellectual landmarks as the Sorbonne and the
  Pantheon.

22
Latin Quarter La Sorbonne

• The most famous part of the University of Paris
  is La Sorbonne.  The college was founded in 1257
  by a Catholic Canon named Sorbonne. 
• For most of its history, its students were
  required to speak in the language of academics,
  which was Latin.  Not only were classes conducted
  in Latin, but students had to speak Latin even
  when they weren't in class!  So the neighborhood
  around the campus was full of people speaking
  Latin, hence its name The Latin Quarter.
• Nowadays, the students speak French, of course. 
  But the streets of the neighborhood are still
  multilingual.  The bookstores sell books in many
  languages, the restaurants serve cuisine from all
  over, but especially Greek, Arab, and Asian food.

23
The Pantheon

• The Panthéon is the resting place for great
  writers, philosophers, and other leaders of
  France.  
• It contains the remains of such greats as Victor
  Hugo (Les Miserables, and The Hunchback of Notre
  Dame), Emile Zola, Voltaire, Jean-Jacques
  Rousseau, and Jean Moulin (resistance fighter). 

24
Sixth Arrondissement

• The Luxembourg gardens are in this district. 
  Also found here are the old church of Saint
  Germain des Prés and the Deux Magots café popular
  with writers such as Hemingway and Sartre. Cluny,
  a museum of medieval art, is also in the 6th.

25
Luxembourg Gardens

• The Luxembourg Gardens are one of the most
  popular parks in Paris.  Located just off the
  Latin Quarter, they also house the Luxembourg
  Palace, which is the home of the French Senate.
• There is a large octagonal pond, which is often
  busy with children sailing toy boats.  You can
  rent a toy boat at a nearby booth.

26
Saint Germain des Prés

• This is the oldest church in Paris.
• The first church at this location was built in
  the 6th century.  This building came later,
  around 1000.  There was a Benedictine abby here,
  which was largely destroyed during the
  Revolution.

27
Deux Magots

• Famous writers such as Jean-Paul Sartre and
  Earnest Hemingway sat at the now famous Deux
  Magots café next to Saint Germain des Prés on the
  boulevard Saint Germain.  They talked, drank, and
  wrote at the tiny tables while watching the world
  go by. 
• By the way, the magots here are a apparently a
  reference to some Chinese statues and Deux Magots
  was the name of a store in this location before
  the café was here (the café was founded
  around1885).

28
Cluny

• Officially called the National Museum of the
  Middle Ages, Cluny is Paris' medieval
  specialist.  Built above the ruins of Roman
  baths, this old mansion houses tapestries,
  statues, furniture from the Middle Ages. 
• At Cluny you can see the heads broken from the
  facade of Notre Dame during the French
  Revolution. 
• You can view the furniture and tapestries from a
  Europe of 600 years ago.  The most famous
  tapestries in the collection are the Lady and the
  Unicorn.

29
Seventh Arrondissement

• The Eiffel tower, one of the most recognized
  landmarks in the world is located in this left
  bank district. The Invalides, which holds
  Napoleon's tomb, the Rodin Museum, and the Musee
  d'Orsay are also in this arrondissement.

30
La Tour Eiffel

• Paris's most well-known landmark, the Eiffel
  Tower, was never meant to last.  For the
  hundred-year anniversary of the French republic,
  Gustave Eiffel built a tower of iron, for a Paris
  showcase in the World's Fair (or Universal
  Exposition) of 1889. It was meant to be
  demolished at the end of the Exposition.  After
  the Fair was over, the tower was kept for its
  usefulness as a radio tower. 
• There are elevators up to the first and second
  floors in the legs of the tower.  From the second
  floor, one rides to the third and final level
  directly up the center of the tower.
• There are restaurants and exhibits to see on the
  various floors. At the base are tourist shops and
  street vendors selling toys, key chains, post
  cards, and on hot days, cold soda.

