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The Latin Quarter is located in the 5th and 6th district of Paris. It goes from Saint- Germain des Prés to the Jardin du Luxembourg. It owes its name to the exclusive use of Latin in the medieval schools and universities.
This area which stretches on several districts is not really a Parisian area. Its territory heart is the Sorbonne area (5th district).
It is an area very attended by teachers and students, because of the Sorbonne University, the College de France and the Sainte Genevieve library, but also because of the proximity of many famous and historical colleges and high schools ( Louis le Grand, Henry IV, Saint-Louis, Stanislas, Fénelon, Montaigne ...) as well as many Grandes Ecoles ((Les Mines, les Beaux Arts, École normale supérieure, former Polytechnique, Institut Superieur d'Electronique de Paris (ISEP) etc.)
During the 60s, and more particularly during the May 68 events, this district was one of the key places of many movements of student protests.
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The Panthéon is a neo-classical style building located on the Saint Genevieve mountain, in the 5th district of Paris, in the heart of Latin Quarter. It is surrounded by the Saint Etienne du Mont church, the Sainte Genevieve Library, the Universities of Paris I (Panthéon Sorbonne), Paris II, the 5th district hall and the College Henry IV. The Rue Soufflot draws it a perspective from the Jardin du Luxembourg. It was originally built in the XVIIIth century as a church to shelter Saint Genevieve, but today, this monument aims at welcoming the ashes of the famous people who marked the History of France. Its different successive destinations, its decoration, the inscriptions and symbols which are represented enable us to scan the construction – low and contrasted – of the French Nation..
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The Bois de Boulogne is located in the 16th district of Paris, in the Western capital. The other woods of Paris, the Bois de Vincennes, is located in Eastern Paris.
The Bois de Boulogne takes up about 846 hectares in western Paris, between the 16th district and Neuilly sur Seine, Puteaux, Suresnes, Saint Cloud and Boulogne Billancourt, all located in the Haut de Seine department. The Northern part of the woods is taken up by the Jardin d’Acclimatation, the South-Eastern part welcomes the Jardin des Serres d’Auteuil as well as the Jardin Pré-Catelan.
Longchamps and Auteuil racecourses are also located within the Bois de Boulogne.
The Bois de Boulogne is also famous for the well-know presence of prostitutes and transsexuals, particularly at night.
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Metro is THE main way to travel inside Paris Follow the guide.
Metro Paris guide
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The Bois de Vincennes is a park, located in Eastern Paris, in France. It does not owe its name to the city of Vincennes which is located in the north of the park, but it gave its name to this locality when it turned into a city (after 1789). It is full part of the city of Paris.
Just as the Bois de Boulgne, in Western Paris, the Bois de Vincennes is not considered as a part of Paris intra muros, as it is totally composed of public places without a permanent population ( expect a few security gards). Administratively, it is part of the 12th district of Paris ( Picpus and Bel-ir areas).
With 995 hectares, the Bois de Vincennes is the bigger green space in Paris.
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Le Marais is a Parisian district located in a part of the 3rd and 4th district of Paris, on the left bank. Today, it is delineated at West by Rue du Temple, at East by Boulevard Beaumarchais, at North by Rue de Bretagne and at South by the Seine.
Paris presents 2 airports : Orly, in the South and Roissy Charles
de Gaulle in the North.
Several solutions are presented to you for you journey between the
Parisian airports and the centre of Paris.
Read more: Paris Roissy CDG Orly airport transfert
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The Palais Royal is a monument located in the 1st district of Paris. In the early XVIIth century, it was called the ‘Palais Cardinal’, referring to its baker, Richelieu. It became Palais Royal when Anne of Austria settled there with the young Louis XIV, a little later. During the French Revolution in 1789, it lost its nobility to become the centre of bustle and pleasures with gambling joint and ladies of the night.
It also at this time that the neighbour theatre was built: the Variétés Amusantes, which is today the headquarters of the Comédie Française. Now, the Palais Royal buildings shelter the Council of State, the Constitutional Council and Culture Ministry.
In the entrance, close to the Place du Palais Royal, the so controversial Daniel Buren columns (1986) with white and grey stripes are rising, overhanging an underground network of watercourses where tourists and short of love Parisians throw some coins before making a wish.
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The Madeleine Church is located on the Place de la Madeleine in the 8th district of Paris, between Place de la Concorde and Saint Lazare Sation area. It constitutes a perfect illustration of the neoclassical architectural style. Its construction has lasted for 85 years because of political trouble in France in the late XVIIIth century, and early XIXthe century. The political changes at that time changed several times its destination and the plans. Designed by Napoleon the 1st like a temple built to the glory of his Great Army in 1806, the building was nearly turned into the first rail station of Paris in 1837, before becoming a church in 1845.
