Politics aside, it’s generally agreed upon that Paris is one of the most charming and culturally rich places to visit anywhere in the world. Its constant presence in literature and song, its popular fashions, and the fact that it serves as the backdrop to so many movies, works of art, and closely-held personal memories cannot be overshadowed by a few international disagreements and spats that go so far as to involve the nomenclature of fried potatoes. Paris grabs everyone’s attention at some point, so if it hasn’t drawn you in yet, expect to feel its pull soon enough.

With its arrondissements, quartiers, and rues, Paris makes the simple act of looking at a map feel like a romantic adventure. It’s true that getting around might be a challenge; but luckily becoming lost along a cobblestone street lined with cafes that serve the finest coffee and pastries you’ve ever had isn’t likely to irk you too much. In fact, go ahead and venture out with no particular itinerary in mind for the quickest way to immerse yourself in the dynamic atmosphere of this delightful city. After this one-of-a-kind getting to know you session, you’ll be ready to see the famous sites in a more traditional way (saving room for more impromptu explorations in between, of course).

There is so much to take note of in Paris; hopefully you’ve stolen enough time away from work to properly fit everything in without having to rush around like a mad person. The museums alone could take years to allow every painting, sculpture, and trinket to be admired for all they are worth. From the Musee d’Orsay, where the impressionist masterpieces dwell, to the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa and a few other familiar faces will welcome you to the City of Light, you will achieve the odd sensation of replacing a dim representation of something with the brilliance of the real thing. This goose bump-inducing feeling is what separates pleasant vacations from marvelous ones.

Let the thrilling chills continue to rise up your spine as you seek out the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, and all the other places you’ll know more intimately from now on. In addition to the attention-grabbing major players, there are also countless Parisian gems that may end up edging out the others as your favorite sights. Take the stairs of Montmartre for example, or the Palais Garnier. If these don’t sound familiar, it’s best to check them out on your own once you’ve unpacked your bags.

Even fashion neophytes know that Paris is a heaven for designers and purchasers of clothing, jewelry, handbags, and shoes. From haute couture to bargain racks, you’ll find what it is you’re looking for in the major shopping districts and sprinkled among the banks and patisseries, so be prepared to spend some time gazing into shop windows at all the awe-inspiring wares. Whether you bring home silly souvenirs, up-to-the-minute fineries, or more likely, a little of both, you’ll find Paris to be highly satisfactory when it comes to delivering the goods.

If you must, you can boil it down to neo-classical architecture, red wine, and a deeply entrenched cultural heritage, but Paris is so much more. It deserves to be explored with eyes wide open and every other sense acting on highest alert. You’ll taste amazing foods, hear the pleasing lilt of the French language, and smell the aromas of fresh baguettes, flower filled jardins, and the fruits of some of the finest vineyards in the world. Paris deserves some time and attention, so come with the willingness to learn and the energy to wander. You won’t be disappointed by your efforts to become acquainted with one of the world’s most intriguing regions, and you’ll likely return home feeling a bit more understanding and content with the knowledge that you’ve expanded your world view significantly.

To truly embrace this rendezvous with the city of romance, you’ll want to make your lodging experience just so. Paris is filled with hotels that range from modest hostels to luxurious suites, but don’t overlook the possibility of living like a local and reserving an elegant apartment or studio. Especially if you decide to stay for a while in order to truly get a feel for this European jewel, you’ll enjoy the experience of settling into a home-like residence outfitted with conveniences like a cute kitchen and special touches like a d’cor truly worthy of the adjective chic. Each property is different, so spend a little time picking out the one that best suits your needs, and more importantly, that holds the potential for the most divine enchantments.

No matter how you define the details, your trip to Paris is sure to be a treat. Study the guidebooks, recall the advice you’ve been given from Francophiles, and go online to select one of the many Paris Apartments that will likely speak to your adventurous soul. Everything seems to be coming together for a wondrous trip, so as they say, bon voyage.

The Porte Saint-Martin is a Parisian monument located at the site of one of the gates of the now-destroyed fortifications of Paris. It is located at the crossing of Rue Saint-Martin, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin and the grands boulevards Boulevard Saint-Martin and Boulevard Saint-Denis.