• The tower is so vast that it can only be fully
  seen from a distant vantage point.  This view,
  the most commonly photographed, is from across
  the river at the Palais de Chaillot.  The
  opposite view is from the military school seen
  under and through the base of the tower here.

31
Les Invalides (Hôtel des Invalides)

• Louis XIV founded Les Invalides as the first
  Veteran's Hospital.  The hospital held as many as
  7000 wounded or disabled veterans at its peak. 
  Today, there are only a few living there.  Most
  of the building is taken up by museum space and
  military offices now. 
• The Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum) houses a large
  collection of weapons.  It was founded in 1794
  and includes weapons and other equipment,
  uniforms, prints and paintings, and other
  memorabilia.  It has everything from stone axes
  up through World War II, including an extensive
  Napoleon collection, up to and including his
  horse and dog (stuffed)!
• Under the Dome of les Invalides lie Napoleons
  remains, in the center of six nested coffins.

32
Rodin Museum

• The sculptor Rodin, most famous for his Thinker,
  lived and worked in Paris.
• This former home is now a museum filled with his
  sculptures and drawings. 
• The gardens are also filled with his work, and
  are a very pleasant place to go on a nice summer
  afternoon.  There is a nice little cafe, a
  fountain, and many benches on which to rest and
  relax from the hectic pace of Paris tourism.

33
Musée dOrsay

• The building that now houses one of the most
  popular places in Paris started out as a train
  station. In the 1980s the building was
  transformed inside to its present use. 
• Its galeries display artwork from 1848 to the
  early 1900s.  One of the reasons this museum is
  so popular is that this was the time period of
  the Impressionist art movement.
• The central hall of Musée d'Orsay is filled with
  sculptures by Rodin and others.
• The galeries house decorative arts (like
  furniture, glassware, etc.) in addition to works
  of Monet and the other Impressionists.  Dégas
  paintings and sculptures are both on display. 
• Van Gogh, Cézanne, and the other
  Post-Impressionists are also well represented.

34
Eighth Arrondissement

• This right bank arrondissement is where you'll
  find  the glamour of Paris. The Champs Elysees,
  Arc de Triomphe, and famous fashion houses, are
  all in the 8th.  Place de la Concorde and the
  Madeleine are also in this district.

35
Les Champs Elysées

• The Champs Elysées is one of the most famous
  streets in the world.  Lined with chestnut trees
  and broad sidewalks, this is the location for
  major celebrations and parades for the French
  capital.
• It runs in a straight line from Place de la
  Concorde to Place Charles de Gaulle and allows
  sight of the Obelisk from the Arc de Triomphe,
  and vice versa.
• It is home to cafés, fast food, shopping, and
  just strolling.
• A famous song by Joe Dassin claims that you can
  find anything you want, day or night, rain or
  shine, on the Champs-Elysées.

36
LArc de Triomphe

• The Arc de Triomphe was built by Napoleon
  Bonaparte.  He wanted to honor his army and
  celebrate their victories. The design is based on
  Roman triumphal arches, which were, however, much
  smaller.
• In the center, under the arch, is a memorial to
  French soldiers killed in the line of duty.  It's
  called the Tomb of the Unknown soldiers, and was
  originally constructed for the soldiers of World
  War I, which the French call the Great War.  It
  also commemorates soldiers killed in World War II
  and other conflicts.
• Inside the top section is a small museum.  The
  top can be visited by climbing up a long spiral
  stairway inside one of the four legs of the
  arch.  (Disabled visitors can use the one small
  elevator).
• You can also visit the open top platform, which
  allows you a great view down the Champs Elysées. 
  You can also get a clear view of the Bois de
  Boulogne, the Eiffel Tower and La Défense from
  the top.

37
Place Charles de Gaulle (Place de lÉtoile)

• Place Charles de Gaulle is one of the two names
  for the open area surrounding the Arc de
  Triomphe. 
• It is also known as Place de l'Étoile (Star) for
  the star configuration of the twelve streets
  which converge and meet here, with the Arc itself
  as the center of the star.
• Looking down from the top of the Arc de Triomphe
  also affords the best (and safest) view of the
  traffic flowing around the Place Charles de
  Gaulle.