(Wikipedia)
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Velib is a bike-renting system that has been existing in Paris since summer 2007. Its particularity is that you can take a velib from a station and leave it in another, when and where you want.
Then, no bike is regular, but you can take a bike wherever and leave it elsewhere.
There is a Velib station every 300 metres, so there must be one nearby your hotel in Paris.
Extra information: http://www.velib.paris.fr/
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The Grande Arche de la Fraternité, more famous as the Arche de la Défense or Grande Arche, is a monument located in La Défense area, in the Western suburb of Paris, in the city of Puteaux.
The works have been done from 1983 to 1989, year of its inauguration during the G7 summit which happened this year.
One of the Grande Arche particularities is that it is at the extremity of a linear axis which goes from the Louvre pyramid to the Grande Arche, passing through the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, located at the top of the Champs Elysées. When the weather is fine, it is possible to catch sight of the Grande Arche from the Louvre pyramid and vice versa.
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Read more: Paris La Defense Grande Arche
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The Centre National D’art et de culture Georges Pompidou was born from President Pompidou’s will to create a cultural and original institution in the heart of Paris, totally devoted to the modern and contemporary creation where plastic arts would combine with theatre, music, cinema, books and speaking activities…
Settled in the heart of the capital, in the 4th district of Paris, in a XXth century building, designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, the Centre Pompidou were publicly opened in 1977. Renovated in 1977, it publicly reopened in January, 1st 2000, offering larger museum spaces and richer welcome places. It has become again one the most popular monument in France since then. As it welcomes almost 6 million visitors per year, the Centre Pompidou will have welcomed, in 30 years, about 190 million visitors. Its panoramic terrace on the last floor (free access) offers a amazing view on Paris and its monuments.
The Centre is the Parisian cultural institution that offers the larger opening timetable amplitude to its different publics. Only close on Tuesdays and the 1st May, it is open from 11am to 9 pm for the Museum and temporary expositions, until 11pm by night for some expositions in the 6th floor, from 12 to 10pm (except on week end, when the timetable is the same as the one of the museum) for the Public Information Library (BPI), which provides a reserved access on Rue Beaubourg, and beyond 10 pm for every activities like cinema, shows…(http://www.centrepompidou.fr)
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The Invalides National Hotel is a Parisian monument. Its construction was ordered by Louis XIV in 1670, to shelter the disabled of his army. It is located in the 7th district of Paris. Today, it still welcomes disabled persons but also several museums and a military necropolis. The latter shelters famous generals and marshals’ graves: Foch, Juin and Duroc for example, as well as Napoleon’s grave.
The Invalides area owes its name to the Hotel des Invalides which is the central point of the area. It is surrounded by the Champs de Mars area and the end of saint Germain des Pres, symbolized by the Palais Bourbon.
The Invalides Hotel is reachable from the following metro stations : Invalides, La tour-Maubourg and Varennes.
(source Wikipedia)
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A great architectural competition was organised in Paris
in 1983 in order to build a new opera house in the neighbourhood of “la
Bastille”. Carlos Ott was chosen amongst 750 applicants. This project
led by the President Francois Mitterand caused a severe polemic. Despite
a geometrical shape and outside walls made of glass and charcoal grey
marble, the architect could preserve the general aspect of the bloc. The
auditorium contains 2 700 places and has a social aim: it was built in
the Eastern part of town which is far away from the rich parts of Paris.
The inauguration was symbolic as well, as the Opera Bastille opened on
the 14th of July, 1989.
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The Palais du Louvre is a former royal palace located in Paris on the right bank of the Seine in the 1st district of Paris, between the Jardin des Tuileries and Saint Germain l’Auxerrois church. Today, it is one of the richer Art Museum in the world.
The Louvre construction has lasted almost one thousand years and is inseparable from the history of Paris.
Louvre museum is the bigger Parisian museum, by its surface (160 106 m² with 58 470m² devoted to exhibitions). Located in the heart of Paris, between the right bank of the Seine and Rivoli Street, in the 1st district, the building is a former royal palace. The equestrian statue of Louis XIV constitutes the starting point of the historical axis, but the palace is not lined up on this axis. It is one of the oldest museums and the third bigger in the world. The Louvre owns a long story of artistic and historic conservation of France, from to Capetian to today.
