The Louvre and other Paris, France Things to Do Tips

The greatest museum of art in all of France, the Louvre is one of the worlds great museums. It houses a huge collection of arts and artifacts spanning 5000 years of human history, from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia to the 19th Century.

The Louvre however is most famous for its paintings, including Leonardos de Vinci's Mona Lisa. It is perhaps the most famous single painting in the world.

The Louvre is actually a palace built in the 17th Century by Louis XVI built on the foundations of a much older structure. French kings have in fact lived here from the 13th Century. Constructed to house the royal art collections, it gradually grew and expanded over the centuries to become perhaps the greatest repository of art in the world.

*NOTE: Photography is now prohibited in the Italian and Spanish Painting Galleries in the Denon Wing. The same goes for the Large Format French Paintings Gallery.

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The buildings that comprise the Louvre were built and expanded upon over the course of many centuries.

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The Cathedral of Notre Dame is one of the most famous examples of secular architecture in the world. Immortalized in Hugos "Hunchback of Notre Dame", the cathedral was started in the 13th Century and added upon in the following centuries. In reality, it was built to replace a church on its site from the 6th century that had previously burnt down.

Inside are its 3 glorious rose windows and atop, the famous gargoyles. One can climb to the top of one of the 2 spire towers for a better look at those famed statues.

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Address: Ile de la Cité

The Cluny Museum is the national museum of Mediaval Art. It is housed in the former Mansion of the Abbots of Cluny, which was constructed in the late 15th Century. On the ground are also the remains of Roman Baths, dating from the 1st Century AD.

The museum houses many works of art from both roman and mediaval times. Most famous are the Lady and Unicorn tapestries which are masterpieces from the 15th Century.

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Address: Boulevard St-Michel
Directions: Where Boulevard Saint-Michel meets Boulevard Saint-Germain... couldn't be easier. Metro Cluny-Sorbonne (closer) or Saint-Michel (not far at all).

This is the famed prison, where during the French Revolution, prisoners were detained before their often breif trials, and before they were led to the guilotine. One can see re-created cells for the various classes of the condemned. Here too, Mary Antoinette met her fate. One can see a re-creation of her royal cell.

The Conciegerie was constructed in the late 13th and early 14th Centuries and remains one of the best examples of period architecture in Paris.

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This is inside the building. It is the Hall of Men-at-Arms. Since the building was originally used as a royal residence long before the era of the Revolution, it served as the dining hall for those who were in the service of the king. It was capable of accomodating up to 2000 people.

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Built in the mid 13th Century to house relics of Christs Passion, by Louis IX. It is part of the complex of buildingins that include the Palais of Justice and the Conciergie. It is comprised of 2 chapels. The lower chapel (see photo) is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and was for use by the palace staff. The king and his entourage used the beautiful upper chapel (sorry, no photo).

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Phone: 01 53 73 78 50
Address: Boulevard du Palais
Directions: Sainte-Chapelle is inside the Palais of Justice on Ile de le Cité-- a few minute walk from Notre Dame. Métro : Cité, Staint-Michel, or Châtelet. RER: Chatelet -Les-Halles, Saint-Michel
Website: http://www.pbase.com/francist/chap&page=all

This famous metal structure is the symbol of Paris and perhaps its most famous monument. It was built by Gustave Eiffel from 1887-1889. Originally meant as a temporary experient, it has become a main draw for tourists and locals alike. You can today, by lift, go to one of three levels, or take the stairs. It is a marvel, anyway you look at it.
Be prepared for long lines.

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Address: Trocadero
Directions: You can't miss it!!!

The Hotel de Ville is French for City Hall. This magnificent building was once the headquarters of the Parisian Municipal Offices. It now houses the Mayors Office. Constructed at the height of the middle ages in the 12th Century (1300s), it sits on a square that was once the public execution grounds. The building was renamed in 1830, a title which it retains to this day. A fire in the middle of the 19th Century destroyed a large portion of the building. As a result, it was rebuilt in the 1870s. Today, one can see childrens amusements in front of the edifice.

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This is one of the famous Rose Windows in the cathedral.

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Address: Ile de la Cité