Place des Vosges
Musée Victor Hugo
6 Places de Vosges
tel.: 01 42 72 10 16
Daily 10-5:40. Closed Monday.
Admission charged.
Metro: St. Paul
In 1605, King Henri IV decided to turn the Marais district into Paris' most exclusive residential area. Flanked by the Pavilion du Roi (King's Pavillion) and the Pavilion de la Reine (Queen's pavillion), the area was named Place Royale. His son, Louis XIII completed the project. None of the royal family ever actually lived there.
The remainder of the square is configured with 36 symmetrical houses each with a ground-floor arcade, steep slate roof, large dormer windows and vine covered walls. The first of the houses were built of brick, the rest were built rapidly and given timber frames and faced with plaster. The plaster was later painted to resemble brick. Duels, fought with strictly observed formality, were once staged in the elegant park in the middle which contains a statue of Louis XIII. From 1832-48 Victor Hugo lived at a house at No 6, which has now been turned into a museum. Cardinal Richelieu lived at No. 21. In 1800 the square was renamed Place des Vosges. Today, the arcades at street level are occupied by expensive galleries, shops, and cafes.
Les Catacombes
1 Place Denfert-Rocherau
tel.: 01 43 22 47 63
2-4 pm weekdays (closed Monday) also open 9-11am Sat., Sun.
Admission charged.
Metro: Denfert-Rocherau
In 1785, a solution was found to the overcrowded conditions in the city cemeteries. Beneath the city lay extensive remains of galleries that were associated with three ancient Roman stone quarries. The quarries, all in excellent condition, were cleaned and consecrated. They became cemeteries and are open for guided tours. The bones of the deceased are stacked neatly along the galleries on stone shelves. The tunnels, which were used by the Résistance during WWII as a headquarters, are south of the Seine.
La Défense
Tel.: 01 49 07 27 27
10-7 Daily (Grande Arche)
Admission fee for tour of the Grande Arche
Metro or RER: Grande Arche de la Défense
A short metro ride west of the center city, this entirely modern business district is surrounded by a ring road carrying through traffic, with underground linking roads leading to specific areas at various levels. A broad pedestrian avenue called the esplanade General de Gaulle, rises in steps from the Seine and gives access to several blocks of office buildings, apartment buildings, a huge shopping complex, IMAX theater and the CNIT international business center.
Disneyland Paris
Marne-la-Valle
Tel: 01 60 30 60 30
Open all year, but hours vary with the season
Admission charged. One two or three day passports available.
RER; Chessy - end of the line. Disneyland Paris is part of a huge resort that is one-fifth the size of Paris! There are six hotels, an area of wooded campsites, restaurants, shops, golf and tennis, and night entertainment. The theme park offers five main areas: Main Street USA featuring exhibits and rides recalling America of the early 1900's; Frontierland, a reenactment of the frontier days in the US; Adventureland which has a pirate and buried treasure theme; and Fantasyland with rides and exhibits based on Disney film characters; and Discoveryland which focuses on space exploration, rockets, and beyond earth planetary adventures.
Versailles
Place d' Armes
01 30 84 74 00
RER Versailles-Rive gauche
Daily (except Monday)
Admission free. Events every Sunday from May-October: telephone for details. The numerous fountains are turned on at 3:30p m on certain days. Combined fountains and fireworks displays some Saturday nights in summer.
In 1661, Louis XIV, the Sun King, commissioned the building of a castle for himself on the site of a chateau built for his father in 1631. The project became the palace at Versailles. It took 50 years to design, build and landscape the property. The King and his court of 3000 people moved there in 1682, and it became the political center of France for the next 107 years. In 1789, the French Revolution caused changes to be made. The furniture was sold and the chateau fell into disrepair. In 1837, Louis-Phillippe converted it into a museum of French history. The castle was restored after World War I with the financial help of John D. Rockefeller. Versailles has slowly regained its original elegance.
The gardens were designed geometrically with the canal and the various ponds, flower beds and sculptures all blending in a harmonious pattern. The tour of the palace, the Trianons (lesser palaces) and the grounds could easily take a full day. Be sure to bring a camera as you will want to remember the wonders of this enchanting place.
Pariscope
11 bis rue Scribe
01 42 66 62 06
Fax 01 42 66 62 16
Summer: 9-9
Winter : 9-6
Admission charged.
Metro: Opéra
This award winning multimedia production shows the development of major cities and of Paris in particular. The 45 minute presentation uses 25 projectors and offers viewers headphones with a choice of translations in 11 languages. It is shown every hour on the hour.
Canal Saint Martin
The Saint Martin canal, running through the northeastern districts of the Right Bank, is one of Paris's hidden delights. The 3mi waterway, parts of which are higher than the surrounding land, was built in 1806 to link the Seine with the much longer Canal de l'Ourcq. Its shaded towpaths specked with sunlight are a wonderful place for a romantic stroll or bike ride past locks, metal bridges and Parisian neighborhoods. It meets the River just south of the Bastille.
Sacre Coeur
34 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre
01 53 41 89 00
Summer: 9-7
Winter 9-6
Metro: Abbesses
Admission to church is free. Admission to dome: small charge.
Montmartre is the zone (village) occupying the highest hill in Paris, and Sacre Coeur is its dominant feature. There has been a prayer circle in place since the church was completed in 1914, so that there has never been a moment during those years when someone wasn't in the church praying, day and night.
Opéra Bastille
Place de la Bastille
Metro: Bastille
Tel: 01 40 01 19 70
Guided tours
Admission charged for tour
The original use for the fortress known as the Bastille when it was built around 1370 was as a residence for Charles V. It was part of the fortifications just beyond the City Center on the Right Bank. During the reign of Louis XIII it became the state prison where both criminals and political dissidents were held. Some of the famous people once incarcerated there were the Man in the Iron Mask, the French finance minister, Fouquet and the philosopher, Voltaire. On July 14, 1789 there were a total of only 7 prisoners in the whole building, only one of whom was even vaguely connected with politics. The storming of the Bastille by the revolutionary forces was mainly symbolic of the fight of the common people of France for freedom from tyranny and for equality with their rulers. The Bastille was destroyed, and the seven prisoners released. Its fall sparked the spirit of freedom throughout the country. This event is celebrated annually on the square.
Arc de Triomphe
Place Charles de Gaulle
Tel.: 01 43 80 31 31.
Platform and Museum open 10-5 daily.
The largest triumphal arch ever built in the tradition of Roman architecture was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806 as a tribute to his Grand Army. Construction stopped abruptly with the fall of Napoleon, but resumed eventually. The Arc was completed in 1836. In 1920 the Unknown Soldier was buried under it, and every evening at 6:30pm the flame is rekindled in memory of the war dead. A special service of remembrance is held each year on November 11.
