I've just found out that my boyfriend is taking me to Paris in December for my birthday.
I am soooo excited, I've always wanted to go but never managed to get there before. Also I spent eigh years learning to speak french and this will be my first time there.
So what I want to ask is - apart from the obvious sights - Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Pompidou Centre etc - where is good to go / see and does anyone have any useful hints or tips about the city??
Thanks!!
prettyfly
11 Comments
I just visited Paris for the first time a few weeks ago, luckily my friend who lived there for many years was my guide and she taught me quite alot about the city. She made me walk everywhere we went, and if you're able you might want to do that with a good map. Seeing Paris by foot really gives you the chance to take in the architecture over centuries, and to see how the French value symmetry and balance in their designs. Every garden, building, and statue seems to be designed with an eye for keeping things even, and for enjoying perspectives of their monuments from a distance. Try standing next to the glass pyramid structures at the Louvre and look out towards Le Tuileries and Arc de Triumphe. It's amazing that they all line up if you are looking from just the right angle.
If you have the time, also nearby is Musee de'l Orangerie, where you can visit the original painting Les Nympheas by Claude Monet. There is a large collection of works by French painters there, if you like art, I recommend it for a relaxing afternoon.
We had the most amazing evening in Montmartre. You walk up tons of stairs to climb the hill, reaching the top you'll find Le Sacre Coeur. We did this at night and I was astounded by the view of the night sky and the perspective on the glittering lights of the city. Then we walked a short distance to a kind of street market with shops and stands, a village atmosphere with cafes where you can have dinner and a glass of wine or three. There are artists on the street who offer to have you sit for a portrait, they turn out beautiful and it's also fun just to watch them work. Nice souvenir if you'd like them to do one of you and your boyfriend together. It was by far one of the highlights of the trip and a romantic evening!
Don't miss the food, baguette, cheese, wine, chocolate! Two other places I would suggest are Le Grand Palais and Le Petit Palais, if only to take in their lovely gardens and incredible facades. La Madeleine is a church in the neo-classical style, and the view of the city from its entrance is worth seeing. L'Opera (The Operahouse) is also a cool stop.
We did lots of walking but I noticed there is a red double decker bus that offers tours all around Paris. My friend said you can pay something like 30 euros and have unlimited access for a few days at a time, which means you can take the bus around and get on and off wherever you like. With sore feet after a couple of days, I started to think that would have been a great option, especially to have a loftier view of the city from the top of the tourbus.
It's an amazing place, very rich and romantic. You'll have a lovely time no matter where you go!
Georgie
I'm not much of a tourist, and am not really interested in "sight-seeing" or doing tours (whether of places of interested or of museums or galleries). I prefer walking through new cities, as Georgie suggests, with a map and a phrasebook (I never go to a country with a different language without first either taking language classes or at least learning enough phrases to order a glass of wine and find the bathroom).
The Eiffel Tower, despite what this silly new "seven wonders" contest said, is one of the most beautiful and graceful edifices ever designed and built by human beings (I am assuming that we needed no help from extraterrestrial "gods" to do this).
Notre Dame is a beautiful -- if depressing -- Gothic Cathedral and certainly ought to be on your list. Take note of the really violent and depressing paintings all along the inside walls of the Cathedral -- they were visualizations of the Gospels meant for the vast majority of illiterate Parisian peasants, and they functioned in many ways to maintain an unjust political, economic, and religious system. They are pure propaganda (in my job, I notice these kinds of things).
The "village" of Tertre atop Montmartre, just behind the Sacre Coeur, is kind of the "starving artist's" area, and if you're into that kind of thing, you can great deals on some really good original art -- watercolors, pastels, oils, etc. There are also some really bad "artists" there and part of the fun is watching them sell stuff to unsuspecting foreigners. So use caution -- and taste.
On the Rue St. Dominique there are some very excellent restaurants. There are two I would recommend highly: Table d'Hote and La Croc au Sol. The food is really good, and it is such a thrill (if you are of romantic bent) to walk out after a nice meal and some good wine, look down the end of Rue St. Dominique, and see the Eiffel Tower glittering at you at the top of the hour.
Unforgettable.
I wish you the most exciting and joyful time!
i hope to go to paris someday too!!!!
steber - no wish to try horse - but I hear the steak frites are good!!
LBP - Hope you enjoy your holiday in Aug - where are you going to?
And for the best view of Notre Dame on the isle de la cite, take a trip on a Bateau Mouche - the wonderful river boats which are glass walled - so you can keep warm in winter while viewing the sights. You might find a free or discounted trip is part of yr holiday package. As georgie said, apart from the river, the best sightseeing is done on foot. You will make clever finds of cafes, boutiques and boulangeries (bakeries with mouth-watering displays of cakes and pastries) down side-streets. From the isle de la cite pass in front of Notre Dame and cross the bridge to the famous Left Bank ( Rive Gauche) - haunt of writers and philosophers. Almost immediately in front of you is the famous "Shakespear and Daughter", second-hand (English) bookshop and a little way to the right of that is a restaurant I can recommend - but can't remember the name of! Another good area for restaurants is the Marais district. See my profile picture of Les Mauvais Garcons in the rue mauvais garcons. But I have never tried that particular one - just loved te name ( "Naughty Boys"). Don't know the origin of the street name - but the Marais is known a 'gay' area these days :D
N.B. Look out for the Timeout Paris Guide on the bookstalls - it's in English and gives all the listings for cafes/galleries/shopping/nightlife - clubs and other entertainment. Bon voyage!
I'm so excited about going I don't know how I'm going to wait another 5 months!!
Hey you know AdGuy always gets the last word! ;)