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The Place Vendôme is typical of the French classical town-planning. Its architecture is due to Jules Hardouin-Mansart who designed in 1699 a strict town-planning plan that the building owners had to respect. Most fronts are listed as historical monuments. In its centre is the Colonne Vendôme. It is one of the places in Paris which are globally famous. It is located north Jardin des Tuileries and east Madeleine church.
It was called Place Vendôme since the XVIIth century, because of the Hotel Vendôme which was located there. It was former called Place Louis le Grand, and was originally the Place des Conquêtes. During the French Revolution, it was called Place des Piques. It was also called Place Internationale in 1871, during the Second Paris Commune, when the Colonne Vendôme was destroyed by Communards, who turned it into a symbol of tyranny and Napoleon’s militarism.
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A superb example of a successful reconversion, the musée
d'Orsay was redeveloped in the old Gare d'Orsay. built by Victor
Laloux and inaugurated in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition. After having
received the first electric trains, the station was closed in 1939, the
victim of progress. It was registered as a listed building in 1978. The
museum was opened in December 1986 and was dedicated to all artistic production
from 1848 to 1914. Paintings, pastels, sculptures, furniture and objets
d'art, photography and documentary objects reflect the richness and
diversity of this area..
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Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz,
it was not finished until 1836. There are four huge relief sculptures
at the bases of the four pillars. These commemorate The Triumph of 1810
(Cortot); Resistance , and Peace (both by Etex); and The Departure of
the Volunteers, more commonly known by the name La Marseillaise (Rude).
La Marseillaise by François Rude; One of four reliefs on the pillars
of the Arch. The day the Battle of Verdun started in 1916, the sword carried
by the figure representing the Republic broke off. The relief was immediately
hidden to conceal the accident and avoid any undesired associations or
interpretations as a bad omen.
Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won
during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important
victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are to found on the inside
walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action.
Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and eternal flame
commemorating the dead of the two world wars.
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Read more: Arc de Triomphe Paris
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As a Gothic masterpiece, Notre Dame were designed by Maurice de Sully and were built between the XIIth and XIVth century (1163-1345). The road distances in France are calculated from the point ‘O km’ which is located on the square.
Metro station : cité
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Most famous monument in the world (317 height meters,
10 100 tons). Built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition
in Paris.
Rates (updated 05JAN 2008)
From 01st January 2008 to 14th march 2008
Adults
Lift
1st floor : 4,50€
2nd floor : 7,80 €
Top : 11,50 €
Children - 12 years old
Lift
1st floor : 2,30 €
2nd floor : 4,30 €
Top : 6,30 €
Stairs (up to 2nd floor)
Under 25 years old : 3,10 €
Over 25 years old : 4,00 €
From 15th march 2008 to 03 april 2009
Adults
Lift
1st floor : 4,80€
2nd floor : 7,80 €
Top : 12,00 €
Children - 12 years old
Lift
1st floor : 2,50 €
2nd floor : 4,30 €
Top : 6,70 €
Stairs (up to 2nd floor)
Under 25 years old : 3,10 €
Over 25 years old : 4,00 €
Children under 3 years are invited by Eiffel Towerl
Metro
station : Bir Hakeim - Trocadero
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 The Place de la Concorde, which is the largest place in Paris, is situated along the Seine and separates the Tuilerie Gardens from the beginning of the Champs Elysées. It is in the 8th arrondissement, or district, of the city. Jacques Ange Gabriel, Louis XV's architect, began construction in 1754 and completed it in 1763. It was thus called the Place Louis XV. The place was constructed to hold an equestrian statue of Louis XV that the city of Paris commissioned in 1748 from Bouchardon to offer to the king. The place formed an octagon bordered by large moats that no longer exist. In contrast to older places that were closed, la Place de la Concorde, largely open, served as an intersection as well as a decoration. The equestrian statue marks the intersection of two principal axis: the East-West axis from the perspective of the Tuilerie Gardens and the Champs Elysées, the North-South axis from the perspective of la rue Royale and the bridge created in alignment. With respect to urban accomplishments, it is the greatest achievement of the Enlightenment in the capital.
Read more: Place de la Concorde Paris
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Built in 1860 by the young architect Charles Garnier with his vision
of a new opera, he designed the "Opera Garnier" in the style
of the Second Empire. It was completed in 1875 in the early days of the
Third Republic. It is the largest opera theatre in the world staging enough
for 450 players.It is of interest to note that the massive opera house
was constructed above a subterranean river that still teeds an underground
artificial lake to this day. The Phantom of the Opera, created by Gaston
Leroux, is said to continue his sinister doings down below.
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Read more: Opera house Paris
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