Transcript
Fisk Final Project
What should you visit in Paris?
Guilherme Mafioletti Debona
Pato Branco – 2012
When we talk about Paris, lots of things come to our mind, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame's Cathedral, the big river which crosses the city, called Seyne and so on.
Nobody should say that he has fallen in love with somebody or someone before going to Paris. The city, which is considered one of the most romantic cities in the whole world offers you all kinds of attractions, for all ages and budgets.
If you want to see beautiful structures, to taste wonderful gastronomy, to wear fashion things, Paris is your place. However, if you just want to go to a beautiful city to walk on the street, to go out at night and to have some fun, Paris offers it to you too.
Geographically, the city is divided in administrative limits (les arrondissements). There are twenty of them and they are known by their union in a very weird clockwise-spiralling shape (see images below).
Despite the French people's trying hard to speak English, nearly all population is practically unable to do so. The language spoken there is the French, and if you are planning to travel to Paris, you should know some sentences in French.
It is important to know when you are planning to visit Paris. For example, if you like the sun, and want to enjoy the whole day, you should visit it between May and September, when the temperature average is comprised between 20 and 25 °C. However, if you prefer to see a white Paris, you'd better visit it between December and February, when it's snowing there.
Below, you can see the most popular places to visit in Paris for the first time travelers:
The Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel): with 324 meters height, it is one of the most popular iron structures in the world. It was designed and built by Gustavo Eiffel, in 1889 and it has been considered the symbol of Paris. The tower has the title of the most-visit paid monument in the world. The visitors can access three different levels. From the ground level to the first level is possible to ascend by stairs (300 steps) or by elevator. To the other two higher levels, the access is only possible by elevator.
The Louvre Museum (Le Musée du Louvre): located in the heart of Paris, it is one of the biggest and most famous museums in the world. Nearly 35000 objects including the painting La Giaconda (Mona Lisa) and some of the most famous sculptures such as the 'Venus de Milo' and the 'Code of Hammurabi', are there.
The Orsay Museum (Le Musée d'Orsay): there you can find an extensive collection of impressionism and post impressionism painted by Van Gogh, Monet, Degas and more. The building, where nowadays the museum is placed, used to be a train station (Gare d'Orsay).
The Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris): considered one of the best examples of the French gothic architecture, it was built between 1163 and 1345. This cathedral is most known by its 'Gargoyles' (see image below), placed on the top of it. In front of the cathedral, there are some pretty gardens, and in the surroundings of the cathedral you can find the best ice-cream in the world in my personal opinion.
The Basilica of the Sacred Hearth of Paris (La Basilique du Sacré-Coeur): it is located at the top of the Montmartre, the highest point of Paris, and from there it is possible to see nearly all the city. To access the church it is necessary to climb hundreds of stairs or you can also take an elevator. In the summer, the Parisians and some tourists sit down on the grass in front of the church to drink something and to talk.
The Champs-Elysées Avenue (L'Avenue des Champs Elysées): it is the most famous street of Paris. It starts in the Place de la Concorde and goes until the Triumphal Arch. There you find all the French car galleries (where they expose brand new cars), such as the Renault, Citroën and Peugeot and others internationals car brands too, including BMW and Mercedes Benz. You will also find some of the best known fashion brands stores there such as the Dior, the Louis Vuitton and the Hugo Boss. It is nice to take a walk there, especially if you have some cash in your pocket. But if you don't, no problem, it is nice to go there too.
The Triumphal Arch (L'Arc de Triomphe): its construction started in 1806, after Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. The monument is placed in the center of Place de l'Etoile. It is possible to climb it by the stairs. From there, on the top, you can have a very nice view as you can see on the attached image.
The Montparnasse Tower (La Tour Montparnasse): the second highest building in Paris and the 14th highest in Europe, the Montparnasse Tower is an office skyscraper with 56 floors. It is possible to get to the top of it by the fastest elevator in Europe having an amazing view. On the top of it there are some stores where you can buy souvenirs, a restaurant and you can also take some pictures.
Besides exploring the city on foot, you can also visit it in another way. Next to the Eiffel Tower there is a quay where it is possible to take a boat. On the boat, there is a tourist guide who is constantly talking about the monuments, the bridges and the city parks. There are some boats where you can have a dinner inside, others where you can learn how to dance and so on.
In addition, for the soccer lovers, the city presents you with a first-division team, the Paris St-German, most called PSG. The PSG has been standing on the top of the French and the Europeans soccer competitions in the last couple of years. Even if you are not a supporter, you can go for a visit at the 'Parc des Princes', the team stadium.
Paris is absolutely a city that you must visit before dying. In other words, if you don't have enough money to travel there right now, you should start saving it and go as soon as you can!
Paris administrative limits
Paris administrative limits and touristic points
The Eiffel Tower
The Louvre Museum
The Orsay Museum
The Basilica of the Sacred Heath of Paris
The Notre Dame Cathedral
The Gargoyles on top of The Notre Dame Cathedral
The Montparnasse Tower
The Triumphal Arch at the end of The Avenue des Champs-Elysées
