WELCOME ΤΟParis

If there is one garden you really must visit when you go to the Eiffel Tower, it’s the Trocadéro gardens. Created for the Universal Exposition in 1937, this green space of nearly 10 hectares offers a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower dominating the capital . The centerpiece of the gardens is the famous Warsaw fountains. Its 20 water cannons line up perfectly with the Eiffel Tower directly across the Seine, creating a spectacular visual effect. On the side of the fountains closest to the Palais de Chaillot you’ll find two of the city’s most famous stone statues, L’homme and La Femme. One of the most iconic images of Paris is the view from behind L’homme or La Femme, with the statues looking out towards the Eiffel Tower.

The Arc de Triomphe Paris, the most monumental of all triumphal arches, was built between 1806 and 1836 on the orders of Napoleon I to honor the victories of his Grande Armée. It stands at the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the “Place de l’Étoile”, the western terminus of the avenue des Champs-Élysées. Even though there were many modifications from the original plans, the Arch still retains the essence of the original concept which was a powerful, unified symbol for France. Engraved on the inside and at the top of the arch are all of the names of the generals and wars fought. There are inscriptions in the ground underneath the vault of the arch which include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I where the Memorial Flame burns and have made the Arc de Triomphe Paris a revered patriotic site.

Notre Dame de Paris, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, dates back to the 12th century. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site with Paris Banks of the Seine, it is one of the most beloved monuments in the world, visited by more than 12 million people every year before the fire. Its construction spanned two hundred years, beginning in the middle of the 12th century, with modifications made in the 18th century and a major restoration project carried out in the 19th century. Many years visitors came to admire its stained glass and rose windows, the towers, the steeple and the gargoyles before on April 15, 2019, a devastating fire broke out under Notre Dame Cathedral’s roof. French President has declared a deadline of opening the cathedral to the public by 2024, with renovation and restoration efforts continuing in the years beyond.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a real architectural jewel, located at the top of the hill Montmartre, overlooking the city of Paris. Bright white, Sacré-Coeur Basilica shines all year round and amazes the one observing its complex Romano-Byzantine architecture. The building is remarkable for its Greek cross shape, majestic dome and apse, decorated with the largest mosaic in the world: 475 m². Sacré-Coeur also houses the biggest bell in France :“la Savoyarde” which measures 3 meters in diameter and weighs about 19 tons. It was offered to the Basilica by the four dioceses of Savoy, and was sent to the hill on October 16, 1895. Many tourist sites are at its feet and among these: The Place du Tertre, where many painters paint, the house of Dalida (French singer), the Pigalle place and at the bottom of the hill, the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

The Panthéon was the first major monument in Paris. It was built before the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower, and was the first building that offered a panoramic view over France’s capital. The Panthéon was built between 1764 and 1790, firstly designed by Jacques Germain Soufflot and later by Jean Baptiste Rondelet. Architecturally, the building is an early example of Neoclassicism and the facade models after the Pantheon in Rome (its namesake). The Pantheon was originally built as a church and was dedicated to St. Genevieve. After many renovations and updates, it is now a place where people can go to worship. Now it is also known for the Crypt and as a burial ground. In the time of the Third Republic and coinciding with Victor Hugo’s funeral, the Panthéon’s necropolis was used to bury famous French citizens. Today, the Pantheon Crypt is the final resting place for many well known French citizens such as Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, Louis Braille, Jean Monnet and Alejandro Dumas.

Created in 1916 by Auguste Rodin’s own initiative, the Musée Rodin (Rodin Museum) features the majority of the artist’s sculptures and work in the Hotel Biron, a charming rococo mansion and its gardens. Rodin donated his work and the artwork he had collected throughout his life so that they could be shown in the Hotel Biron, where he had lived since 1908. The artwork is made up of 6,500 sculptures made out of marble, bronze, terracotta, plaster and some 10,000 drawings including lithographs, watercolors and engravings. As well as Rodin’s work, the museum also contains the artwork collected by the sculptor, made up of 1,700 paintings, nearly 7,000 photographs and over 6,400 sculptures and ancient objects. The 3-hectare garden is one of the most popular parts of the museum. Here, visitors will find some of the artist’s most famous sculptures such as The Gates of Hell, Balzac, The Thinker and Bourgeois de Calais, all surrounded by a charming landscape.

Once, a big fortress, the Bastille prison used to stand there. On July 14, 1789, 633 angry French citizens stormed the Bastille in Paris, capturing its munitions, releasing its seven prisoners, lynching the governor and demolishing the fortress. This was the dramatic start of the French Revolution. Unlike most beliefs, the Colonne de Juillet – now standing there – does not commemorate the French Revolution marked by the Storming of the Bastille but the one in 1830. Mounted on top of the column is a golden sculpture, the “Spirit of Freedom”, commonly known as the “Angel of the Bastille”. Another imposing figure standing on the square is the Bastille Opera, built by the architect Carlo Ott. It was unveiled for the 200th Anniversary of the French Revolution on July 14th 1989: The Bastille Day. The national Bastille Opera as well as the Palais Garnier, are major players on the international opera scene. Today, the term "Bastille" describes a column, a place, an opera house, an historic event, and an annual celebration.

Below the streets of Paris lies a maze of limestone quarries that have long played a role in the city’s history. Most are situated in the southern part of the city, which was the chosen site for the Catacombes de Paris. The need for a subterranean ossuary in the late 18th century arose from a rather unpleasant problem: The cemeteries of central Paris were so full that the smell of rotting bodies had become unbearable to local residents. The macabre process of transporting the bones of six million late Parisians was done with respect to the dead. Most of the bones in the ossuary were already centuries old when they were moved. However, it was also used as a burial site during the French Revolution all the way up until 1860. The catacombs have been a site of fascination ever since they opened in the early 19th century and remain open today as one of the city’s most unique attractions.

Situated on the Île de la Cité, a few steps from the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle or Holy Chapel is a real jewel in the heart of Paris. Entering it has the impression of entering a glass room. There are hardly any masonry walls here. The Holy Chapel concentrates one of the most beautiful and complete collections of stained glass windows from the 13th century. The walls of the chapel contain 12 tall, pointed windows filled with stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Holy Bible. The chapel was built in the 13th century at the behest of Louis IX with the purpose of keeping the relics of the Passion of Christ: a piece of the true cross, the crown of thorns, a nail of the Passion and other relics. They were bought in 1239 from the Emperor of Constantinople and were moved later to the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

With an area of nearly 25 hectares, Champs de Mars (Field of Mars) is a peaceful green space located at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. On the opposite side is the impressive building of the École Militaire. Originally, the Champs de Mars was where the Parisians grew their vegetables and fruit. When the École Militaire (Military School) was built on the southeast side of the park, the land was used for military drills. The name Champs de Mars comes from that period, honoring Mars, the Roman war god. This open area has witnessed important events, such as different Revolutionary acts or the 1791 massacre. It has also housed the famous world fairs which were organized in Paris, such as the Exposition Universelle of 1867, 1878 and 1889. And it was a close observer of the Tour Eiffel, which would become the symbol of the city.