FR - Paris

FR – Paris souvenirsThere are souvenirs of many locations in FR – Paris (France).
What see:
The lists of structures can be found in the articles of the individual urban districts.

Stained glass windows of the apse of the Sainte-Chapelle – IV

Luxembourg palace seen from the gardens

Night view from the Montparnasse Tower on the Eiffel Tower

The Grande Arche seen from the Arc de Triomphe
Paris is full of attractions, ancient and modern, which trace its history and which attract millions of tourists every year.

The ruins of the Arènes de Lutèce date back to Roman times, an ancient amphitheater located in the 5th arrondissement a few steps from the Latin quarter.

The Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral dates from the medieval period, located on the Île de la cité in the 4th arrondissement. Also on the island there is also the Sainte-Chapelle built at the behest of Louis IX as a palatine chapel of the medieval palace of the kings of France in order to guard the crown of thorns. Of particular interest is the upper chapel with the rich decorative apparatus consisting of polychrome windows. Medieval is also the building that houses the first seat of the Sorbonne University, founded in 1253.

The Louvre palace famous all over the world for the museum of the same name, was originally a 12th century fortress that has been modified several times over the centuries. In 1546 King Francis I of France wanted to expand the residence which would then undergo new changes to each new sovereign until Louis XIV of France transferred the court to Versailles in 1678. The pyramid which today represents the main access point to the museum was instead completed only in 1989 and since then has it become one of the symbols of the ville lumière. Next to the palace are the Tuileries Garden, a French garden created by Caterina de ‘Medici and which extends to Place de la Concorde.

Also important is the Luxembourg Palace, which now houses the Senate, and the homonymous gardens, large public gardens “French”.

On the Montmartre hill a must stop for a holiday in the French capital is the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. After the visit to the cathedral, in the artists’ quarter there are also other attractions: the mill de la Galette, depicted among others by Renoir, Van Gogh and Picasso, and the Montmarte vineyard for which the festival of the harvest.

After the 1889 Universal Exposition, the undisputed icon of the city is then the Eiffel Tower, 324 m high and from which you can admire the panorama of the city. Less famous and iconic, even from the Montparnasse Tower you can enjoy an excellent skyline over the city, especially at night.

At the top of the Sainte-Geneviève hill, the Pantheon is 80 m high. Erected as a Catholic church, it has turned into a sort of mausoleum of the mortal remains of the characters who have marked French history. For skyline lovers, its rooftops are also worth a visit.

Impossible to mention all the Parisian attractions, but the Arc de Triomphe and the modern Arco de La Défense are missing, ideally connected by the continuation of the Champs Elysées.

How not to mention the other Parisian museums, the D’Orsay museum, the Orangerie, the Center Pompidu, the Picasso Museum …, and the two large parks that mark the boundary of the city to the east and west: the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes.

If you are a fan of museums you can take advantage of the free admission every first Sunday of the month, and on the other days of the “Paris Museum Pass” which grants you free entry to around 70 museums in and around Paris. The pass is sold in denominations of 2 to 6 consecutive days. You will have to go through a “Tour de force” and, nevertheless, it is unlikely that you will be able to see them all. The pass is still convenient if you plan to visit at least 4 of the Parisian museums. Keep in mind that just visiting the Louvre will take you at least for half a day without taking into account the time lost in queuing up at the museum entrance. The rows are particularly long in August and during the Christmas holidays. You can buy the Pass at the entrance of one of the partner museums and at other points listed on the website www.parismuseumpass.fr (information also in Italian).