The Eiffel Tower
Most important! Walk up this metal monstrosity, and don't
take the cable car! Only by slowly walking up step by step through
the belly of this giant monument, can you get a real feel for
its history and magnitude.
A Tourist Tip! - you can take the cable car down for free - no
one checks the tickets on the way down!
The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of
Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution.
The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened
the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition,
Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.
There are 2 stages that you can walk up to, and to get to the
very top, you need the cable car. At each stage, you can sit down,
and enjoy coffee - they do a good cappuccino! At 300 meters (320.75m
including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest
building until 1930.
Notre Dame
A Gothic masterpiece situated in the heart of Paris. Entrance
is free, and the mass is highly recommended. At the end of the
ceremony, there is a procession through the narrow surrounding
streets.
Constructed in three stages, the cathedral was completed in 1250.This
period witnessed Paris coming into its own force as a center of
political power and commerce. No expense was spared in creating
a church that would reflect the capital's newly won prestige.
A nice way to arrive is by river boat along The Seine. When you
disembark, take a few moments to marvel at the artists along the
river , who for a few Francs will sketch your portrait.
Arc de Triomphe
From the Place de la Concorde to the top of the Champs-Elysees,
you will discover the Place de l'Etoile which is known today as
the Place Charles de Gaulle. And, here lies the Arc de Triomphe.
The Triumphal Arch dates back to 1806, when Napoléon commissioned
Chalgrin to build an arch to the glory of the French Army. Construction
on the Arch began in 1806, restarted in 1825, and was not finished
until 1836. The Arc de Triomphe is built on the model of ancient
Triumphal Arches, but it stands alone because of its monumental
size: 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide (164 by 148 feet). The
four magnificent high reliefs are crowned by Rude's masterpiece,
"The Departure of the Volunteers in 1792".
Pompidou Centre
An affront to Paris! An ugly monstrosity stuck among the 18th
century streets that surround it. The poor Parisians who have
to wake up to this building every morning. For others, a fascinating
museum of modern art. A place to gather outside and watch the
street performers at work - much like London's Covent Garden.
The Centre National D'Art et De Culture Georges Pompidou is dedicated
to the diffusion of today's creation, in all its forms. Conveniently
located in the Buaubourg district. in the heart of the capital,
it is housed in a building designed by Piano and Rogers. emblematic
of 20th century architecture. The Centre Pompidou boasts one of
the largest museums in the world, a large public library, theatres,
cinemas and a musical rsearch institute all in the same complex.
Its multi-disciplinary vocation is clearly reflected in the prestigious
exhibits and events it houses.
Opening Hours
Every day (except Tuesdays and May 1) from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Museum and exhibits : 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Brancusi Workshop : 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Library : 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm, weekdays
11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Saturday and Sunday.
Admission
Central ticket office, level 0
(tickets sales end at 8 :00 pm)
National Museum of Modern Art and exhibition Adalberto Libera
allowing access to the Brancusi Workshop and the Children's Gallery
30 F (4,57 Euros) ; Reduced admission : 20 F (3,05 Euros)
Exhibits Hitchcock et l'art, Raymond Hains
40 F (6,10 Euros) ; Reduced admission : 30 F, (4,57 Euros)
Exhibit Les années Pop
50 F (7,62 Euros) ; Reduced admission : 40 F (6,10 Euros)
All the exhibition tickets are valid for the National Museum of
Modern Art on the same day. On presentation of a entry ticket
to the Museum or the exhibitions, access may be had to the viewing
point for a panoramic view over Paris.
Sacre Coeur Paris
The Sacre-Coeur Catholic was built at the end of the 19th
century at the top of Montmartre hill in Paris. Its famous white
architecture dominates the city, and offers a wonderful view.
The nearby streets of Montmarte are full of artists and restaurants.
Sit on the steps leading down to Paris, and the cable car and
listen to the many street musicians.
The interior of the church contains one of the worlds largest
mosaics, and depicts Christ with outstretched arms. The nearby
bell tower contains the ``Savoyarde''. Cast in Annecy in 1895,
it is one of the worlds heaviest at 19 tons.
The Montmartre
hill
Montmartre is the highest hill of Paris. Very rural until
recently, it still keeps a few windmills and a very subtle and
unique atmosphere in spite of the affluence of tourists from all
over the world.
The many painters of Place du Tertre are always ready to sketch
out your face. They remind us of the many pennyless artists who
lived there a Bohemian life in the early 20th century (Renoir,
Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso among others).
Walking at random across the hill, you will discover gardens,
old houses, steep streets and staircases with magnificent views
on Paris. Pay attention. Montmartre can be very crowded during
the weekends. Go there in the morning and on weekdays.
Museums and Galleries
Chateaâu de Versailles
The Chateau de Versailles is a large and elaborately decorated
palace near Paris, France, built for Louis XIV in the mid-17th
century. Versailles was the political and administrative capital
of the kingdom for 100 years starting from 6 May 1682. It is now
a museum. The Treaty of Versailles was signed there in 1919, ending
World War I.
Before the Revolution the royal estate of Versailles covered more
than 8.000 hectares. Surrounded by a 43-km long wall with twenty-two
gates, it consists of three distinct areas:
• the
gardens, comprising ornamental flowerbeds, lawns and wooded groves,
• the Small Park including the Swiss Pool, the Grand
Canal, the Menagerie and Trianon estate
• the Great Park,
reserved for hunting, which took in many villages.
