ABOUT THE CITY OF PARIS:This global city sits astride the River Seine – whose banks are a UNESCO World Heritage Site – in the middle of a vast urban conurbation that is home to 12 million people, underlining the huge national and international significance of Paris.
As might be expected of the world’s most popular tourist destination, Paris tests the superlatives with amazing architecture, incredible museums, world-class galleries, fabulous parks, great theatres, elegant boulevards, classy shops, gourmet restaurants, lively cafes … and the iconic Eiffel Tower.
Despite its relative youth, this has become the city’s symbol, and those willing to climb 700-odd stairs [and travel on by lift] see a stunning city panorama that has been enjoyed by over 200 million people since the tower opened in 1887. It is the tallest structure in Paris, though it lost the world title to New York’s Chrysler Building in 1930.
Paris has a list of landmarks that goes on and on – Notre-Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysees, Sacre Coeur, Les Invalides, Pantheon, Opera Garnier, Grande Arche … and many more. To those may be added museums like the Louvre, Musee National d’Art Moderne, Musee d’Orsay … and many more. Then there are the famous quarters like the Rive Gauche, Faubourg Saint-Honaire, L’Opera, Montmartre, Les Halles, Quarter Latin, Montparnasse … and many more.
Yes, it’s overwhelming – but actually that doesn’t matter. There’s so much to see, do and enjoy that it would be impossible to cram everything into a lifetime, let alone one visit. So the answer is simple – go with the flow in the knowledge that wherever it take you will provide a rewarding experience. Then promise to come back next year.
LOCATION OF PARIS:In north-central France, 128 miles from the sea at Le Havre. 185 miles south of Calais. 9 miles north of Orly international airport; 16 miles southwest of Charles de Gaulle international airport.
SERVING AIRPORTS:Paris Charles de Gaulle [CDG]
Paris Orly [ORY]
Paris Tille [BVA]
Flight time from the UK: All approximately 1 hour
SHOPPING IN PARIS:Large, enticing department stores on both sides of the river include the traditional Bon Marche, the sophisticated Samaritaine and the sprawling Galeries Lafayette. Renowned fashionable shopping areas include the rue Faubourg Saint Honore, the Madeleine, the Left Bank and the Grand Boulevards. The Golden Triangle, between the Champs Elysees and the Seine, is the most prestigious area with boutiques of the most chic designer names. For trendy boutiques look in the Marais, Place des Victoires and rue Etienne Marcel; it's also worth exploring the jazzy, middlemarket Forum des Halles shopping centre and innumerable small independent shops. Many street markets and at weekends sprawling flea markets (most fairly commercial) are found at points on the Peripherique.
EATING OUT IN PARIS:A bewildering range of restaurants with something to suit any taste or pocket; set menus represent particularly good value. Dinner in the evening is more of an event and correspondingly more expensive than lunch. National dishes, such as duck a l'orange and steak in Bearnaise sauce, are often found in British restaurants; for the more adventurous, there are snails and frogs' legs. Healthy eating, however, seems to have passed the French by: sauces laden with butter and cream feature heavily, and popular desserts include rich chocolate mousse, creme caramel and pungent cheeses while patisseries sell exquisite pastries, from flaky croissants to tartes aux pommes (apple tarts). The best-quality ethnic cooking comes from the French regions, N Africa and Vietnam, reflecting the city's cultural mix.
DON’T MISS IN PARIS:- Leonardo Da Vinci’s enigmatic Mona Lisa
- [La Gioconda] in the Louvre, if only to smile back personally at the world’s most famous picture.
- A stroll down Avenue Montaigne
- to see the fabulous designer shops.
- The foundation stone of modern France
- Place de la Bastille where the infamous jail was stormed to mark the start of the French Revolution in 1789 [it only contained seven prisoners].
- Parks like the Tulleries Garden
- [created in the 16th century for a riverside palace] and the Luxembourg Garden on the Left Bank [another former chateau garden].
- The famous Catacombs
– mass tombs in underground limestone passages that were the city’s late 18th century solution to overcrowded cemeteries.
- The very heart of the ancient city
– Ile de la Cite, one of the city’s two river islands, now home to important civic buildings as well as Notre-Dame.
YOU SHOULD KNOW:Gustave Eifeel first offered his tower to Barcelona … but the Spanish city rejected it.
Disclaimer:
By its very nature much of the information in our destination guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they are relying with the relevant authorities. Corona Holidays [UK] Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.
