6 Amazing Places To Visit In Paris
(1) Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was built for celebration of the French Revolution. The height of the Eiffel Tower is 986 feet. It will not be crossed until the completion of the 1,046 foot Chrysler Building in New York. In 1930, The construction was only to last for the duration of the exhibition, but it still stands today.
Many people were against the building and expressed their concern in a letter. An iron tower was considered unacceptable, contrary to the beauty and sophisticated beauty of the city. Parisians can not imagine Paris without the Eiffel Tower, in fact it has become a symbol of the City of Light.
The man behind the Eiffel Tower was Gustav Eiffel, known for his revolutionary bridge building techniques, as employed at the Great Wyde in Garibet in 1884. This technology will form the basis of the construction of the Eiffel Tower.
On his side were engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emil Nougier, as well as architect Stephen Sauvester. He installed the structure, which he used by himself and French scientists to study astronomy, meteorology, aerodynamics, physiology.
This structure took more than two years to complete. Each of the approximately 12,000 pieces of iron was designed from the Eiffel Tower in the evening to give them exactly the required shape. All the pieces were prefabricated and fit almost simultaneously.
Over the decades, the “Iron Lady” has changed its look with paint colors. When it opened in 1889, the Eiffel Tower sported a red-brown color. After a decade, it was in yellow color. The tower was also pale yellow-brown and chestnut brown before the adoption of the current. Every seven years, painters apply 60 tons of paint to the tower to make her look younger.
(2) Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame de Paris is one of the oldest Gothic churches in the world. The name of the church in English is ‘Our Lady’, and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It is famous due to its size, antiquity and architecture. Notre Dame Cathedral is located at the eastern end of the Ole de la Cité and was built on the ruins of two earlier churches between 1163 and 1245.
During the last eight centuries, Notre Dame Cathedral has been renovated many times. Main renovation took place in 1845 which took twenty five years to complete. The cathedral was commissioned by Thamauris de Sully, the bishop of Paris.
There are two towers near the church which are located at a distance of 226 ft. Visitors can climb to the top and can visit the bell tower where the hunchbacks of Notre Dame lived and see the cathedral’s many gargoyles. Cathedral does not have a lift so visitors have to climb 387 steep stairs.
Notre Dame Cathedral consists of a choir and apes, a small tracept and square chapel. The two massive early Gothic towers have a crown of western façade, divided into three stories and its doors are adorned with fine early Gothic carvings and overlaid by a line of Old Testament figures.
At the eastern end of the cathedral, the apes have large clerical windows and are supported for single-arched flight buttresses. Conclusive events have occurred at Notre Dame, including the accession of Napoleon Bonaparte, the assassination of Joan of Arc, and the accession of Henry VI of England.
On 15 April 2019, the church suffered a serious fire, causing severe damage to the roof and the needle of the main tower. Due to this fire, Notre Dame Cathedral is closed to the public until reconstruction work is completed.
(3) Louvre Museum, Paris
Louvre Museum is located in part of a large palace in Paris that was built on the right bank of the 12th century. It is the country’s most famous museum and the most visited in the world. Since its opening, the museum was free to the public for a few days a week.
Currently, it receives over 8 million visitors every year. The first palace located close to the Seine River as a defensive fort. With the expansion of the city, the palace originally lost its original function until converted in 1578 by François I, the main residence of the kings of France.
Before it opened as a museum, King Charles V and Philip II chose this palace as their residence, adorning it with their growing art collections. The campus of the Louvre Museum, which is accessible to the physically challenged, includes temporary exhibition space, auditoriums, bookshops, boutiques, restaurants and cafes.
In 2012 a satellite location of the Louvre in the northern French city of Lens opened to the public. Japanese architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryu Nishizawa designed the museum to boost the region’s economy. After a delay of a decade, Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in a building designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel Saadiyat.
The government of France leased louvre’s collections for a period of 30 years to the government of the United Arab Emirates. The Louvre’s permanent collection includes about 300,000 works of art dating back to 1948, and of which only 35,000 are visible to the public.
Artefacts dating back to ancient times include Egyptian sculptures and paintings such as seated statues, great sphinxes of Tannis sculpture. The museum also contains a part on the history of the actual palace, including the Louvre during the Middle Ages, Islamic art and graphic arts.
