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Why
Travel to Paris?
Paris is the most visited city in the world and deserves the attention
because it's stunning, stylish and sensual, with a dramatic past
and a funky present.
It's a seductive place of cuisine, couture, culture and even the
notoriously xenophobic locals are slowly learning to accept visitors.
But who cares? This is not a place for making friends, it's for
romancing the stones...
Downsides:
- Non French speakers may have difficulties in communication.
- Unlike London, almost all museums/attractions require an entrance
fee so prices add up.
- Traffic is heavy and drivers are inconsiderate of pedestrians.
- Doggy doo still flavours back streets.
Paris
climate guide:
Best: March-June,
September.
Christmas, January for the sales.
Avoid: late July, Aug [good weather but very crowded and many
places closed]; also Jan - Feb [cold, short days, probably miserable
weather]
'When
good Americans die, they go to Paris' Oscar Wilde
Main Attractions:
The city is very walkable and even the furthest sights can be reached
easily by [clean and efficient] Metro or bus.
Both left and right banks of the River Seine are stuffed with sights
such as:
The
right bank:
Arc de Triomphe, the world famous arch commissioned by Napoleon
+ the tree/shop-lined Champs-Elysées, and at the end of that
avenue is Place de la Concorde, where the well-travelled 3,300-year-old
Egyptian obelisk oversees the city's chaotic traffic.
On the other side of the avenue, through the peaceful Tuileries
Garden, you get to the incredible Louvre, a vast building with glass pyramid entrance,
where 'Mona Lisa' still smiles.
Other notable buildings are Opéra Garnier [an imposing theatre], Centre Georges Pompidou [modern
art museum], Sacré Coeur [Basilica of the Sacred Heart]
with a monster white dome from where you can enjoy a panoramic view
of the city.
Then there's Les îles [the islands] with Notre Dame [Gothic
cathedral] the star attraction - it's is well worth climbing the
387 steps for a breathtaking view of Paris and close look at some
scary gargoyles.
Conciergerie is a former prison where 3,000 guillotine victims
including Marie-Antoinette were kept warm.
One of the city's almost hidden treasures, inside the Palais de
Justice [law courts] is Saint Chapelle, a Gothic masterpiece with
13thC stained glass.
The
left bank:
The Eiffel Tower,
the 320m tower landmark of Paris is infamous for a long wait for
the lift.
An adjacent park, Champ de Mars is pleasant for picnics for weary
travellers.
Another must-see museum is Musée d'Orsay for an exquisite collection of Impressionist works.
The Quartier Latin [Latin Quarter], enlivened by students of the Sorbonne University, offers Roman ruins, Musée du Moyen Âge
[ Middle Ages museum], Arénes de Lutéce [an amphitheatre]
and two fine parks, the Luxembourg and Jardin des Plantes.
A relatively new attraction is La Défense,
a massive skyscraper group, including Grande Arche [20th century
version of Arc de Triomphe], with open-air contemporary arts exhibits
in the west of the city.
Festivals:
Jan 1st, Grand Parade, massive and colourful.
June, Fête de la Musique, thousands of musicians give free
concerts of all kinds all over the city.
end June, Gay Pride March
end June, Course des Garçons, 8km race by waiters in full
kit.
July 13/14, La Fête Nationale, Bastille Day, France's biggest
street festival, with parties, parades, fireworks.
mid Sept, Techno Parade, Paris' version of Berlin's Love Parade.
early Nov, Marjolaine, huge eco-festival.
Cheap
bicycles:
Paris has installed a network of 10,000 hi-tech, self-service
bike rental stations around the city. The Velib [bike-freedom]
system requires a credit card and a euro to get on one of the
chunky, three-speed machines and is relatively cheaper the less
time the bike is used [free for the first half an hour]; the idea
is that with many bike stations around you use one to go from
A to B then drop the bike at another station. Lyon has a similar
system.
Inline
Skating:
'Friday Night Fever' massive in-line skating rave every week. Thousands
of high speed skaters travel up to 3 hours on city streets escorted
by police.
10pm from Gare du Montparnasse, but not if the streets are wet
and not for beginners.
Other skate routes, times and guided tours are available but less
well known.
Skate hire from Nomades, 37 Boulevard Bourdon.
