Introduction
The many charms of the country can only be described as a hint. The chapter is divided into regions and each contains descriptions of the regional cuisine, history, culture and landscapes.
Tours
5-day: Paris, Chartres, Blois, Amboise, Chenonceaux, Chambord, Azay-le-Rideau, Chinon Tours Paris 7-day:. Nice, Cannes, Antibes, Grasse, Digne Les Baux, Arles, Avignon, Aix-en-Provence, St. Tropez, St. Raphael Nice.
Paris & Ile-de-France
The center of Paris covers an area of 105 sq km, making it small enough to explore it in one day. The Paris ring road and boulevard circulaire Priphrique follow roughly the old city walls dating from the 19th Century.
The oldest part is the Ile-de-la-Cit, an island in a bend of the Seine. The island is dominated by the magnificent Cathedral of Notre Dame. In an exhibition in the city’s early history Crypte Archologique is impressively documented.
The Latin Quarter (Boulevards St. Michel and St. Germain) is home to the Sorbonne and still focus student life.
Can some of the finest medieval tapestries in Europe admired in the Musée de Cluny. The Muse d’Orsay, a restored train station at the western end of the Boulevard St. Germain, has an excellent collection of paintings from the 19th and 20 Century. On the left bank are also Panthon, the Basilica of St. Severin, the Palace and the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Hôtel des Invalides with Napoleon’s Tomb, the Rodin Museum and the oldest church in Paris from the 11th Century St. Germain-des-Prs.
On the right bank, west of the Quai d’Orsay to the Eiffel Tower behind, you will meet a number of museums and art galleries. This area is called the Trocadero and is a popular meeting place. A little further north lies the Place Charles de Gaulle, whom the Paris Etoile and remembers where the Arc de Triomphe at one time rich in triumph. Here begins the foremost shopping and seafront of the city, the Champs-Elysees (Elysian Fields).
At the other end of the road are the Place de la Concorde, the Jardin des Tuileries, and finally the former palace, the Louvre, one of the largest museums in the world. The pyramid outside the Louvre with 666 panes of glass was even before its completion almost as well known as the art gallery itself
North of the Louvre are the Palais Royal, the Madeleine Church and Opera Garnier. To the east are Les Halles, a shopping and business center that was built on the site of the old central market. In the narrow streets around Les Halles, there are many restaurants offering every imaginable culinary delights.
Further east, behind the boulevard Sbastopol this modern Centre Pompidou (also called Beaubourg), is exhibited in the contemporary art. Not infrequently, the sidewalks in front of the building with a colorful spectacle in which are included here because often gather street artists.
Further east, in the Marais district, the Carnavalet Museum, the 16th in a beautiful house from the Century is housed. The Picasso Museum is housed in a magnificent building dating from the 18th Century.
One of the most famous district, Montmartre is located on a hill overlooking the right bank of the Seine. Below Sacre-Coeur a cog railway climbs the steep hill. The former slum was discovered about 1890 for tourism and led to renewed prosperity. Since then, tears stream from the visitors do not.
An old legend has grown up around Montmartre Saint Denis. After his martyrdom, it is said, he should be running down the hill, headless, and the point where he fell to the ground, was St. Denis built, the first Gothic cathedral in the world.
La Villette, a city of science and technology is one of the newest attractions. Using the most modern exhibition techniques, the history of human ingenuity recorded and future scenarios designed. Trading cards are available. La Villette is located north of Belleville, a working-class district where Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier were born.
The incomparable Parisian flair can be enjoyed in the many street cafes, of which you can watch the hustle and bustle of pedestrians. Brocante or buy trinkets are on some flea markets (March aux puces) to the suburbs. There are several antique centers (the Louvre Antiquaires, Village Suisse) offer, the antique furniture and other items for sale.
The big department stores Printemps and Galeries Lafayette near the Opera, the Hôtel de Ville and Samaritaine Bazaar on the right bank, and Bon March on the left bank.
The castles of Fontainebleau and Rambouillet on the outskirts of Paris are surrounded by the remains of the great forest region of Ile-de-France (the region around Paris). A visit to the Palace of Versailles is very interesting. It was the Sun King Louis XIV at the end of the 17th Century as a residence. The Botanic Gardens is a prime example of baroque art of gardening. The bedroom of the king is the center of the building, the garden is designed for this space. Particularly worth seeing is the famous Hall of Mirrors.
With the Paris Museum Pass gives free entry to about 60 city museums and national museums. It is important to note that most museums and on public holidays on a working day, usually Monday or Tuesday, are closed. Sunday is the entrance fee by half, persons under 25 or over 65 years receive discounts.
The leisure area Disneyland Paris (website: www.disneylandparis.com) is located in Marne-la-Valle, 32 km east of Paris. The total area of the park is 1943 ha, a fifth of the area of Paris. Besides the main attraction, the theme park, Disneyland Paris, there are also hotels, restaurants, a campground, shops and a golf course. The site is easily accessible by car, train or plane (Euro Disney is between the two main Paris airports, Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly).
