Paris, The Most Visited City
Paris is the most visited city of the world. You can feel like you’re going through an open air museum when exploring the city. You’ll also travel in the history since there are so many historical buildings that were built in different time periods and centuries.
Eiffel Tower, Paris
This iron tower is the very symbol of Paris itself, and it attracts about six million visitors every year. The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World Expositionto celebrate the centennial of the French revolution.
More About Eiffel Tower
Height: more than 300 metres
Weight: 10 100 tons
Materials: 12 000 iron beams and 2.5 million rivets
Steps: 1 665 steps to the top
According to the official website of the Eiffel Tower the construction is repainted once every seven years. It takes 15 months and requires 60 tons of paint.
Louvre Museum, Paris
The Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world, and famous for its master pieces Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, art by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Caravaggio and many more. The main entrance is covered by the 21 meter high glass Pyramide de Louvre. The French government has collected the 35 000 paintings, sculptures and artefacts over the past ve centuries, and the collection boasts Assyrian, Etruscan, Greek, Coptic and Islamic art and antiquities from prehistory to the 19th century.
You can buy tickets in advance from the ticket machines in Carrousel du Louvre or from the billetteries (ticket offices) of Fnac or Virgin Megastores for an extra €1 to €1.60, and go straight in without waiting in line. Tickets are valid for the whole day, which means that you can come and go as you please.
Another way to avoid the queues outside the pyramid or at the Porte des Lions entrance is to enter the complex via the Carrousel du Louvre shopping centre, at 99 Rue de Rivoli, or to follow the ‘Musée du Louvre’ exit from the Palais Royal–Musée du Louvre metro station.
Champs-Élysées, Paris
This promenade is nearly two kilometres long and goes all the way from Place the la Concorde to Place Charles de Gaulle. It is the place to be during any celebration, be it the French National Day, July 14th, or New Year’s Eve. In the month of July, the nal stages of Tour de France, takes place right on this very street.
Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, Paris
Sacré-Coeur is a Roman Catholic basilica on top of the Montmartre hill, at the highest point of the city. The church was inaugurated in 1914 and is named after, and dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The church contains more than 500 statues and the venue is often pictured in movies.
Arc de Triomphe, Paris
The Arc de Triomphe was erected by the Emperor Napoleon in 1806, and is with its 50 metres (164 feet) one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. Located at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle at the western end of Champs-Élysées, the arch honours those who fought and died in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.
La Seine
The river Seine ows 776 kilometres through France, and offers in Paris a great opportunity to, by boat, get familiar with many of the city’s impressive monuments. It doesn’t get more romantic than to sit back on the water and enjoy the scenic setting of Paris. Catch a ride on the famous and unique long-boats leisurely plying the Seine Bateaux Mouches. Despite the number of operators from which to choose, most of the boat lines offer similar itineraries and are equipped with an audio announcement system, providing commentary on the passing sights in several different languages.
Château de Versailles
This town located 20 kilometres outside of Paris is a wealthy suburb and municipality. In the 11th century Versailles was merely a country village enveloping a castle and the church of Saint-Julien. Today Versailles is mostly known for the Roman Catholic cathedral that has been home to the French King Louis XIV and Napoleon who spent his summers here. The historic Treaty of Versailles was signed here in 1919.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame is, with 10 million visitors each year, the most visited site in Paris. This place has always been the religious center of the city the Celts considered the grounds sacred, the Romans built a temple here, a Christian basilica was built here and the last religious structure before the Notre-Dame cathedral was a Romanesque church. The gothic cathedral of Notre-Dame was nished in 1345 and is a tectonic masterpiece. The building is 128 meters long (420 ft) and has two 69 meter tall towers (226 ft).
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