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GUIDES

Paris Guide

Paris - Out and About

Paris the capital city of France and the county city of the Ile de France region, is situated in the northern central part of France. The city is divided into 20 districts. Each district has a number, which increases in value, the further away one goes from the Louvre museum. The historic centre of the city is formed by the first eight districts, stretching from the Bastille to Etoile and from the Opera to the Observatory. The area houses the various architectural styles of the 19th century that Napoleon III requested to be built in the city.

This centre, divided in two by the river Seine contains narrow windy streets, crowded with offices, shops and craftsmen's workshops. The first and second districts, are the sites of the city's business zone, home to the stock exchange, banks and insurance companies. The elite area of the city, the Tuilieres, is located to the west. The area leads from one end to the Place de La Concorde and at the other to the Louvre. This was the residential area of the King and today is the site of elegant buildings ( Place de La Concorde, Place Vendome, Place des Victories), Italian gardens ( Jardin du Palais Royal, Jardin des Tuilieres), old royal palaces ( Louvre, Palais Royal) and important museums ( Museum of Arts and Fashion, Museum of Decorative Arts). The area is divided by elegant roads lined with five star hotels ( Ritz, Normandie), expensive boutiques, jewellers and large department stores( Trois Quartiers, Printemps). Five districts stretch along the right bank, including the tree-lined Champs-Elysees, which leads to the Arc di Triumph and Grand Boulevard between the Opera, Republic, Pigalle and Montmatre.

The Avenue des Champs- Elysees, is both wide and spectacular and symbolises the style and joie de vivre of Paris. The area and the surrounding streets house public gardens, luxurious restaurants, design studios, theatres, museums, galleries, cinemas, hotels and cafés. The Avenue finishes at the beautiful Rond Point des Champs-Elysees, with its colourful flowerbeds and nut trees. The avenue is particularly beautiful, when illuminated at night and on the 14th July during the military parade. The Butte Montmartre district is synonymous with art; for it was here, during the 19th century, that poets and artists gathered. The shortest road leaves from Place Blanche and climbs the lively Rue Lepic market street, continuing on along Rue de Abbesses, Rue Ravignon and other flights of steps. A spectacular view of the city can be obtained by taking the rack-railway to the Roman- Byzantine Sacre Coeur church. Portrait artists and souvenir sellers congregate at Place du Tertre, a picturesque square and high-point of Paris.In this zone it is possible to stroll through the narrow twisting streets, admire the small, pretty squares and walk along the small hill-side terraces. The Germain-de-Pres district is located on the east bank of the Seine and is home to cafés, jazz-clubs and antique shops. It is an area which was frequented by intellectuals during the 1950's and 60's at the time of Novelle Vague. The well-known Lipp brasserie, decorated with multi-coloured tiles, is a favourite meeting point for politicians, while Les Deux Margots, the preferred choice of Hemingway, is still popular today. The city's other artist's district is Montparnasse, frequented by such artists as Picasso and Matisse. The district, situated on the left bank, is the site of Carrefour Vavin with its studios and cafes, very popular during the 1920's and 30's.Today the area houses cinemas and restaurants and is the site of the second largest tower in Europe, the glass and steel Tour de Montparnasse. The Montparnasse Cemetery, situated in Rue Emile Richard, is the resting place of writers, poets and sculpturers ( De Maupassant, Sartre, De Beauvoir, Tzara, Baudelaire).

The Eiffel Tower stands to the south of the river in the area known as Rive Gauche. Napoleon's tomb is housed in the gold-domed Hotel des Invalides, situated in the largest area south of the river. This is a wealthy zone with aristocratic residences lining the Rue de Varennes and the Rue de Grenelle.

