I was born in Paris 20 years ago and I have always lived there since then. Consequently I decided to write several opinions about one of the subjects I know the best: Paris. For my first opinion of this set I will talk about Paris in general. I will try to make an opinion as exhaustive as possible. But I will talk more about some places I usually go to instead of talking of well-known places that are described in every tour guide.
First let’s begin with a few words to present Paris historically and geographically.
Paris has been found at the intersection of two rivers the Seine and the Bievre this place was covered with wood and bogs. The first signs of living have been dated of 1000 BC on islands but Paris actually developed with the Roman invasion. The banks of the seine were then fitted out but the right bank was full of bogs and uneasy to habit. On both banks temples had been built they have been replace after by churches. Most of the houses are built in wood only a few temples are made in stone. After the fall of the roman empire Paris have been devastated by barbarian invasions.
A first surrounding wall have been built thanks to the rocks taken of the roman arenas, this surrounding wall have been destroyed later but it’s materialised by some stones in “ la rue de la colombe”. In the third century Christianity appears in Paris Since 52 BC and 890 Paris undergo lots of invasion and is devastated each time. Finally King Philippe Auguste orders the building of a surrounding wall that is finish in 1213. That surrounding wall could still be seen in the basement of the Louvre and in other places around Paris. The different surrounding walls built to protect Paris allow us to measure the growth of Paris during time. After that, kings Charles the fifth and Louis the thirteenth orders the building of two others surrounding walls. Those walls constitute the first frame of the town. The actual frame of Paris is due to the Baron Hausman that reorganise Paris by opening up large avenues and boulevards.
During all those centuries Paris populated with motley people come from other countries (thanks to the invasions and now to immigration) from the provinces of France (because of the industrial revolution) it makes of Paris a cosmopolite town with various facets. Places you have to visit in Paris. Well it seems a little cliché but you can’t come to Paris and not visit those sites.
La Tour Eiffel
It’s certainly one of most famous monument in Paris. It has been built for the universal exhibition of 1890 by Gustave Eiffel. This construction caused number of troubles when it was proposed. More than 300 artists and writers wrote “ la protestation des 300” (the protests of the 300) to fight against this construction. They indeed thought that such a building would make Paris ugly. Despite that protest the tour was built. Between 1887 and 1889 300 acrobats and fitters assembled 2 million and a half rivets. That masterpiece of lightness and resistance sizes 300 meters (100 feet I think) and weights 7000 tons. This building offers one of the most beautiful panoramas of Paris. Don’t miss it
Champ de Mars, 75007 Paris Métro : Bir Hakeim RER champ de Mars
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame
A gothic masterpiece. Notre Dame, conceived by Maurice de Sully, was built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries (1163-1345). Road distances in France are calculated on the basis of the "0 km" marked on the square in front of the cathedral. This cathedral is the locating of the famous book “ Notre Dame of Paris from Victor Hugo. If you stroll around the cathedral during a foggy day you could almost see Quasimodo or Frolo in a dark place.
Notre Dame is a tremendous masterpiece located in a wonderful neighbourhood. The only annoying thing in Notre Dame is that there is way too much tourists. Consequently the best period to see it is out of the holiday period during week. On the bank of the seine Notre Dame is located on “l’ile de la cité “. My favourite neighbourhood next to it is “l’ile St-Louis” it’s really lovely and picturesque it’s full of little streets containing delicious restaurant and the most famous ice cream maker of France Berthillon. Try one of those they are delicious.
La Sainte-Chapelle
A jewel of gothic architecture, the Sainte-Chapelle was built in the thirteenth century by order of Saint-Louis to contain the crown of thorns. The high chapel with its 600 sq. metres of windows, 2/3 of which are authentic, offer one of the most complete sets of stained glass window from this era. It’s ceiling is covered with magnificent paintings. Classical concerts are sometimes given in here and it always tremendous to listen to.
4, boulevard du Palais, 75001 Paris Métro : cité RER B Saint-Michel
L’arc de triomphe
I haven’ t ever visited it, so I made some research to tell you more about it Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures at the bases of the four pillars. These commemorate The Triumph of 1810 (Cortot); Resistance, and Peace (both by Etex); and The Departure of the Volunteers, more commonly known by the name La Marseillaise (Rude). La Marseillaise by François Rude; One of four reliefs on the pillars of the Arch. The day the Battle of Verdun started in 1916, the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off. The relief was immediately hidden to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired associations or interpretations as a bad omen. Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are to found on the inside walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action. Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.
Here every Armistice Day (11 November) the President of the Republic lays a wreath. On 14 July - the French National Day (referred to as Bastille Day everywhere except in France) - a military parade down the Champs Elysées begins here. For important occasions of state, and national holidays, a huge French tricolour is unfurled and hung from the vaulted ceiling inside of the Arch.
