La Tour Montparnasse and other Paris, France Things to Do Tips

This 56 story tower gains the most commanding view of all of Paris at 209 meters high. It is located in the 14th Arrondissment on Rue du Depart, directly above the Montparnasse metro stop. But finding it is extremely easy. Finding the tourist entrance (the rest of the building is office space), is a little more difficult. It is actually located on the side facing the Rue de l'Arrivee, up a flight of stairs and is marked by a covered entrance that says "Paris en 360 degrees." The fee to go up in the elevator is 8 Euro, 50. For Children under 6 it is free; age 7 to 15, 4 Euro; For students and those age 16-20, 6 Euro, 50.

The tower itself was completed in 1973 and is made of curved steel and smoked glass. At the time of its completion it was Europe's tallest office complex. They say you can see up to 25 miles from the top on a clear day. Up there you will find a terrace (not recommended on a cold day) and just below a lounge area with a bar and, as advertised, 360 degree views of Paris. After you descend, check out the Galeries Lafayette below the Tower on Rue du Depart.

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Phone: 01 45 38 52 56
Address: Pl. Raoul Daultry
Directions: Get off at the Montparnasse metro stop, climb to street level and get your bearings, look for the
Rue de L'Arrivee on the eastern side of the Tower. There's the entrance to the building.;

Need I mention it. Even if it's not a big deal to you, as it isn't to many Parisians, one must go visit the Eiffel Tower. Just seeing it is enough. The climb to the top is a different story. You can climb the stairs to at least the second level but you have to take an elevator to get to the third level. The third level is one of the best views of Paris. Right up there with the top of the hill at the Sacre Coeur and the top of the Montparnasse Tower. Yet getting to the top, as I recently discovered, is something you want to reserve time for, at least two hours. It's not something you can just stop by and do. Really, the lines are almost always horrendously long. At the first level you get the option to get out or stay on the elevator, but at the second you must get out of the elevator to catch the next elevator up to the third level. The whole time, you are packed in like sardines in this very narrow line and when you get up top there is an enclosed lounge and then another staircase takes you to the very top. By the windows in the lounge, as with the Montparnasse tower, are photos indicating what all the sights are to give meaning to what you are seeing.
If all you are looking for is to see the Eiffel tower, you can take it in from the ground level and there is plenty of beautiful park space at the bottom to wander to your heart's content. If you really want a great view but you don't feel like waiting in the line I just described then you might want to consider the Montparnasse tower instead, as being on top of it eliminates it from your sightline and you get to take in all of the other, more beautiful sights instead.

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Address: Avenue Gustave Eiffel
Directions: Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel, or Bir-Haken and then it's just a short walk up the Boulevard de Grenelle, right onto Quai Branly. At this point you see it looming above everything and can easily gravitate towards it.

My experience of this neo-byzantine building was brief but enough to desire a return visit. And the most recent trip afforded me at least two visits to the church. It is the highest natural point in Paris and the view was incredible especially at sunset. We were all jet lagged the first time we came here but we sat out on the steps and snapped photos of the group and all of that necessary blah blah blah. But the walk through the church was the better experience. It is respectful to be quiet as you walk through as, often, there are people praying and the typical schedule of services is always going on. It was cool to walk around the dim church and see the architecture. Construction of the church began in 1875, after two catholic businessmen had vowed to erect such a church if Paris was spared from invasion during the Franco-Prussian war. It was finished in 1914 but not dedicated until after the first world war. The style of the architecture, as I mentioned, is influenced by the Romano-Byzantine era. Outside, get a good look at the facade of the church and all of the sculptures incorporated into it. Inside, look for the Mosaic of Christ inside the main dome, designed by Luc Olivier Merson and Marcel Magne.

Getting here may involve a little climbing. 205 steps or the funiculaire (one metro ticket will get you a ride to the top), you choose.

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Address: 35, RUE DU CHEVALIER-DE-LA-BARRE
Directions: Get off at Abbesses Metro stop head east on Rue Yvonne Le Tac, in the southeastern corner of Place des Abbesses, continue straight onto Rue Tardieu. To your left, shortly will be the stairs and the funiculaire.
Website: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/

In the center of Paris on the Ile de la Cite, it's architecture and history have been talked about in so many books and movies, you just gotta go see it. But spend some time there...there is apparently more to be discovered. Sure the architecture is beautiful and famous, the stained glass as well but apparently there is also a nice park behind the cathedral where you can get the best view of the flying butresses. I, myself, will be going back some day for a closer look.

