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Paris

A Place to Admire Architecture As Much You Rejuvenate Romance

If you happen to meet a hitchhiker don’t hesitate to ask his/her top 5 favorite cities and Paris would be one without any exception. Paris is a wondrous place with centuries-old architecture, amazing museums and beautiful scenery. Paris has also been called the City of Light, known for all its beauty and romance, artists, writers, painters and several others that have taken all their inspiration from Paris for so many years.

The city is a dotage for elegant shopping, fine dining, luxurious hotels, and a large variety of theaters, museums, and churches. The economy of the city thrives largely on tourism, and it is the largest industry here.

History……marred by wars and plagues

It was the Romans that took over Paris in 52 B.C. and Julius Caesar took this once-fishing town and spread its borders increasing its size. There are still remnants of the Romans occupation from the catacombs that lay beneath the Montmartre. It was later in the fifth century that Paris went on to avoid the invasions of the Huns; however, they were often worried of invasion by the Normans and barbarians.

Paris became the capital of France during the era of the Merovingian kings, such as Clovis I and Charlemagne. In the eleventh century the city began spreading its land. Philip Augustus was king from 1180-1223. He should be given the credit to the expansion of Paris. It is he that paved roads, built larger city walls and expanded it as big city. It was during this time period that the many cathedrals and schools we see today were built including the world famous Notre Dame, the Louvre, and the University of Paris.

In 1358 Paris rebelled against the Dauphin and this has led to the Hundred Year War. The war was horrible for all of the Paris and the city was taken over by the English for several years. Furthermore, it faced great losses from famine and the Bubonic plague (also referred to as the Black Death plague). In the sixteenth century, Francis I reigned. This was the time of the Renaissance and the architectural pieces such as the Louvre were changed from fortresses to palaces.

The sixteenth century was no different than before because Paris saw war again. The War of Religion lasted from 1562-1598. Majority of religious believers were Parisian Catholics and they fought against Henry III and made Henry IV convert to Catholicism before he could lead them.

A few years later Louis XIV took the throne and moved the kings’ court to the Versailles. Moving to Versailles not only helped the king to feel safe at his command but also created work in lavish goods.

Throughout the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Paris prospered with artistes, writers, painters and many more cultural achievements that would stand the test of time. Plays such as Moliere, paintings from Boucher, and the music of Rameau are just a few of the talents of this Enlightenment period.

The year 1789 marks the beginning of the French Revolution. Napoleon Bonaparte took over as emperor from 1804-1815. He conquered many lands and used the findings from conquered areas to raise Paris’ cultural exposure. Paris began producing and showing works of famous artistes. Chopin, Delacroix, Wagner, Hugo, and Berlioz are only a few. In the late eighteenth century Paris became the wonder that it is today.

Napoleon III built the great roads and parks that stand now and one of the world’s greatest structures, the Eiffel Tower began construction in 1889 by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. During the WW I and WW II, Paris was invaded by the German but no severe damage happened.

It’s the beauty and the romance in this city that prompted many artistes American and French to make their home. This was the time of Impressionism in art. Since WW II, Paris was home to NATO from 1950-1967, and is still home to UNESCO.

Paris had renovated and rebuilt many of its monuments and famous markets by the 70’s and the new metro hub was built by 1977 and other giant projects were also completed during this time including the National Museum of Modern Art.

By the 1990’s under the leadership of President Mitterrand, Paris was made even more a desirable place by adding one of the Walt Disney’s establishments called Euro Disney. More landmarks were created such as the Bibliotheque Nationale, Bastille Opera, and the Glass Pyramid at the Louvre.

Paris has stood the test of times through several wars and revolutions but always prevails and due to its rich history of changing leadership it has become the beautiful wonder as we see today.