The Paris university district ( Sorbon) is the Paris of narrow Medieval streets, bookshops, cinemas, bars and cafes bustling with students. Boulevard St-Michel is the area's central meeting point, but equally busy and crowded is the pedestrianized Place Saint Michel and Rue de la Huchette, home to numerous inexpensive bistros. Visitors should not miss the opportunity to visit the Musée de Cluny. The museum is housed in a medieval building and contains a collection of medieval art and craftwork. The district on the right bank of the Seine is dominated by the modern Forum des Halles and Pompidou Centre, which form the meeting point for visitors wishing to explore this area, rich in museums, galleries, shops, markets and restaurants. All the roads around the Halles lead to the Beauborg and the Pompidou Center, an avant-guarde structure of steel girders and pipes, which houses the Musée National d'Art Modern. Street artists constantly perform in the square outside the building. The Ile de la Cité, located nearby, is the nucleus of the old city of Paris. The remains of this ancient location can be admired underneath Notre Dame's courtyard. The various lines, which make up France's railway system, all meet in the centre of Paris, at Chatelet-Les- Halles, the largest metropolitan station in the world. Paris' metropolitan is the best way to travel around the city. The system's 14 lines cover the whole of the Paris area. It is possible to purchase a travelcard which is valid for travel on all forms of public transport. The city's bus service is also efficient and operates from 5:30am to 1am. Those wishing to admire Paris from the water should take a trip on board one of the city's Bateau- Mouches, some of which also offer a restaurant service on board. This boat service operates from May to September, every day from 10am to 8pm, with departures every 45 minutes. The best way to do a city-tour is to travel on one of the double-decker buses operated by Paribus-Les Cars Rouges. The service operates every day from 10 to 8pm with departures every 50 minutes and tour information is provided in French, English and German.

Paris - Not to be missed

Musée du Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, Metro: Plais Royal-Louvre. A 21 metre high glass pyramid stands at the entrance to the Louvre. The museum is divided into eight sections: Ancient Oriental and Islamic, Ancient Egyptian, Roman-Greek Art, Picture Gallery with ten sub-sections, sculptures and designs. The museum is visited by an enormous number of people anxious to see the museum's three best known masterpieces, the Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo and Samotracia's Nike. The crowds and confusion can be very disturbing, it is advisable to choose a section or historical period and to concentrate exclusively upon it. The following sections are highly recommended: Egyptian, German and late-Gothic painters, Italian Renaissance painters, Flemish and French painters from the 18th Century.

Musée d'Orsay on the banks of the Seine, site of an old railway station, houses in its enormous construction of glass and steel, a collection of impressionist and post-impressionist French art, sculptures and paintings from the period 1840 to 1914, furniture, photographs and films.

The Déjeuner sur l'herbe and Le balcon by Manet, Moulin de la Galette and Déjeuner des canotiers by Renoir are not to be missed.

Notre Dame, Paris' cathedral, is a true Gothic work of art. The building, constructed between 1163 and 1345, can accommodate over 600 people. The three main entrances, each one different, are ornately decorated with statues to attract the attention of the people passing by. The interior is dominated by a spectacular rosary window and an organ with 7,800 pipes. Visitors can climb the north tower of the cathedral's west face to admire the gargoyles and a spectacular view over the city.

Paris - Walks and tours

A visit to the sumptuous Palace and Gardens of Versailles represents one of the finest trips to be had in the surrounding area of Paris. The palace is easily reached by leaving Paris on the A13 to Rouen and then taking the D182 to Versailles Chateau. If travelling by train, catch the RER, line C to Versailles-Rive Gauche, then continue on to the palace. It was in 1668, on the orders of Louis XIV, that the Louis XIII villa was transformed into the largest palace in Europe.

The palace reflects the wishes of the King, who wanted to create a private pavilion in order to meet his lovers in secret. The gardens with their statues and fountains, can be visited on bicycle, which can be rented on site. The gardens house the Grand Canal, site of royal banquets complete with naval battles and the Orangery, a large greenhouse.

The State Apartments and the Gallery des Glaces were the site of elegant court celebrations. The building is 75 metres long, 12 metres high with 17 windows and 17 facing mirrors. It is possible to visit other areas of the palace with a guided tour.

Paris - The traveller's notebook

Currency : Euro

Electric supply: 220 Volt, 50 Hertz

Climate : Spring is the best time to visit Paris. August is hot and muggy.

Opening hours : shops are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 8pm, Saturday from 9am to 4pm. Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm. The central post office in Rue de Louvre 52, is open 24 hours a day. The majority of the banks are open from Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm.

Paris - A pocket guide

The main magazines detailing the weekly activities in the city are the Pariscope and the Officiel des Spectacles. The magazines are printed on Wednesdays and detail what's on in Paris. The choice of club and discotheques is extensive and is able to satisfy the musical tastes of everyone.

The Music Festival is held the 21st of June, the summer solstice. The Saint Denis Festival runs from June to the end of July, during which time concerts are held in the Saint Denis Basilica. The Chateau of Versailles is the site of the Baroque Music Festival, held from the middle of September to the middle of October. Those zones with the most active night-life area Saint- Germain-des-Prés and the Quartier Latin, Montparnasse, Les Halles and Marais, Montmartre, the Grand Boulevards and the Bastille.

Disclaimer: the above information is provided 'as is' and Hostelsclub accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information.

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