38
Place de la Concorde

• In the center of Place de la Concorde is the
  Obelisk.  Standing over 70 feet high, this stone
  mass is over three thousand years old, from
  Luxor, Egypt, and was a gift to Louis-Philippe in
  1833.  On one side of the square stands the Hotel
  Crillon, one of the most exclusive in Paris, with
  the American Embassy next door.
• The Place de la Concorde is also known for its
  bloody past.  During and after the French
  Revolution, over a thousand people were executed
  here, at the guillotine in what was then being
  called Place de la Revolution.  It was renamed
  Place de la Concorde in 1795.
• Place de la Concorde lies at a great crossroad of
  Paris.  The Champs-Elysées sweeps down from the
  Arc de Triomphe, ending in this busy, bustling
  square.  On the opposite side from that great
  boulevard are the Tuileries Gardens leading to
  the Louvre.  On the south lies a bridge over the
  Seine, with the National Assembly (Palais
  Bourbon) framed by the view from Place de la
  Concorde.  Looking north, its facade is mirrored
  in the Greek temple facade of the Madeleine
  church.

39
La Madeleine

• Named for Mary Magdalen, the Madeleine church was
  designed and redesigned and started and restarted
  from 1763 until it was finished in 1842.  It
  finished with a neo-classical Greek temple style,
  based on the Greek Parthenon. 

40
Ninth Arrondissement

• This district stretches to include the glitz of
  the Opéra Garnier and the seediness of Place
  Pigalle, including the famous Moulin Rouge.  It
  also includes some great department store
  shopping.

41
Opéra Garnier

• The Opéra Garnier is the older of Paris' two
  opera houses.  It has served Paris for
  centuries.  It was the inspiration for Gaston
  Leroux's Phantom of the Opera (The Andrew Lloyd
  Weber musical based on it is now a movie).  His
  story included the lake, or reservoir, which lies
  underneath the building.  Like many old theaters,
  the Opéra Garnier has many stories to tell and
  visitors can see old costumes and sets on
  display.
• Now the building houses performances primarily of
  ballet.  The needs of the Paris opera outgrew the
  building and the opera performs at the newer
  Opera Bastille.

42
Moulin Rouge/Pigalle

• Among the nightclubs and bars at the foot of the
  Montmartre hill is the most famous, or notorious,
  Moulin Rouge.  At one time, Montmartre was
  virtually covered with windwills and wineries. 
  The hill location was ideal.  The vinyards are
  all gone (except for one tiny plot) as are all
  but two of the windmills.  The red windmill
  (Moulin Rouge) at this club became its trademark.

43
Les Grands Magasins

• Paris, like most older cities, is blessed with
  several great, old department stores.
• Three of the most popular are the Galeries
  Lafayette, Au Printemps, and Samaritaine.
• Galeries Lafayette and Au Printemps are found in
  the midst of a great shopping district in the
  ninth arrondissement, near the Opéra Garnier. 
  Galeries Lafayette is worth visiting just for the
  splendor of the atrium space.  Au Printemps has a
  rooftop terrace and café.
• Samaritaine is the first arrondissement, right by
  the Seine, within a couple blocks of the Louvre. 
  One of its features is a cafe with a view on one
  of the top floors, and also a viewing deck above.

44
Tenth Arrondissement

• There is little to recommend this area for
  tourists it has businesses and train stations
  and not much else.

45
Eleventh Arrondissement

• The Opera Bastille has helped to revitalize this
  once dreary area. There are a few good
  restaurants here to tempt you too.