The Gates of Paris
Two triumphal arches, at the Porte Saint-Martin and Porte Saint-Denis, were commissioned by Louis XIV to commemorate his military victories. Ever since 1670, reinforcement of France’s northeastern borders had allowed the removal of fortifications surrounding Paris, and this circumference was transformed into verdant promenades. During the centuries that followed, they were to become the “grand boulevards” of Paris.

Symbolically marking the entrances into 17th-century Paris at the sites of the old toll-gates, these two triumphal arches served only an ornamental function. Their sculptures and bas-reliefs celebrated the King as a head of war.
History of the Porte Saint-Martin

Porte-Saint-Martin, Théâtre de la, Paris, celebrated playhouse, built in 1782 to replace the Opéra, which had been burnt down. The opera company remained there until 1794, and the building was apparently not used as a theatre again until 1810, when one of the first plays to be presented was a melodrama by Pixérécourt. In 1822 an English company appeared unsuccessfully in Othello and in 1827 Frédérick played for the first time with Mme Dorval, whose career was to be linked spectacularly with the Porte-Saint-Martin. The great days of the theatre were in the 1830s, when it saw the first night of the elder Dumas’s Antony and Le Tour de Nesle and Hugo’s Marion Delorme and Lucrèce Borgia; but with the decline of Romantic drama the fortunes of the theatre also declined and in 1840 it closed after the banning of Balzac’s Vautrin. When it reopened it had no settled policy, but continued to present revivals and commonplace and lachrymose melodramas such as Dennery’s Marie-Jeanne; ou, La Femme du peuple (1846), in which Mme Dorval made her last appearance. It was burnt down in the rioting of 1870 and rebuilt on the original plans, but somewhat smaller. It had a further moment of glory in the 1880s when it was acquired by Sarah Bernhardt, who had appeared there 18 years earlier in the fairy-tale play La Biche au bois and now returned in a revival of Meilhac and Halévy’s Frou-Frou. In 1898 the record run of Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac again made the theatre one of the most popular in Paris. Because of its great size it was later unable to compete with the cinema, and from 1936 to 1978 it was devoted almost entirely to musical comedy. Marcel Marceau then took it over as a base for his École de mimodrame. It housed the Comédie-Française when the latter was strike-ridden, and in 1989 staged an adaptation of Camus’s novel La Peste.
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Introduction The Museums of Paris

Perhaps frenetic is the best word to describe architectural and arts activity in Paris during the last two decades. While Mitterand was in office, the French government instituted a series of grand projets, thereby assuring that Paris would become the focus of international attention. A number of new museums were created, in part to relieve the Louvre of its overcrowding, and to establish thematic exhibits, typified by such locales as the Institut du Monde Arabe.

For those who plan to visit many monuments and museums during your séjour à Paris, Discover France offers the “Museums and Monuments Card” (Carte Musées et Monuments), valid for unlimited visits and priority access to approximately 70 locations in — and near — Paris. It can also be purchased at the Paris Tourist Office (127, avenue des Champs-Elysées), at its reception offices in certain Paris train stations, at the Eiffel Tower, in the major Métro stations, or at most of the 70 attractions. Cards are available in denominations valid for either one, three, or five consecutive days.

Since Parisians regard museum-going as a normal cultural pastime, most often indulged in on weekends, you should try to visit most exhibits on weekdays, if possible. Of course, if budgetary constraints are an issue, Sundays are often half-price and sometimes free. Private art galleries usually cost nothing, and the free views of Parisian architecture offer a grandiose experience in themselves, while the many street artists provide itinerant amusement.

The Salon Chopin, situated in the Bibliothèque Polonaise de Paris (6, quai d’Orléans, 75004), is a room dedicated to the memory of the composer, Chopin, containing personal memorabilia, paintings, manuscripts, documents, and music. Public access is limited to four guided tours on Thursdays or by appointment.

Three times the size of the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie is a massive monument with walls of glass, which would seem almost unapproachable if not for its Géode, a bubble of reflecting steel that seems like it was dropped from an intergalactic game of boules into a pool of water. Within the Géode, half the sphere consists of the largest projection screen on the planet. The Cité was built in 1986, with a futuristic rooftop lighting system designed to follow the sun across the sky. The permanent Explora show whisks visitors through 323,000 square feet of “space, life, matter and communication” exhibits, featuring scale models of satellites, planes and robots. A number of multimedia shows take place both in the second-floor Planetarium and the hemispherical cinema of the Géode, which are very popular with children. (Admission free with the card.)