Arts/Culture:
Museums: some of the world's great museums are here, such as the
Louvre and Musée d'Orsay. Do not be overwhelmed by their size, try to aim at
a few important exhibits, or visit smaller, specialised museums.
e.g. Musée Picasso, Musée Rodin, Musée National
du Moyen Âge-thermes de Cluny [Middle Ages museum].
The Children's Gallery at Pompidou Centre and Grande Galerie de l' Évolution [part of
the National History Museum] are fantastic for kids.
Galleries: For innovative work see the north part of the Marais;
for young artists check around the Bastille; for avant-garde or
traditional sculpture and paintings check around St-Germain-des-Prés;
and for big contemporary names try the Champs-Elysées.
The annual art fair, Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporain is
held in September and October.
Entertainment: Check 'Pariscope' magazine [including 'Time Out'
weekly insert in English] for event info/listings. Booking ahead
is advisable through travel agencies or ticket outlets, but discounted
tickets for same-day performances can be bought at an agency called
Kiosque Théâtre.
Live Music: Venues are on every corner of the city, from
huge halls such as Chatelet-Théâtre Musical and Cité
de la Musique to tiny bars and smoky jazz clubs, even in Metro stations.
Classical concerts are also regularly held in churches and museums.
Dance/Opera: Two of the best Opera houses are Opéra
Bastille and Opéra Garnier,
though good seats are sold several months in advance.
Theatre: Unfortunately most of the city's productions are in French,
but a few are in English. Look for Metro posters or information
in magazines.
Cuisine:
Produce everywhere is usually fresh and seasonally appropriate,
thus richer in flavour than some neighbours [e.g.UK].
Traditional French meals are no longer everybody's choice [sauce
fatigue?], but modern French cuisine - light and healthy, in stylish
bistros or even supermarkets - is more and more popular.
There is also a fantastic selection of ethnic foods thanks to ex-colonial
immigrants from Indochina, the Middle-east, Caribbean and South
Pacific.
But best of all is taking your time over a simple petit déjeuner
[breakfast] - a big cup of strong coffee and brandy with a perfect
croissant.
Short
Trips:
Travel out to Versailles Palace & gardens, excellent sound and light shows June-Sept] is worthwhile,
especially on fine days. The garden is vast and great for walks.
It's 23 km [30 minutes by train] from Paris.
Compiègne [extravagant hunting
lodge] is 80km away; Pierrefonds [neo-medieval
castle]; Fontainebleau [royal castle
and town] 65km south-east; Euro Disney
Resort 39 km east; Chantilly [castle
in a lake] 41km; Parc Astérix
36km north-east of the city.
Walks:
There are delightful walks along the banks of the River Seine for
big sights, through the district of Marais for trendy boutiques
and restaurants, The Latin Quarter for a more cultural experience,
and around Monmartre Hill, Paris' highest point.
A less lively but no less interesting walk can be had in the Pere
Lachaise cemetery where various dignitaries lie, such as Jim Morrison,
Oscar Wilde and Chopin [now quietly decomposing].
Shopping:
This city is not only a fun place to shop, but also to window-shop,
due to generally stunning presentation and decor.
Classy: Grands Boulevards such as Avenue
des Champs-Elysées or any other big street in district 8
like Ave. Montaigne.
Trendy: Marais, St-Germain, St-Sulpice,
or Passy areas.
Wacky: back-streets on the Left Bank.
Intellectual: The Latin Quarter.
Department store: Blvd. Haussmann behind Opéra Garnier e.g.
Galeries Lafayette or Le Printemps. Au Bon Marché in south
of Blvd. St Germain.
Flea market: Marché aux Puces
in Paris officially opens at the weekend only, but travel there
on Friday - when stallholders are unpacking - to find treasures.
Europe's biggest market is St-Ouen in Clignancourt in the north,
Porte de Vanves is known for its fine bric-a-brac, and try Montreuil
in the east for quality second-hand clothes.
Marché Bastille, a Sunday food and flower market will give
you sensory overload.
Take
care:
Beware kind men offering assistance at the incomprehensible ticket
machines at Eurostar Gare du Nord station. They usually buy you
unusable tickets and charge a silly price. Make sure you have
€uros change and don't accept help!
Also
avoid Rue Saint Denis and Bois de Boulogne at night. See the Safety page.
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