Tuesday 2 December 2008

Attraction in Paris


Being a most popular tourist destination, Paris sees over 30 million foreigners a year. There are numerous iconic landmarks to explore as well as many world famous institutions and popular parks. Some sights are visible from many parts of the city, such as the Tour Montparnasse, the Eiffel Tower and the Basilique du Sacre-Cœur.Take a trip to the Louvre and marvel at Da Vinci's Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo, do a spot of shopping on the Champs-Elysées and have a look at the Arc de Triomphe in the Place de l'Étoile circus. Paris is simply brimming with museums and the Invalides Museum is a great place for culture seekers and is the burial place of many great French soldiers, including Napoleon Bonaparte. There are a few other clerical masterpieces to behold besides Notre-Dame, such as the Gothic 13th-century Sainte-Chapelle palace chapel.Stroll through the Jardin des Plantes, Paris' first public garden, created by Louis XIII's doctor for the cultivation of medicinal plants, or for an action-packed day of fun, head over to Disneyland. The Pompidou Centre is a must-see, housing the Musée National d'Art Modern, while the square to the west of the building attracts a varied assortment of street performers. With its history, culture and countless attractions, Paris has something for just about everyone.
Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) could never have guessed that it would become Paris's signature sight and attract more than six million visitors a year. It was built as a temporary structure to commemorate the centenary of the French... see full details


Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame looms large over the Place de Parvis, on the Isle de la Cité, and is the most enduring symbol of Paris. Built between 1163 and 1345 the Cathedral is considered one of the of the world's Gothic masterpieces. The massive interior can... see full details


Louvre
One of the world's great art museums, this vast edifice houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities from all over the world. The Louvre was opened to the public in 1793, soon after the Revolution, to display the spectacular treasures looted from... see full details


Pompidou Centre
Built in the 1970s and named after former French president Georges Pompidou, the futuristic Pompidou Centre is now considered part of the Parisian landscape. The outrageous design, complete with its glass elevators, was the inspiration for the Lloyds Building in London and attracts visitors... see full details


Musée d'Orsay
This great museum is fairly new by Paris standards. It is situated in a railway station by the Seine and houses a vast collection of works from the significant 1848 to 1914 period. There are important works from the Art-Nouveau movement but the... see full details


Musée Rodin
The Rodin Museum is situated near the Musée d'Orsay and is housed in what was once the Hôtel Biron, the beautiful hotel where Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) once lived and worked. Inside are many of Rodin's great marble sculptures including The Kiss and The Hand... see full details


Musée National Picasso
The Picasso Museum is situated in a 17th-century mansion in the heart of Paris. The collection was started in 1973, after the French government accepted Picasso's own collection in lieu of death duties, and was added to after his widow's death in 1990.... see full details


Arc de Triomphe
The world's largest triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile is set at the centre of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It stands 165ft (51 metres) tall and the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods are... see full details


Les Invalides
Les Invalides were built by Louis the 14th in 1670 as a military hospital to take care of wounded soldiers. It comprises the largest single collection of monuments and museums in Paris all relating to the military history of France. It is a... see full details


Jardin des Plantes
The Jardin des Plantes is France's main botanical garden. Covering 28 hectares (280,000 m²) the garden was originally planted by Louis XIII's doctor in 1626 as a medicinal herb garden. In 1640, it became Paris's first public garden. In 1739, after a long period... see full details

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