46
Place de la Bastille Opéra Bastille

• This square is named for a pre-Revolutionary
  prison.  A French mob stormed the Bastille prison
  on July 14, 1789.  They released the political
  prisoners held there and tore the prison apart
  and down.  This event marked the "official"
  beginning of the French Revolution.  It is this
  event that the French celebrate on their national
  holiday each July.
• The Bastille itself (the prison) is thus long
  gone.  In its place stands the Colonne de Juillet
  (commemorating that long-ago day).  
• A more recent addition to Place de la Bastille is
  the Opéra Bastille.  When  Paris decided to build
  a new opera house with modern facilities, this
  striking modern building was constructed. 
  Seating 2700, it opened for the Bicentennial in
  1989.

47
Twelfth Arrondissement

• The Parc de Bercy is a 26-acre garden at one end
  of this Arrondissement at the other end you will
  find the restaurants, shops, and cinemas that are
  making this a hip part of town.

48
Thirteenth Arrondissement

• This area centers around the Gare de Austerlitz,
  and is another area that has little to offer the
  tourist, unless you have a passion for
  tapestries. The Manufacture des Gobelins is
  located here at 42 ave des Gobelins.

49
Fourteenth Arrondissement

• The north end of this area, known as
  Montparnasse, was the home to many American
  writers such as Earnest Hemingway, F. Scott
  Fitzgerald, and T.S. Eliot.  The Catacombs are
  also located here.

50
The Catacombs

• The catacombs were originally dug thousands of
  years ago.  Early settlers and Roman occupiers
  wanted stone for their buildings and they
  quarried it from deep underground.
• Over the centuries the tunnels have been used for
  many purposes.  During war times, armies,
  revolutionaries, and resistance fighters have
  hidden there.  Gypsies hid from persecution in
  the damp tunnels.
• Now TV shows such as "The World's Scariest
  Places" highlight its depths for its 19th century
  use.  When the streets of Paris were redrawn to
  broaden the avenues and highlight the city,
  paupers' cemeteries were cleared, and the remains
  brought to the tunnels.  A doorway into this part
  of the tunnel is labeled "Stop!  This is the
  empire of death."
• Approximately six million skeletons have been
  stacked here in these tunnels.  Signs label the
  remains with the location from which they were
  brought and the date they were moved.

51
Fifteenth Arrondissement

• This is a quiet residential area.  There are few
  tourist sights here except for the Parc de
  Expositions.

52
Sixteenth Arrondissement

• This district is home to the Bois de Bologne park
  and some smaller museums including the Marmottan.
  You can get a great view of the Eiffel Tower,
  just across the river, from the Place Trocadero. 
  Also at Trocadero, of course, is the curved
  Palais de Chaillot.

53
Bois de Boulogne

• The Bois de Boulogne is a huge (over 2000 acre)
  park on the western side of Paris.  Bois means
  wood, which tells you of the wooded acres found
  here.
• It's very popular for jogging, riding,
  roller-skating, boules, and all the usual park
  activities, but has a few added features
• It contains a small château (castle) called La
  Bagatelle.
• It has a children's park (the Jardin
  d'Acclimatation) which includes donkey rides,
  petting zoo, skateboarding rink, and a miniature
  railroad  (see picture).
• It has not one, but two, horse racing courses. 
• It has two man-made lakes, one of which has
  islands big enough to be home to a café, reached
  by ferry.
• The French Open Tennis tournament is held at
  Roland Garros stadium in the park.

54
Trocadero/Palais de Chaillot

• The Palais de Chaillot is mostly seen by tourists
  only in its relationship to its neighbor across
  the river.  From the Eiffel Tower, its curved
  shape is easily seen.  From its plaza, the best
  pictures of the Tower can be taken.
• Skateboarders and roller bladers also like its
  expanses of pavement and broad stairs.  Street
  vendors spread out their products on cloth on the
  plaza. 
• Inside are four museums and a theater.  The
  museums are the Maritime Museum, which covers
  ships and naval life the Museum of Man, an
  anthropology museum which covers mankind from the
  pre-historic times forward the Monuments Museum,
  which has models of French monuments and covers
  the artistic style and periods of French monument
  construction and the Cinema Museum, which covers
  movies, from the first moving pictures to more
  recent independent film genres.