Though it originally served as the royal tennis court, built under Napoleon III, the Jeu de Paume was converted into a museum at the beginning of the 20th century. As the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, it inherited an important collection of Impressionist paintings in 1947. Alas, this collection was transferred to the Musée d’Orsay in 1986. Recently, it has been converted to a showcase for contemporary art and photographic exhibits.

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The Luxembourg Palace in Paris, the first great example of French classical architecture during the 17th century, was the culmination of the long tradition of the chateau as a building type. It was commissioned in 1615 by Marie de Médicis, regent of France, for a site on the Left Bank then occupied by the Hôtel du Luxembourg, from which the name was derived. The regent favored an Italianate structure modeled after Palazzo Pitti in her native Florence, but the architect Salomon de Brosse followed a typically French layout of wings surrounding a court, with the chief living quarters and chapel facing the garden. The west wing was the original site of the paintings (1622-25; Louvre, Paris) by Peter Paul Rubens depicting the regent’s life.

Luxembourg PalaceDuring the 19th century the palace was extensively remodeled: the garden facade was added (1836-41) by Alphonse de Gisors, and a cycle of paintings (1845-47) by Eugène Delacroix was added to the library. The building was a prison during the Revolution, used for the peace conference of 1946, and now houses the French Senate.

The Palais du Luxembourg in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, north of the Jardin du Luxembourg, is the seat of French Senate.

The formal Luxembourg Garden (French: Jardin du Luxembourg) presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model boats. In the southwest corner, there is an orchard of apple and pear trees and the théâtre des marionnettes

The Luxembourg Palace lies in beautiful surroundings in the northern part of the Luxembourg Garden. The palace which was originally built for King Louis XIII’s mother, is now the seat of the French senate.

The Luxembourg Palace was never used by the mother of King Louis XIII, and remained empty for a long period. The palace has since then among other purposes served as the residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and the head quarter of Herman Göring.

During the 20th century the palace went through a substantial renovation, and the now famous Luxembourg Garden was added to the property.

Luxembourg Garden
A real Parisian favorite, the Jardin du Luxembourg is a magnificent, harmonious 25-hectare green oasis on Paris’ fashionable Left Bank. The formal gardens are populated with many statues (including one of Sainte-Gèneviève, patron saint of Paris), fountains and beautiful flowers. In the southwest corner, there is an orchard where several hundred species of apple and pear trees blossom each spring. Children love the park, too, especially for its parc à jeux (playground) and the théâtre des marionettes (puppet theater); they can also rent boats and sail them in the glassy ponds. Sunday afternoon band concerts draw a crowd in the summer. The sprawling grounds are usually animated by lovers, students, chess aficionados, games of boules, and tennis players.

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The Eiffel Tower, an immense stucture of exposed latticework supports made of puddle iron, was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England) officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was unanimously chosen, a radical creation from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec. 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923), who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

However, the controversial tower elicited some strong reactions, and a petition of 300 names — including those of Guy de Maupassant, Émile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra Garnier), and Alexandre Dumas fils — was presented to the city government, protesting its construction. The petition read, “We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.”

Nature lovers thought that it would interfere with the flight of birds over Paris. But the Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost torn down in 1909 at the expiration of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna — used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland Barthes.

Built to celebrate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. (320.75m / 1,052 ft. including antenna) and weighing 7000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly distinct parts: a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports (called pylons or bents) and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a unified column.

This unprecedented work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several antecedents. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal with a span of 160 m (525 ft), and a design for a circular, iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel knew and publicly acknowledged this influence; he was no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice observatory.

Eiffel was the leading European authority on the aerodynamics of high frames (he wrote “The Resistance of the Air” in 1913). In the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the curve of the base pylons was precisely calculated so that the bending and shearing forces of the wind were progressively transformed into forces of compression, which the bents could withstand more effectively. Such was Eiffel’s engineering wizardry that even in the strongest winds his tower never sways more than 4-1/2 inches. The superskyscrapers erected since 1960, such as the World Trade Center, were constructed in much the same way.

