Monuments & Sites of Paris
La Sainte-Chappelle
A 13th century royal chapel on Île de la Cité, built by Louis IX to house the religious relics of Christ, including "the Crown of Thorns" and famous for its stained-glass windows. Small but incredibly gorgeous; famous organ.
Le Jardin des Tuileries
A beautiful garden and park area outside the Louvre whose name comes from the French word for "tiles," because tiles were once made from clay found here. There used to be a palace here, where Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were held prisoner during the French revolution. It was burned down after they left. It runs beside the Champs-Élysées and the musée Louvre.
Le Centre Pompidou
Also called Beaubourg; Modern art museum; Electrical and plumbing on outside; the whimsical Stravinsky fountains are just outside the museum. National Library is located here.
L'Île de la Cité
Birthplace of Paris, being the oldest part of the city; Island in the Seine river; the Parisii tribe settled here. Home of Notre Dame de Paris, Sainte-Chapelle, and la Conciergerie. Prehistoric excavations of early civilization there. Ground Zero of Paris.
La Tour Eiffel
Built for the 1889 World's Fair; Celebrates the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It was supposed to be temporary. Designed by Gustav Eiffel, who had a tiny apartment built near the top. When it was built, most Parisians thought it was tacky and they called it "the Iron Asparagus."
Le Palais Royale
Built is 1693. Home to Cardinal Richelieu (from the 3 Musketeers story), and Queen Anne of Austria with her son, Louis XIV. Famous for its covered walkways and arcades, it is now famous as a shopping area.
La Madeleine
Church resembling a Greek temple; Located on one of the most luxurious streets in Paris.
L'Hôtel de Ville
City hall of Paris since 1357, it houses city government and the official reception rooms. The mayor's office is located here, and all weddings have a civil ceremony here, performed by the mayor. Beach volleyball in summer and ice skating in winter on the plaza out front.
L'Arc de Triomphe
Commissioned by Napoleon; Represents Napoleon's military victories; to honor his soldiers. Built on Place de l'Étoile; At the end of the Champs-Elysées; Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is there. The end of the Tour de France is here.
Le Cimetière Père Lachaise
Established as a municipal cemetery in 1804, it is the largest park and cemetery in Paris. It is well-known because of the famous people buried there, including Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Molière, and Jim Morrison of the Doors.
La Place de la Concorde
Formerly called La Place de la Revolution, this is where the guillotine was located during the French Revolution. In the center stands an ancient Egyptian obelisk, from the temple of Luxor in Egypt, and a gift to France from the Egyptian government.
Notre Dame de Paris
Gothic-style cathedral on Ile de la Cité; Rose windows; Gargoyles; Flying buttresses; took over 200 years to build; site of the novel by Victor Hugo "Notre Dame de Paris" which was made into the movie "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Contains holy relics of the Crown of Thorns, worn by Jesus on the cross, and the Robe of St. Louis, who was a French king, later granted sainthood.
Le Palais de Chaillot
Great viewing spot for the Eiffel Tower from the Trocadero area; Houses a national theater and museums.
La Place Vendôme
Has a unique column with a statue of Napoleon on the top made from cannons used in the wars. It is what 5th Ave. is to New York City. It is the flagship store location of brands (Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Lacoste, Christian Louboutin, Prada, etc.); the locale of haute couturiers of high fashion, as well as the Ritz Hotel, occupied by the Nazis during WW2.
Montmartre
Hill overlooking Paris, the highest point in Paris. Night clubs; Artistic district; many famous artists and writers were based here (Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Apollinaire, etc.); la Basilique Sacré Coeur; Moulin Rouge Cabaret; many street artists continue to paint "en pleine aire" on the streets.
Le Jardin du Luxembourg
Just outside le Palais du Luxembourg, a large garden with many famous statues, an octagonal fountain, an Italian Medici fountain, a puppet theater, and a game park. Established by Marie de' Medici in 1612.
Le Bois de Boulogne
Largest park area in Paris; Has racetracks, a stadium, and lots of people boating and biking, as well as the Roland-Garros stadium complex, of the French Open tennis tournament. Established by Napoleon III, nephew of Bonaparte, as a hunting ground.
L'Opéra Garnier
Largest theater in the world; a false ceiling painted by Marc Chagall; famous marble staircase in the lobby; the inspiration for the setting of the musical "the Phantom of the Opera"; it actually has an underground river under the building. "Chicken coop" - seating for the regular folks.
Le Louvre
Millions of tourists flock to this former fortress to see the Mona Lisa (la Joconde) and Venus de Milo who are inside. Museum with a modern, glass pyramid entrance, added in 1989, by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. It was the former royal palace until Louis XIV decided to move the seat of power to Versailles. It is the largest museum in the world. Many works were taken out and hidden around France before the Nazis occupied Paris during WW2.
Les Champs-Élysées
Most famous street in Paris, it is the rallying point for the people of Paris with parades during le Quatorze Juillet, and the Tour de France ends here. Built as a path for Marie de' Medici to walk her horses. Means "the Elysian fields" in French (a reference to Greek mythology).
Le Quartier Latin
On the left bank of the Seine, this quarter of the city is known as the student area of Paris, as it houses the Sorbonne. Its name comes from the fact that Latin, as the language of the intellectual, was spoken here instead of French. It has reasonable shops and great restaurants as well as clubs here.
La Conciergerie
Prison during the French Revolution; this building housed 2,600 aristocrats and other "enemies" of France. Marie Antoinette spent her last 76 days here before her execution. It was originally a palace from the middle ages; located on Île de la Cité.
La Seine
River that runs through Paris; Divides Paris into the left and right banks; 29 bridges traverse it. The oldest is called "le Pont Neuf," ("the new bridge") 483 miles long; the embouchure (mouth of the river) is the English Channel at Le Havre, an important port city in France.
La Sorbonne
The University of Paris, it is the principal center of higher learning in France. Oldest university in Europe, established in 1150 by Robert de Sorbon; the Latin Quarter grew up around it.
Le Musée d'Orsay
The most important impressionist art museum in the world. Located in an old train station (la gare) since 1986, and it contains works of art and sculpture.
La Place de la Bastille
Used to have a prison, which was attacked on July 14th, 1789, and later demolished, marked the start of the French Revolution. Currently, it is a square that is a popular site of concerts, etc., with a commemorative column (la Colonne de Juillet) at the center.
Les Catacombs
Using abandoned quarries under the city of Paris, official decided in 1785 to relocate the bones of over 6 million bodies. This is due to over-crowded cemeteries and that the remains were a source of infection to the people of Paris.
L'Hôtel des Invalides
Where Napoleon's tomb is located; Military museum; Very easily visible by the dome covered in real gold leaf. Established by Louis XIV. Now a retirement home/ hospital for soldiers of France.
Le Panthéon
Where famous French people's remains are located. Examples: Victor Hugo and Louis Braille. Originally built to resemble the Pantheon in Rome; Foucault's pendulum is here.
Le Palais du Luxembourg
Where the French Senate is currently located. Built by Marie de' Medici, who was married to the King of France, Henri IV. It is modeled after the Pitti Palace of Florence, Italy, her childhood home.