(4) Arc de Triomphe, Paris
The Arc de Triomphe is the most prestigious of all French monuments. It is 146 feet (50 meters) long, 148 feet (45 meters) wide and 72 feet (22 meters) deep. The monument represents all French military victories in the Napoleonic Wars. The Arc, designed by Jean-François Chalgrin, took thirty years to build.
The Arc de Triomphe offers spectacular views in central Paris. Arc de Triomphe has seen the “Victory Day” parade to celebrate the end of World War One. At the base of the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, built in 1921. With a burning flame, it represents all the French soldiers who were killed during the First World War and who were never identified.
The Arc de Triomphe is a masterpiece created by a group of French sculptors; Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine totex; James Predier and Philip Joseph Henry Lemire. Each created the statues that we see today on arch pillars; Le Marais, by Rude, is perhaps the most famous because it is a depiction and inspiration of the national anthem.
Visitors can admire the intricate detail of the exterior of the arch pillars, as well as the inside where the first French Empire leaders have engraved names. Each of the four pillars represents significant victories, such as the French Resistance during the Sixth Alliance War in 1814, the Treaty of Paris in 1815, La Marseille and the Treaty of Schönbrunn in 1810.
Although this Roman inspired arc does not stand as high as the Eiffel Tower, its visuals are equally breathtaking. The Arc de Triomphe has the best views of Paris in the observation deck up to 50 meters. From this location, the views of the Champs-Ollis and La Défense are visible.
(5) Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is a grand complex and former royal residence outside Paris. It is located about 10 miles southwest of Paris in the city of Versailles. It has been swinging in people’s imagination for years due to its architectural grandeur and political history.
The Palace of Versailles represents an age in French history of the rise of France as a fashion and power center as well as the fall of monarchy. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site thirty years ago, the Palace of Versailles is one of the most famous palaces worldwide.
Louis XII built The Palace of Versailles as a hunting lodge in 1623. Several renovations took place during the reign of Louis XIV. For example, from 1678 to 1715, the palace added two large wings and expanded the royal apartment.
The total cost of building and renovation of the palace exceeds $ 2 billion USD in today’s value in France. In total, the palace has more than 700 rooms, 1250 fireplaces, and is over 700,000 square feet in size. The impressive gardens of Versailles occupy an area of 800 hectares.
There are countless types of flowers and trees in the grounds, as well as lakes, fountains and marble statues. If you go on foot, it is practically impossible to see the whole fence. The best way to explore the grounds is to rent a bike, an electric car or take a train.
One of the most important sites of the palace park is the Grand Tryon, a small pink marble palace or petit Tryon. From April to October, visitors can watch the Musical Fountain Show, where the water in the fountain drifts to the music’s rhythm.
(6) Sacre-Coeur
The Sacre-Coeur is now located atop the hill of Montmartre, but before its construction, the place was already a place of worship. It is the highest point of the paris. Believers always choose this place due to its height which holds the idea of being close to God living in heaven and forgiving in Catholicism.
It was located at the top of the Montmartre hill at an altitude of 130 meters. The dome and bell tower are both 91 meters tall. So, the total elevation of Sacre-Coeur is 213 meters above sea level. The architect Paul Abadi is the one who designed the Sacre-Coeur. Both the exterior and interior architecture of Sacre-Coeur is in the Romano-Byzantine style.
The Church’s purpose was to protect the French, but French people were forgiven for all their sins since the French Revolution. Loyal Parisians funded the construction of the church through generous donations. You will find the names of those who invested in the engraving on the walls of the church.
Sacre-Coeur welcomes over 1 million visitors per year, while Notre Dame welcomes about 13 million visitors per year. Sacre-Coeur is the most visited church in France, after Notre Dame Cathedral. You can travel to the Basilica for free, however if you want to visit the dome to enjoy the magnificent view of Paris, you will have to purchase tickets on site. You can reach the dome outside the church on its left.
Sacre-Coeur is famous for its whiteness. You can see it from far away due to its shiny appearance. But there is a reason that it remains white throughout the year. Paul Abadi chose a very specific stone for the construction of Sacre-Coeur. It is very resistant and does not infiltrate water.