Split up at the Revolution with a large part of it confiscated,
today the domain is reduced to 815 hectares corresponding to the
gardens and a portion of the former Small Park. The gardens are
adorned with over three hundred statues and terms, busts and vases,
in marble, bronze or lead, making them the most important outdoor
Museum of sculptures in the world. It contains about twenty original
antiques and some thirty copies from the antique executed by pupils
of the French Academy in Rome. All the rest are original works
due to the greatest sculptors of their day. Some of them, damaged
by pollution or vandalized, have been removed for safety and replaced
by plaster casts. The sculptures are mainly placed around the
ornamental gardens and along the Royal Avenue.
Service d'information et d'Action Culturelle
Chateau de Versailles - 78000 Versailles
Tel : (33-1) 30 84 76 18, Fax : (33-1) 30 84 75 64
Voice server (33-1) 30 84 74 00, Information desk (33-1) 30 84
74 00, Minitel 36 15 Versailles
The Louvre
The Louvre is the largest and almost undoubtedly the most
famous museum in the world. The building itself is 800 years old,
and the treasures within it represent centuries of priceless works
of art. You will need more than a day to take in this huge masterpiece.
The very rooms that house paintings and sculpture are amazing
works of art in and of themselves, with ornate ceilings and rich
decoration.
It is recommended that you purchase your ticket on-line, and save
precious time!
The highlight is a visit to see the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo
da Vinci on the first floor of the Denon wing.
Divided into 7 departments, the Louvre collections incorporate
works dating from the birth of the great antique civilizations
right up to the first half of the XIXth century, thereby confirming
its encyclopedic vocation.
Address: Cour Napoléon
Phone: 01 40 20 50 50
Hours: Mon & Wed 9:00am to 9:30pm, Thurs-Sun 9:00am to 6:00pm
Sale of tickets ends at 5.15pm or 9.15pm. Free for persons under
18 years. Tickets valid all day, re-entry allowed.
Permanent collections: FF 45 until 3pm - FF 26 after 3pm and on
Sundays all day. Free on the 1st Sunday of each month.
Temporary Exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon FF 30
Museum/Exhibitions ticket FF 60 until 3pm, FF 40 after 3pm and
on Sundays all day.
The Museum Pass provides free access without waiting at the Passage
Richelieu to the permanent collections. Valid for 1 day - FF 70
- 3 days - FF 140 - or 5 days - FF 200.
(33-1) 44 78 45 81
Orsay Museum
The Orsay museum, an old train station, bridges the gap between
the Louvre museum collections and those at the museum of modern
art at Pompidou Centre.
The Orsay museum is not only a place of exhibition for works of
art. It is also a place for entertainment, contemplation and learning.
• A program of concerts from the repertoire of 1848-1914
is continuously played in the auditorium and the restaurant.
• The auditorium is also used for various film projections,
notably an annual festival devoted to early cinema.
•
Regular conferences and debates are held on subjects relating
to temporary exhibitions. Cultural history courses are also available
to museum members.
• A number of educational activities
have been arranged for ages 5-15 in particular. These take place
in the rooms set aside for use by young people.
• Various
documentary devices are available for consultation in the Passage
des Dates (dates corridor) and the Salle de Consultation (documentation
room).
This magnificent museum, located in the old Orsay railway station
built in 1900, is dedicated to all forms of artistic expression:
painting, sculpture and photography of the 1848-1914 period. The
era of the impressionist painters is particularly well represented
with the masterpieces of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas... Admire
the delicate brush strokes of Renoir, the serious self-portrait
of Van Gogh, the radiance of a Monet's landscape amongst other
artistic marvels.
Children's
Amusement
Euro Disney Land
Pure fun for the whole family. A day in which you can't help
smiling from dawn to dusk (closes at 23.00 during the Summer months).
Disney is at its best as you wander around the truly magical kingdom.
From Paris, Take the RER, line A (direction Marne la Vallée).
The journey lasts between 35 - 40 minutes. Get off at the last
stop, and the Disney Village is on one side, with the park on
the other.
From awesome rides to wonderful shows, to the very funny "Honey
I shrunk the kids", and the wonderful parades, Disneyland
is an opportunity to smile!
Our recommendation is spend 2 days at Disney staying overnight
at one of the resort's hotels. This way you can watch the lit
up parade at 22.30, and the fireworks at 23.00, without worrying
about catching the last Metro ride back to your hotel in Paris.
Asterix Theme Park
Located Near Paris, and reasonably close to the Disneyland Resort,
is one of the best French theme parks. Based around the characters
of popular French cartoon Asterix, this park offers a selection
of rides for all ages including a very rare 7-inversion Vekoma
Corkscrew Rollercoaster, The Goudurix.
Playmobil
The best way to get to know PLAYMOBIL is to play with it! And
the easiest way to do that is at the PLAYMOBIL FunPark. Nearly
2,000 square feet of pure fun, where children' s dreams - knights,
pirates, farms, police/fire rescues, dollhouses, trains, and more
- can be realized.
At Playmobil Funpark, the children are actually playing among
the building blocks and of Playmobil's creations. There is a cafeteria
on place for the hungry and thirsty kids.
22-24, rue des Jacheres, Fresnes (94). Tel: 01 4984 9444. Open
daily from 10am to 7pm. Late nights opening until 9:00pm on Friday
and Saturday.
France Miniature
An accurate reconstitution of more than 150 French monuments and
a natural background make France Miniature a remarkable site.
France Miniature showcases France as both an ideal and as something
that is very real, the France everyone loves for its countryside,
its historical monuments and its major tourist destinations. The
really ingenious idea was to reduce the scene to a size whereby
you could see it all in a day. |
