Paris Things to Do Tips by sachara

Cimitière du Montparnasse Cimetière de Montparnasse Review

The Cimetière du Montparnasse is a famous cemetery in the Montparnasse quarter. The cemetery is created in 1824 outside the citywalls south of Paris because of health reasons. Originally the Montparnasse cemetery was known as ´Cimetière du Sud´.

Montparnasse Cemetery is the last resting place of many of the intellectual and artistic elite of France. At the north entrance you can get a map with the graves of most of the well-known and famous people.

During one of my longer walks in Paris I entered the cemetery from the southside close to the ´tower´, the remains of a windmill from the 17th century. So I had tryed to find my own way in the large cemetary without map.

In the middle of the cemetary is the a statue of the ´angel of the eternal sleep´ (made by Horace Daillons in 1902) surrounded by green and flowers. Some of the alleys are lined by trees.

Address: In the Montparnasse quarter, 14 th arrondissement.

Directions: The main entrance is at the northern side by Boulevard Edgar Quinet.
Metro: Edgar Quinet, Raspail or Gaite.

Phone: +33 145385256

Montparnasse, graves of many famous people Cimetière de Montparnasse Review

The Montparnasse Cemetery is the last resting place of many of the intellectual and artistic elite of France. That´s why several tourists visit this cemetary. It can take a few hours to see most of the famous graves, get an impression of the whole cemetery and see some of the diversity in grave monuments.

Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Serge Gainsbourg, Charles Baudelaire, Camille Saint Sains, Alfred Dreyfuss, Guy de Maupassant, André Citroen are some of the famous people who are buried at this cemetary.

There are also monuments for police and firefighters who were killed ´on duty´. The French industrial Charles Pigeon has an family grave with an impressive sculpture of himself resting. The well-known statue of the kiss of Brancusi is erected on the grave of this artist from Romania.

Address: In the Montparnasse quarter, 14 th arrondissement

Directions: The main entrance is at the northern side at the Boulevard Edgar Quinet.
Metro: Edgar Quinet, Raspail or Gaite.

Phone: +33 145385256

Trocadero fountains Trocadero Review

The Jardins du Trocadero ( Trocadero gardens), situated between the Palais Chaillot uphill at one side and the Seine and the Eiffel Tower at the other side, are lovely with many trees, paths and idyllic small bridges. There is also a large aquarium.

Due to its spectacular location the most known part of the 10 ha gardens is the central part dominated by a large rectangular pond with an array of fountains. These fountains are abundantly illuminated at night. Around the pond are many statues, like the man of Traverse, the woman of Braque, the bull of Jouve and the horse of Guyot.

The Jardins and Place du Trocadero are named after Trocadero, a stronghold near Cadiz in the south of Spain, which was captured in 1823 by French forces.

Address: Place du Trocadero

Directions: The Trocadéro is the site of the Palais de Chaillot , just across the Seine opposite the Eiffel Tower in the 16th arrondissement
Metro:Trocadero

Palais de Chaillot Palais de Chaillot Review

The Palais de Chailot with two curved and colonnaded wings was built for the World Exhibition of 1937, replacing the old Palais du Trocadéro.

From the wide esplanade between the two independent wings at the top of the hill the open view to the Eiffel Tower is spectacular. Not only during the day, but also during the evening with all the lights. Especially in the evening at 10pm crowds of people come to watch the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower from here.

In the Palais de Chaillot the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the 10th december 1948. This event is commemorated by a stone. And that's why the esplanade is named the 'esplanade des droits de l'homme', meaning the 'esplanade of human rights'.

The esplanade is ornamented with huge statues fo bronze. The buildings at both sides house some museums. The Naval Museum and the Musée de l'Homme in the southern wing and the the Musée National des Monuments Français in the northern wing. In this wing is also the Theatre National de Chaillot with the entrance below the esplanade.

Address: Place du Trocadero

Directions: 16th arrondissement, at the hill of Chaillot just across the Seine opposite the Eiffel Tower.
Metro: Trocadero

Musée de l'homme Musée de la Marine – France’s Maritime Museum Review

The Musée de l'Homme or Museum of Mankind is located in the Passy wing of the Palais de Chaillot. From the windows you have great views at the Eiffel Tower.

The museum collects everything concerning mankind, like evolution, prehistory, anthropology and ethnology. It's an very interesting and informative museum, not in the last place for kids.

In 2005 I visited the museum in the first place because of an exhibition about Africa, but I ended up walking around in the entire museum and was impressed about the way of displaying and the educational quality of the anthropological and ethnographical exhibits of Africa, the Americas, the Pacific and Europe.

I bought some interesting books about deserts in the museumbookshop. And big surprise.... there were many interesting publications and catalogi of former exhibitions, all free of charge.