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Address: Ile de la Cité

Plopped down in the middle of the biggest rotary in France, this 164 foot arch, erected during Napoleon's time, is worth the visit. There is a tunnel underneath the rotary so that you don't have to brave the nine lanes of traffic as I saw two people on the tour with me do once (stupid). After a climb up a dizzying spiral staircase you will come upon a mini-museum in the top of the arch with war artifacts and such. Clearing the roof of the building you will see another of the great views of Paris clear to the Eiffel Tower in the next arrondisment and even the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre.

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Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile
Directions: Metro Line 1, 2, RER A : Charles-de-Gaulle Etoile

We ended up seeing this landmark Opera house on my first tour to Europe in 1999. Our chaperone was an opera singer and was excited to be able to see this so she dragged the rest of the group, who went grudgingly as we had other things in mind that we wanted to do. However, we did enjoy ourselves. You couldn't get into the auditorium but the entrance foyer and the hallways were dazzling enough. I personally feel we spent too much time here and should have come at a more opportune time, to see a show or something. I hope I can see this place again and bring you more pictures someday.

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Address: Ave. de la Opera
Directions: metro 3,7,8, Opera

There is quite a collection of sculpture here among other art forms. The building was previously a train station in the early 1900s. It fell into disrepair because it was not big enough to service the growing rail industry but was rescued in the 1970s from demolition. And in 1986 it opened as a museum. It was meant to represent all art from the period from 1848 to 1914.

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Address: 1, rue de Bellechasse
Directions: Metro: Solferino, or the Musee d'Orsay stop on the RER B
Website: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/

And certainly not in one go, unless you have a lot of time on your hands and care to go through so fast that you couldn't possibly truly enjoy every piece of art. There are some tours that whisk you through the museum to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, winged victory and a few other popular ones but my advice is take your time and see what you can including the more obscure unknown pieces of art as well. This time, my wife and I separated from my parents to tour on our own at our own pace since we'd both been before. We first entered into the Sully wing to glimpse the sublevel medieval part of the old Louvre. Then we squirmed through a huge crowd to the Denon wing, but the crowd never thinned so we deicded to go to the Richilieu wing as I had never seen this part. So, after a snack at the cafe at the far end of the Denon wing(avoid it unless you are starving), we meandered past the swarm of people snapping photos of the Mona Lisa and made our way. It was seriously amazing how immediately different it was once we slipped into the Sully wing's second level and crossed over to the Richelieu wing. Quieter and far fewer people were milling around. There is a lot of French sculpture over there that was pleasant to see. It's worth it also to look at the architecture in the building itself and enjoy the courtyards as well. I found myslef looking out windows a lot and gazing at the building's intricacies as well.

Do take your time, warrant at least two to three hours for this. Another piece of advice is to invest in one of the guides in your language of choice. The map is really helpful, but there are also maps placed strategically throughout the Louvre that tell you exactly where you are so you can't get too lost. But remember, this is the world's biggest art museum.

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Address: 34-36 quai du Louvre
Directions: Main entrance thru the Pyramid. Métro: Palais-Royal, Louvre-Rivoli.
Website: http://www.louvre.fr/
Other Contact: www.paris.org/Musees/Louvre

The Centre Georges Pompidou was quite fun. There are loads of different exhibits here at different times. Instead of seeing them, we chose to see their permanent collection which they had reorganized thematically instead of chronoglogically. The structure of the building itself is also incredible, as it is all pipes exposed and glass enclosed escalators that afford you some magnificient views on the way up, comparable to the Eiffel and Montparnasse Towers. give yourself some time here if you plan on seeing the visiting exhibits in addition to the permanent collections. There are several cafe's nearby, as well as one inside the museum, so take a break if you need to.

Also, try and check out IRCAM, a musical research facility just around the corner and still a part of the Pompidou center. Here they develop experimental music software and there are interactive sessions as well as concerts to be seen. Check the schedule ahead of time to make sure there will be something going on.

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Address: Place Beaubourg, 75004
Directions: Metro: Rambuteau ; RER: Chatelet-Les Halles
Website: http://www.cnac-gp.f
Other Contact: www.ircam.fr

Rodin's collection is housed in the Hotel Biron, a 16th century mansion that saw many different uses before Rodin saved it from demolition in 1904. The French government bought the museum shortly after and in 1916 Rodin donated all of his works to the state so that they could set up a museum. Inside the walls and surrounding the building is a huge garden filled with sculptures of Rodin's and a few of his estranged love Camille Claudel's sculptures as well. The house itself is charming with creaking floors, huge chandeliers and a grand staircase. The works inside the building include "l'homme au nez casse", "la fille au chapeau fleuri", "le bisou" and many others.

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Phone: 01 44 18 61 10
Address: 77, rue de Varenne
Directions: Line 13 : Varennes
Website: http://www.musee-rodin.fr