La basilique du Sacré-coeur
Church built by the national will following the defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870.The basilica was consecrated in 1919. Architect: Abadie (1875-1912) This church is located in the neibourghood of Montmatre; one of the hills on with was the villages surrounding Paris. I rarely go to this part of Paris as there are way too much tourists in here moreover that I really dislike the architecture of this church it looks like a huge meringue put on a hill. However the neighbourhood is quite agreeable to walk in as there are lots of shrubbery and a vineyard that produce a wine that’s is sell every year. There are famous cabarets in here like “Chez Régine” and “chez Michou”
Métro : Anvers, Abbesses, Château Rouge, Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Le Musée du Louvre
The Musée du Louvre, the former home of the kings of France, is for two centuries one now of the largest museums in the world. Its collections are distributed into 7 departments: Oriental antiques, Egyptian antiques, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiques; Paintings, Sculptures and Objets d'Art from the middle Ages to 1850. Still in its development stage, the Grand Louvre project shall only be totally finished in 1997. The first stage of the project was finished in 1989 (opening of the new access via the glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei and discovery of the vestiges of the medieval Louvre). In 1993, the Richelieu wing was opened. It exhibits French sculptures, objets d'art, paintings from the Northern schools and French paintings (up to the seventeenth century, oriental antiques and the art of Islam. The Carrousel du Louvre, was inaugurated in parallel. This is a large underground complex with stores, car parks and areas for exhibitions and prestigious events. In October 1994, new rooms presenting foreign sculptures were inaugurated. During the last phase of the project many rooms will be redeveloped in the Sully and Denon wings (with namely Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiques and Italian paintings), the Jardin des Tuileries will also be renovated
I love going to this museum as I am particularly fond of Antiques especially the Egyptian and the oriental one’s. Moreover that the Sculpture department is tremendous. I also like to promenade in the Carousel du Louvre, as the stores in it are beautiful. You also can eat in a huge restaurant where world- wide cooking is served.
Pyramide - Cour Napoléon, A.P. 34, 36 quai du Louvre, 75058 Paris cedex 01, 75001 Paris Métro : Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre
Places I especially like to go to
One of the things I prefer in Paris is that it is a cosmopolite city. You can indeed find different foreign neighbourhood like the Asian one , the Indian one or the African one. But the neighbourhood are not only influenced by countries but also by some French regions are even by religion. It’s really pleasant and disorientating to stroll in those neighbourhood.
The Asian neighbourhood is located in the 13 th district of Paris . It full of little Asian restaurants and shops . The most known shop is a supermarket called “Tang Frères “ it only contains Asian products, you could find almost everything from clothes to eatables products and even crockery. This shop is located in the Avenue of Ivry. Most of the restaurants are located in the av of Ivry or the av of Choisy but some little delicious restaurant are in little streets around this neighbourhood. Search them they are all delicious. For every Chinese new year there’s a huge fest that last a whole week during which there is people in the streets at every hour . It’s tremendous to see if you can pass in there it’s great.
The Indian neighbourhood is less big than the Asian one. It’s especially concentrated around a Passageway called the Passage Brady , it’s full of Indian shops and delicious little restaurants . it’s the only place in Paris in which you can find Indian craft. This passage way is located in the 10th district of Paris. If you want to cook Indian, you can find every ingredient needed in that street or in GOA an exotic supermarket located bvd Vilette in the same district.
The African neighbourhood is located in the 18th district of Paris next to the metro Chateau rouge or Barbes. It’s one of the most disorientating places in Paris, like a little bit of Africa. It’s great to be in here especially on markets day. You can find beautiful African tissues at low prices or go to the hairdresser so as to have dreadlocks or plaits. In this market you can also find lots of African ingredients that you won’t find anywhere else. You could also find some typically African restaurants, but I never try one of those.
Next to the Gare Montparnasse you could find a typically Breton neighbourhood as when Bretons came to Paris to work they arrive at that Station and historically settled next to it. This neighbourhood is located in the 14th district. You could find in here fishmongers and pancakes bars, typical from Brittany.
One of my favourite neighbourhoods is the Jewish one. It’s a great place really pleasant to walk in you can find in there typical restaurants and shops. It’s located next to the rue de Rivoli in the third district. The best streets to stroll are the Rue des Rosiers and la rue du Roi de Sicile.
A little further you could find “ le Marais “ an ex popular neighbourhood that has been renovated and is now quite rich. It’s also a great place to go. It’s just near “la place des Vosges” that has been constructed after the order of Henri the fourth. As much girls I love shopping. There are much great places to do shopping in Paris from the cheapest ones to the most expansive. Here are some of my favourite address to shop .
Le Forum des Halles.
It’s a great shopping complex placed on the RER A ligne . It contains at least 300 shops that sell especially clothes but also discs ,DVD ,books, make up and some cinemas . The neighbourhood surrounding that complex is great too . It’s really popular you can find lots of fast foods and of great little shops. If you like so some drawers propose you to make your portrait in 20 minutes. There is also one of my favourite museum “ Le centre Pompidou” ( I’ll talk about museums in another opinion).
La Rue de Rivoli
It could be compared to Oxford Street in London. It’s a long streets full of shops . that street goes from “La place de la Bastille” to the Museum of the Louvre. I like walking along that street as the prices of most shops really are affordable and the products are often original and funny.. .
La Rue de Rennes
In that street the prices are higher than in the precedent places I talked of but the products sell are quite different too . the neighbourhood in which that street is located is much more snobbish than the precedent ones. You can find jewellers in the , and shops like Lancel or a famous shoe maker like Camper. Even if I rarely buy in that street I like to stroll in here. My favourite Shop in that street is Esteban a shop that sells delicious incense .
Les Grands Magasins
There are several shops like this in Paris , they could be compared to Selfridges or Harrods in England. You can find almost everything in here . The most known are “ Le Printemps” , “les galleries Lafayette”, “la Samaritaine” and « le bon Marché” ( the most snobbish and expansive one . I love hanging one in there ) Well if you want to spend several days in Paris you’ll need to eat. You can find lots of little nice restaurants, there’ are lots of city guide that will tell you the best ones. If you want to try yourself, you can find Chinese restaurants in almost every street. Like in every city, you could find the usual Mc Donalds, Quicks, KFC and Pizza hut. Don’t worry you’ll always find something to eat in Paris. In every baker’s shop you‘ll find sandwiches and pastries.
I hope that opinion gave you the will to visit Paris and that it wasn’t too long to read . Thanks for reading me . Bye Marie
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