Address: Place du Trocadero

Directions: 16th arrondissement.
Metro:Trocadero

Phone: +33 144057272

Sacre Coeur Montmartre - Sacré Coeur Review

The white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, located at the summit of the butte Montmartre (the highest point in the city) is the most striking building in the north of Paris. When I visited Paris for the first time as a schoolkid, crossing Paris by car from north to south on our way to our jumelage-town Aubusson, we arrived late evening in our hotel close to the Sacre Coeur.

We climbed to the top of the hill to visit the basilica and sat at a terrace on the foot of the hill afterwards. The spectacular view at the splendid white building is engraved in my memory. During later visits of Paris I came back to this spot several times because of this first experience in Paris.

The Basilica of the Sacré Coeur or Basilica of the Sacred Heart was built at the place where the the revolt of the 'Commune de Paris', a workers revolutionary movement, started. This movement ruled Paris in the spring of 1871. After the 'Commune de Paris' was bloodily dismantled by the army and 10.000s of communards were slaughtered, executed and banished, the conservative government of the Orde Moral decided to build the Basilica by public subscription as a gesture of expiation of 'the crimes of the Communards'.

The Sacre Coeur is a very controversial building, but the basilica with its white dome is also a popular tourist landmark in Paris.

JLBG thanks for the information.

Directions: in the 18th arrondissement

Website: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/

Fountain de Observatoire Parks, Gardens, and Squares Review

South of the the Jardin du Luxembourg along the axis of the Avenue de Observatoire is a lovely garden as well, actually two gardens named Jardin Marco Polo and Jardin Cavelier de la Salle. Both are connected with the Jardin du Luxembourg.

From these gardens you have a view at the Palais du Luxembourg in the north and the Observatoire de Paris in the south( picture 3 and 4). In the garden are several statues (picture 5) and at the southern end is the impressive Fountain de Observatoire with the green coloured bronze horses (picture 1 and 2).

Address: Jardin Marco Polo

Directions: Southern end of the Boulevard Saint Michel
Metro: Port Royal

Views from the rooftop, museum and library Centre Georges Pompidou Review

I visited the Cente Pompidou, or with its full name 'The Centre National d' Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou' several times.

My favourite part is the 'Musée National d'Art Moderne', where you can find the French national art collection of the 20th century like pop art, cubists, surrealists, Fauvists. So you can find famous artworks of Braque, Matisse and Miro.

There are also three galleries, where I saw several exhibitions of contemporary art with some impressive installations. In summer 2005 I visited the interesting exhibition Africa Remix with contemporary African art.

For opening hours, entrance fees and actual exhibitions have a look at the website.
Besides the exhibitions I spent also hours in the library, the 'Bibliothéque Publique d' Information', just curious about the huge amount of manuscripts and books, but also for some historical and genealogical research.

At the groundfloor is a bookshop and at the rooftop is a restaurant. From the roof you have stunning panoramic views at Paris.

Directions: Metro: Rambuteau.

Phone: 01 44781233

Website: http://www.centrepompidou.fr

Pont Alexandre III Pont Alexandre III Review

The Pont Alexandre III is the most striking bridge in Paris, crossing the Seine. The bridge was named after Tsar Alexander III of Russia, who laid the foundation stone in October 1896.

The bridge was built between 1896 and 1900 by the engineers Résal and Alby at the same time as the Grand Palais and Petit Palais just north of the bridge at the right bank were built. The bridge, is inaugurated in 1900 for the Exhibition Universelle. The bridge with a 6M high single span steel arch is a wonder of engineering from the late 19th century.

The bridge is striking by its ornaments of exuberant art nouveau lamps, cherubs and nymphs. At the top of 17M high columns the four gold-covered bronze statues are representing winged horses. From the bridge the views at the Invalides, the Grand Palais and the Seine are spectacular.

Directions: The Pont Alexandre III connects the Champs-Élysées area with the Invalides and Eiffel Tower area.

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont_Alexandre_III

Assemblée National Assemblée Nationale Review

The official seat of the French National Assembly is housed in the Palais Bourbon at the southbank of the Seine, just south of the Place and the Pont de la Concorde. The French National Assembly is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France. The other is the French Senate, housed in the Palais de Luxembourg.

The Palais Bourbon was originally built for Louis XIV's daughter the duchesse de Bourbon. It is designed by the Italian architect Giardini. Its construction started in 1722 and is completed in 1728. At the start it was a principal block with simple wings ending in pavilions. The grand pedimented Roman portico facing the Place de la Concorde is added to the Palais Bourbon in 1806-08 by the architect Poyet. This portico mirrors the similar classicizing portico of the Madeleine, at the northern end of the rue Royale.

Address: 33, Quai d'Orsay 75007 Paris

Directions: Metro: Place de la Concorde

Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_National_Assembly