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Seventeenth Arrondissement

• This area is not home to any major tourist
  destinations.  There are some good restaurants,
  but it is primarily a fairly quiet part of town.

56
Eighteenth Arrondissement

• The 18th is home to Montmartre.  This hill
  neighborhood is popular with tourists for Sacré
  Coeur and the artsy feel of the Place du Tertre. 

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Montmartre

• Overlooking Paris from the north is the hill of
  Montmartre.  This hill neighborhood used to be a
  separate town.  It is still the highest point in
  the city, and the streets are steep and often
  linked with pedestrian walkways up the steeper
  parts.
• In previous centuries, artists came to Montmartre
  for the good northern light and to escape the
  sweltering life in the city.  You can still see
  the remnants of the artistic climate in the
  tourist artists on the Place du Tertre.
• Nowadays, Montmartre is known for two other
  things.  From all over the city you can see the
  white dome of the Sacre Coeur Basilica which
  crowns the tip of the "mount."
• The other thing that Montmartre is known for is
  the nightlife.

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Place du Tertre

• Place du Tertre is found at the peak of
  Montmartre.  Within a stone's throw of Sacré
  Coeur, it is at the top of the highest hill in
  town.
• Place du Tertre is also tourist trap at its
  finest.  Taking its cue from Montmartre's past as
  an artist colony, the square is full of street
  artists hawking their wares to the tourists.  The
  sides are lined with tourist shops and cafés.
• That said, it is a reflection of Montmartre's
  past and present.  This part of town is known for
  selling what the customer wants.  The painters
  paint the Paris the tourists want to buy.  The
  shops sell the postcards, key chains, and cheesy
  souvenirs that tourists buy

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Sacré Coeur

• Sacré Coeur ("Sacred Heart" in English) sits high
  on the Montmartre hill, overlooking the city.  It
  glows white above the city on a sunny day. 
  Inside, its mosaics glow the the dim light.
• Its design is inspired by the Trinity, so you can
  see towers, doors, windows, everything in sets of
  three. 
• To reach it, you can climb up the stairs in
  front, or ride the funicular train on the hill to
  the west of the main lawn (just to the left in
  the trees).  The funicular takes regular metro
  tickets.
• On any day the terrace in front of Sacré Coeur
  affords a wonderful view of the expanse of the
  city below.  At sunset you can watch the sun set
  over the city and the lights of the city begin to
  come on.

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Nineteenth Arrondissement

• The Museum of Science and Industry at La Villette
  is great for the kids.  The Parc also houses
  concerts and other activities.

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La Villette

• La Villette is a large recreational development. 
  It includes a concert arena developed from an old
  cattle market, a canal, a museum, and a unique
  Omnimax theater.  There are also food stands and
  cafés.
• The museum is a hands-on Science and Industry
  center, opened in the mid 1980s.  It has various
  parts, including an aquarium, a planetarium, and
  an old submarine you can explore, in addition to
  the usual science and industry type exhibits.
• On the south side of the museum is a large sphere
  of polished steel.  Inside is a cinéma, showing
  super-large Omnimax format films.

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Twentieth Arrondissement

• The most famous landmark in the 20th Arr. is the
  Pere-Lachaise cemetery that is the final resting
  place for Jim Morrison of the Doors, along with
  other famous people as the composer Chopin.

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Père Lachaise Cemetery

• Père Lachaise is the best known of Paris' old
  cemeteries.
• It is the final resting place of many beloved
  French celebraties as well as a few non-French
  ones.
• Here you can find composers like Chopin, singers
  such as Edith Piaf and Maria Callas, artists
  Delacroix and David, writers like Molière,
  Proust, Gertrude Stein, and Balzac.  Don't forget
  the great lovers Heloïse and Abélard.
• For the youth of the world, and those not so
  young now, Jim Morrison of the group The Doors
  may be the presence that draws them here.

