Paris is divided into 20 districts called arrondissements.

They are arranged in the form of a snail.

Six arrondissements are on the left bank of the Seine river. Fourteen are on the

right bank.

In the middle of La Seine are two islands: Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.

Le MétroThe most used transportation by Parisians is the underground railway,

also known as the Métro.

There are 14 métro lines and 5 suburban train lines.

There are over 300 métro stations in Paris. The metro was created in 1900 for the Exposition

Universelle (World Fair). Most of the stations were designed by Hector Guimard in the style of Art

Nouveau.

Station Louvre-Rivoli was designed by the French artist Othoniel.

Le vélib’

Parisians also use vélibs to travel around the city. They are free

bicycles found throughout the entire city.

Famous Landmarks

La Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889

for l’Exposition Universelle (The

World Fair) and was supposed to be

dismantled at the end of the fair.

The Eiffel Tower is 324 metres high.

You can access the first and second

levels by using the stairs or the

elevators. You can access the third

level only by using the elevator.

From 6pm to 1am every night, the Eiffel Tower lights up and sparkles for 5 minutes

Les Invalides

A few minutes away from the Eiffel Tower is les Invalides. It was

first constructed in 1670, as a home and hospital for aged and

unwell soldiers. It now hosts the Army Museum .

After leaving the Invalides and crossing the Seine river, you will

find yourself on the Champs-Elysées.

L’arc de Triomphe

Napoléon ordered the conctruction of the Arc the Triomphe in 1808. The Arc the

Triomphe is located on a roundabout – the biggest in the world – that opens onto twelve

avenues.

The Arc the Triomphe is located at the end of the Champs-Elysées, the most famous and

most expensive avenue in Paris.

The Arc de Triomphe was created to commemorate battles won by the French army.

Under the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

La Concorde

At the other end of the Champs-

Elysées, facing the Arc the Triomphe,

stands la Place de la Concorde. It is the

biggest square in Paris.

The old Luxor Obelisk – an Egyptian

construction 3300 years old – was

transferred to Paris in 1836.

It was offered to France by Egypt as a

recognition of the work of

Champollion, who was the first man to

translate hieroglyphics.

Le Louvre

When you leave the Place de la Concorde, you enter the Tuileries

garden that will lead you to the Louvre Museum.

The Louvre was once the Palace of French Kings until Louis XIV

moved to Versailles.

The glass pyramid was completed in 1989.

The most famous painting in the Louvre is La Joconde, also known as the Mona Lisa. It was painted

between 1503 and 1505 by Leonardo Da Vinci. In reality, the rather small size of the painting always

surprises the many tourists of the museum.

On the contrary, the Musée de l’Orangerie hosts Les Nymphéas (the Waterlilies), a six-metre

painting by the French artist Monet.

Le Pont des arts

To go from the Louvre to the left bank, you will need to cross Le

Pont des Arts .

On each side of the brigde, hundreds of locks have been placed.

They are put here by couples who write their names on the locks

and then throw away the key in the river as a sign of their undying

love.

Notre- Dame de Paris

The Cathedral is located on an island on the Seine river and was used as the

setting for the Disney movie The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.

It took over two centuries to build Notre-Dame.

On the forecourt of the cathedral is the Millenium point, also known as kilometre

zero of French roads, that is still used today to calculate distances.

Les gargouillesOn top of Notre-Dame you will

find the gargoyles.

Their name comes from the

Latin word for throat. They

were designed to convey water

away from the roof and the

side of the building.

Gargoyles were also built to

scare the evil spirits away from

the cathedral.

Centre Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou was completed in 1977 and is named after a former French

president. It is the largest museum of modern art in Europe.

The Place Georges Pompidou, in front of the centre is usually the scene of street

performers such as mimes, jugglers, singers…

The pipes

The pipes on the outside of the

building have a purpose.

The blue pipes are the air

conditioning ducts

The green pipes convey water

The yellow pipes convey

electricity

The red pipes are for the

elevators.

Fontaine Stravinsky

Right next to the museum you will find the Stravinsky Fountain.

It was created in 1983 by the artists Nikki de Saint Phalle and

Jean Tinguely, and represent the work of the composer Igor

Stravinsky

Galeries Lafayette

The Galeries Lafayette is the biggest department store in Paris. Each

floor is dedicated to something different (cosmetics, shoes, apparel,

accessories.)

Every year for Christmas, a giant tree is set under the dome, and the

exterior windows are a major attraction in the city.

Moulin Rouge

Le Moulin Rouge is the most famous cabaret in Paris. It was created in 1889. It is known as being

the spiritual birthplace of can-can. It is located in Montmartre, home of main artists of the time.

Toulouse-Lautrec was a famous regular customer of the cabaret.

Le Sacré-Coeur

Is a church that was built in 1870 and is at the top the hill of Montmartre.

You can access the top of the hill by using the stairs or the Funiculaire (a little cablecar).

Montmartre is famous for its narrow streets and its street painters. The hill was the home of

painters like Toulouse-Lautrec, Modigliani, Picasso or Van Gogh.

Bastille

The Bastille was formally a fortress.

For years, it was used as a prison by

the kings of France.

On the 14th July 1789, during the

French Revolution, the townspeople

broke in, freed the prisoners then

completely demolished the prison.

in 1899, the foundations of the Liberté

Tower were uncovered and moved to

the centre of the square where they

can still be seen today.

La Bastille became the symbol of French revolutions. Since 1790, La prise de

la Bastille (the Storming of Bastille), is celebrated annually on the 14th July .

Bastille Day, is the major French public holiday. Every year, there is a military

parade from the Arc de Triomphe down the Champs Elysées, and there is a

flyover with jet streams in blue, white and red.

La Défense

In eastern Paris is la Défense , the business district of the city.

La Grande Arche (on the right) is the most iconic building of the

district. Inside the tower are offices.

Versailles

The Palace of Versailles was the

home of French kings and queens.

In 1682, Louis XIV moved from

the palace of the Louvre to

Versailles to suit his dreams of

grandeur. However in 1789,

during the French revolution, the

king, Louis XVI, his wife Marie

Antoinette and their family had to

move back to the city

One of the most important features

of the palace is the Gallery of

Mirrors, where the king asked for

everything to be covered in gold.

The gardens of Versailles represent

one of the finest example of jardin à

la française. Versailles also features

five chapels and the domain of the

Queen called Le Trianon.

Le Trianon is located opposite the

palace and was the private domain

of Marie Antoinette, where you can

find her little palace, gardens à

l’anglaise and a farm.