However difficult its birth may have been, the Tour Eiffel is now completely accepted by French citizens, and is internationally recognized as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Facilities and Views
In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gargantuan 1899 machinery which powers the elevators, an astonishing spectacle reminiscent of a Jules Verne novel. From the Tower’s three platforms — especially the topmost — the view of Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best; don’t forget to bring your camera, and experiment with the f-stop settings to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine. If you can’t be there in person, then check out a Live Aerial View of Paris with TF1′s webcam online: from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see Paris in real time, 24 hours a day, whatever the weather conditions in the French capital. To get the most out of this view of Paris, we suggest you surf their web site between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM GMT (1:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.), when the City of Light is at its best.

First level: 57.63 meters (189 feet). Observatory from which to study the movements of the Eiffel Tower’s summit. Kiosk presentation about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower. Space CINEIFFEL: offers an exceptional panorama of sights from the Tower. Souvenir shops (yes, every tourist MUST have a miniature replica). Restaurant “Altitude 95″ (phone 01-45-55-20-04). Post office, with special stamps “Paris Eiffel Tower “. Panoramic gallery displaying the Monuments of Paris.

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Paris in France is a major tourist destination of the world. Because of the huge inflow of tourists in this city every year, one can find a large number of hotels in this fashionable city. The accommodation in Paris is known for their grandeur and opulence.

Paris, one of the most fashionable and historic cities of France, is a major tourist destination. There are a large number of tourist attractions in Paris, which attracts millions of tourist tom this city every year.

Paris is home to the famous Eiffel Tower. This tower was built in the year 1889 to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. This architectural marvel is 300 meters high and is one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. The tower has three platforms which houses a restaurant, a gift shop and a souvenir shop. The tower offers a panoramic view of the entire city from its topmost point.

One can also find a number of museums and art galleries in Paris. Each of the museums houses the paintings of some of the greatest and master painters of France. These museums are known for their architectural beauty. One can find numerous sculptures and paintings dating back to the renaissance and Romanesque periods. Some of the most popular museums include Louvre Museum, Orsay Museum, Rodin Museum, Jacquemart-Andre Museum, Picasso Museum and others.

The city is also home to a number of religious monuments and buildings. One can find a large number of magnificent cathedrals and churches, which are startling examples of ancient gothic architecture. Some of the most famous cathedrals that double up as important tourist attractions of Paris include the Notre Dame Cathedral, Sainte Chapelle, Basilique de St. Denis, St. Germain des Pres and others.

The city of Paris is also known for its magnificent gardens and parks. One can go for a stroll in these parks and check out the beautiful cherry trees and other types of trees found over here. Some of the gardens also have a number of magnificent fountains and are also decorated with beautiful sculptures. Some of the gardens and parks worth visiting include Luxembourg Gardens, Tuileries Garden, Jardin des Plantes, Parc Monceau, Andre-Citroen Park, The Promenade Plantee and others. Paris is also home to the famous Disneyland Paris amusement park. Both the young and the old can have great fun going on the joy rides in this park.

Besides these, there are a large number of other monuments and historical sites that one can pay a visit too when on a tour to Paris. Some of the most famous tourist spots of Paris include the Arc de Triomphe, Arche de la Defense, Place de la Bastille, The Catacombs, Pantheon, Chateau of Vaux-le-Vicomte and others. Besides these, one can also take a walk or pay a visit to some of the most popular public areas of the city. There are a large number of avenues and streets in Paris, which are dotted with palm trees and a large number of cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and a speciality shops. Some of these famous public areas are the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Place Vendome, Place Dauphine, Place de l’Hotel de Ville and others.

The tourist attractions in Paris are innumerable and thus offer a host o sight seeing options to the tourist coming for a vacation to this city for a holiday.

The accommodations in Paris are extremely luxurious and comfortable. They have elegant interiors and the décor is done up in rich and vibrant colors, which imparts a sophisticated look to them. The rooms of nearly all the hotels in Paris are spacious and are furnished with comfortable furniture. They are equipped with all the modern amenities keeping in mind the requirements, tastes and preferences of the modern day travelers. Some of the various amenities that one can find in the hotels in Paris include mini-bar, satellite television with remote control, direct dial telephone with alarm clock, high-speed internet access, Wi-fi system, personal safe and closets. The bathrooms have bathtubs and shower facility and are equipped with hair dryers and other bath amenities that make your stay a comfortable one.

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