Bienvenue à Paris!

The Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower was built by engineer Gustave Eiffel during 1887 to 1889. The Eifel Tower is considered the most famous monument in Paris. When it was finished in 1889, it was the tallest structure in the world. It is 1,063 feet tall. There are 2 restaurants and a post office on the tower. To get to the top, there are 8 elevators and 1,665 stairs!

L’Arc de Triomphe This arc was built for the commemoration of the victories of Napoleon. 12 avenues meet at the arc, including the famous Champs d’Elysees. The arc was finished in 1836.

Champs d’Elysees It’s the most famous avenue in Paris. You can find many large trees and stores on this long avenue. It begins at the Arc de Triomphe and continues to the Place de la Concorde (1.25 miles).

Pere Lachaise The biggest cemetery in Paris, which contains many tombs of famous people: Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Moliere, and Jim Morrison of the Doors.

Les Halles The central market to Paris for nearly 800 years! It is now the location for one of the largest shopping malls in Paris.

Centre Pompidou This museum of modern art was built in 1977. The architecture of this building is famous because of its’ controversial exterior of the museum – it resembles a factory with its blue/green tubes.

The Pantheon During the 1789 French revolution and shortly after its construction, le Pantheon was turned into a memorial to illustrious Frenchmen. It now houses among others the remains of Pierre and Marie Curie, the physicists who discovered radioactivity, Voltaire, Rousseau and Victor Hugo, three famous French writers and philosophers.

Musée du Louvre The Louvre was formally the royal palace of France and today, it’s the biggest museum in the world! The Louvre was built in 1200. There are currently over 35,000 pieces of art at this museum.

Notre Dame It is the most famous cathedral in Paris. This is a great example of Gothic architecture. This cathedral was built in 1163 and finished in 1345. There is a beautiful stained glass window in the shape of rose inside.

Sacre Coeur This church was built from 1876 until 1910. It sits at the top of the hill in Montmartre. This church is completely white and resembles a mosque.

The Catacombes The Catacombes of Paris is a famous burial place in Paris. It is a network of subterranean tunnels and rooms located in what were Roman-era limestone quarries.  The quarries were converted into a mass tomb near the end of the 18th century.

Musée d’Orsay It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 to 1915, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, and is probably best known for its extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces. The museum opened in 1986, after being converted from an old train station.

Versailles The Palace of Versailles is a royal château. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy. The palace and gardens sit on 19,262 acres (larger than the island of Manhattan). The chateau is one of the largest palaces in the world. It has more than 700 rooms, 2000 windows, 1250 fireplaces, 67 staircases and more than 1800 acres of park.

Gardens of Versailles