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Outskirts
Saint Denis
La Défense
65
Saint Denis

• Saint Denis is not as well-known as the churches
  closer to the city center.  A fact which might
  amaze many of those buried within.
• Though the church now lies off the beaten path of
  most tourists, it is filled with the heritage of
  France.
• For centuries, the kings and queens of France
  were buried in this church and its crypt.  Anyone
  who has studied the history of this country will
  want to make the trip out here. The tombs are
  decorated with statues and inscriptions and seem
  to be a Who's Who of pre-revolutionary France.

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La Défense

• La Défense is primarily a business center.  Its
  tall buildings are home to international
  corporations and their offices.  There are also
  large hotels for business travelers.
• Tourists can also enjoy visiting this area. 
  There is shopping (including the 4 Temps mall). 
  There is an IMAX theater.  There is a large open
  plaza, where one can enjoy nice weather and
  people watching.
• On the plaza is the Grande Arche de la Défense. 
  This huge square arch continues the straight line
  which begins with the small (comparatively) Arc
  de Triomphe de Carrosel in the courtyard at the
  Louvre, continues through the Tuileries gardens,
  across the Place de la Concorde, up the Champs
  Elysees and through the Arc de Triomphe, then
  ends here at La Défense. 
• For those, like me, who like to go up to high
  places and look out over the city, the Grande
  Arche de la Défense has a rooftop viewing
  platform.

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Further Out
Disneyland Paris
Versailles
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Disneyland Paris

• Disneyland Paris originally opened as
  Euro-Disney.  It struggled financially for years,
  but has been doing better in recent years.
• For those who have been to Disneyland in
  California or Disneyworld in Florida, this park
  will seem eerily similar.  The main difference is
  that everyone is speaking French.
• For those who have never been to one of the
  Disney parks, the park has five areas with
  different themes Main Street USA, Adventureland,
  Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Discoveryland.

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Versailles

• Versailles started out as a royal hunting lodge. 
  Louis XIV expanded it into a huge palace. 
• One of his reasons was to keep the aristocrats
  out of the city and under his control.
• Louis XIV understood power and used this palace
  to show himself as the center of power, the Sun
  King.
• The regular tour takes you through the state
  rooms, including the Hall of Mirrors, where the
  treaty that ended World War I was signed. 
• Other tours allow you to see other parts of the
  main palace, such as the bedrooms
• of the king and queen, the chapel, the opera
  theater, etc.

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Versailles the Trianons

• Around the grounds, in addition to the many
  statues, etc. are two significant buildings
• The Grand Trianon was where Louis kept a
  mistress, and has since seen many state visitors,
  including US Presidents. 
• The Petit Trianon was the queen's getaway. 
  Marie-Antoinette came here to play cards and
  games with friends.

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Versailles the Hamlet

• Also in the grounds, near the Petit Trianon, is
  the hamlet, or hameau in French.  This
  picturesque village was Marie-Antoinette's escape
  from the royal life.  When the young queen was
  unhappy with the complications and politics of
  palace living, she imagined life would be better
  if she were a simple farm girl.  So she came
  here, and milked cows and petted sheep. 
• This is just one example that shows how far
  removed the royals were from the realities of
  life.  She had no idea how hard the life of real
  farm living was.

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Versailles the Grounds

• Last, but definitely not least, there are
  hundreds of fountains on the grounds of
  Versailles.  The expense of running them limits
  their use, however.  Check the Versailles
  website, but typically they turn them on only on
  weekend afternoons in the summer, for a couple
  hours.  Hope for a sunny day, but it is
  definitely worth scheduling your visit to see
  them in action.

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Credits

• All photos were taken by Jane Rauschenberg
  (mostly in the summer of 2000)
• The text comes primarily from her Paris website
• ms.loganhocking.k12.oh.us/madame/paris.htm