Geography and demography…

...both attract many a hitchhiker to this land Paris is the capital of France, located in the northern part of the country along the infamous Seine River. The weather is typically warm with very mild winters and the rainfall is mostly between November and April months. From atop the many tall attractions such as the Eiffel Tower or the Tour Montparnasse you can see the view of the city all the way down the Seine to the English Channel. Take marvelous canal rides around the city and down the Seine to savor the French fragrance. In the mountainous regions of France, the winters bring heavy snowfall especially on the Alps and Juros mountains; city of Paris remains mild though.

Traditions and Customs…

...know these to enjoy there France had many traditions and customs. Majority of friends say hello and goodbye to each other by kissing once on each cheek instead of shaking hands. Wine is typically drunk at every meal and it is usually the red wine. There are also street signs posted for people to not use the bathroom on the street or local businesses. Many of the French traditions circle around holidays.

At Christmas, there are puppet shows, Mass, and late evening dinners to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Santa Clause (Pere Noel) fills shoes with presents by the fireplace. At Easter, Flying Bells are sent off instead of hunting Easter Eggs. It is said the Flying Bells leave before Good Friday and take all the grief and pain of Christ’ crucifixion. The Bells fly to Rome and back by Easter Sunday and bring chocolate Easter eggs. It is then that they are hidden for the children to go and fetch.

Things to do… A lot

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the center of twelve avenues including the famous Champs–Elysses. There is a video of it that plays every ten minutes telling the history of the great arc. Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral is a magnificent landmark of the French Gothic architecture. Renovated during the 19th century by Voillet Le Duc, this cathedral is home to many legends of Paris including the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The legend is of a famous bell ringer. The hunchbacked man lived hidden away in the towers and rang the bells.

Below the Cathedral are crypts and remnants of the Paris’ earliest history of Romans. Much of this crypt is open to the public in fact. The Eiffel Tower is world renowned for its architecture and the view of the city it displays. This landmark stands at 317 meters in height and contains 3 floors. The first floor is at 57 meters high. On this level there are souvenir shops, panoramic views of Paris, rooms for receptions, and the “Feroscope” which shows details of the Tower’s construction. The second level is 115 meters high and is home to the famous Jules Verne restaurant along with other shops. There are telescopes for panoramic viewing and displays of how the lifts work as well. The third floor is the most glorious of all. It is 276 meters high. There are historical archives showing the building of the third level. The view is unimaginable. Whether it is night or day the panoramic view is astounding; the lights, the architecture and all its surroundings.

The Sainte Chapelle is a glorious chapel that is now inside the Palais de Justice, the Paris law courts. It was built for Saint Louis in the thirteenth century. It is full of magnificent stained glass windows including the rose window from the fifteenth century.

Opera de la Bastille opened in 1989. It was opened to commemorate the Storming of the Bastille that led to the French Revolution. This opera house is one of the most modern opera houses in Europe. The Louvre is one of the world’s most popular and renowned museums of all time. This museum houses over 35,000 pieces of work. It is divided into eight sections. Some of the notable pieces of work in the museum are Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo sculpture, Rembrandt’s paintings, and thousands of others.

The giant glass pyramid is a must visit for all architecture enthusiasts. Most recently the Louvre has become popular for its involvement in the Da Vinci Code movie. The Moulin Rouge is the world famous cabaret since 1889. It is home to many international stars as well as native French singers and performers. Artists such as Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, and Maurice Chevalier are only a few. The Moulin Rouge is still known for having the most beautiful women, be there when in Paris.

Transportation

There are many ways to get to and go around in Paris. Paris is connected by air to major cities across the world. Within Paris, tourists can take a number of guided tours on buses, or just walk by their favorite places on their own and stay as long as they like. Local transit such as buses can take you to any number of sites and you can always rent your own vehicle.

Paris is a beautiful city full of rich history and astounding architecture. There are dozens of museums, cathedrals, cemeteries, gardens and other places to visit. The theaters, operas and canals are another great stops for any tourist. This city is full of life, beauty and love and keeps amazing every visitor.

The City of Light is known for sparking romance and artistic creativity in every being.

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