Les Sites de Paris
la Tour Eiffel
built by Gustave Eiffel for the World's Fair of 1889, has 3 levels/floors including a restaurant at the top. Was supposed to be torn down after 20 years but they kept it up because it has radio and TV antennas. It was very controversial and hated by many at the time is was built. Today, it sparkles with lights every hour on the hour from dusk until midnight every night.
La Défense
business district of Paris- on the outskirts of the city where the skyscrapers are located.
la Joconde
The Mona Lisa (named after her Italian last name)
Les Catacombes de Paris
The Paris Catacombs- underground ossuaries that hold the remains of more than six million people. The bones were moved there beginning in 1785 due to the cemeteries of Paris becoming overcrowded. A portion of the Catacombs are open to the public to visit.
Les Champs-Elysées
The grand avenue of Paris. It goes from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde. Famous for expensive/fancy stores & restaurants
La Conciergerie
The last prison to hold Marie Antoinette before her death.
Le Quartier Latin
The latin quarter- the 5th arrondissement, where the Sorbonne University and the Pantheon are located.
Place Charles de Gaulle/Place de l'étoile
The meeting point of 12 avenues, including the Champs-Elysees. The arc de triomphe is at it's center. Be VERY careful crossing the street here! If you want to visit the Arc, use the underground stairways to get to it instead of trying to cross at this crazy rotary!
La Cathédrale de Notre Dame
famous cathedral located on ile de la cite in the center of the Seine. The name means Our Lady. Constructed between the years of 1163-1345. Suffered a devastating fire in April 2019.
les Galeries Lafayette
famous department store
Place du Tertre
famous square in Montmartre, near Sacre Coeur where hundreds of artists are set up. You can have your portrait painted!
Le Louvre
former fortress and palace, world's biggest, richest and most visited museum. Contains the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory
les gargouilles
gargoyles- most famous ones are built on Notre Dame cathedral
la pyramide du Louvre
glass pyramid outside the Louvre, serves as the main entrance to the museum. Built in 1988, designed by the Chinese-American architect I.M.Pei
L'Arc de Triomphe
The monument at the end of Les Champs-Elysées. It was built to commemorate soldiers lost in the Napoleonic wars and the French Revolution. The tomb of the unknown soldier is underneath it.
La Stade de France
The national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. This is where the French National Football (soccer) team plays. It seats a little over 80,000 people and was built for the 1998 World Cup
la Place de la Concorde
This is where Marie Antoinette lost her head. It is at the end of the Champs Elysees, before the Tuileries gardens/Louvre area. A 3,300 year old Egyptian obelisk called the Luxor Obelisk is found there today.
les Bateaux Mouches
Tourist boats that give tours down the Seine river- a great way to see the city!
Disneyland Paris
Used to be called Euro Disney- located 20 miles East of Paris
L'Arche de la Défense
a large white arch that indicates entry into the business district
le Panthéon
a mausoleum where many famous French people are entombed, including Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas & Emile Zola, Louis Braille, Marie Curie & Voltaire.
la Sainte-Chapelle
a smaller cathedral famous for its stained glass windows. Completed in 1248.
la Basilique du Sacré-Cœur
beautiful white stone church located in the Montmartre area. The name means Sacred Heart. Completed in 1914.
les arrondissements
the districts/neighborhoods of Paris- there are 20, they begin in the center and spiral out in the shape of on escargot shell the last 2 numbers in Parisian zip codes indicate the arrondissement- ex.75001- 1st arrondissement 75016-16th arrondissement
Les jardin des Tuileries
the gardens outside of the Louvre, in the summer there is a ferris wheel
Pont Neuf
the oldest bridge in Paris, construction began in 1578. "Neuf" means both 9 and New
Tour Montparnasse
the only skyscraper in downtown Paris
les quais de la Seine
the quays of the Seine- the walkways along the Seine, very popular for walking along and hanging out on especially in the spring and summer
Palais de l'Elysée
the residence of the French president
le RER
train service that takes you in/out of the city to and from the suburbs- you take this from the airport to get to downtown Paris. You can also take this to visit Versailles
La Madeleine
une église- a famous church, it resembles a large Greek temple from the outside
Trocadéro
the area/square across from the Eiffel Tower, on the right bank
Le Marais
A historic district of Paris, known for its art galleries, upscale restaurants and museums. Place des Vosges is located here.
l'Hôtel de Ville
City hall, there is a patinoire (ice skating rink) in front of this in the winter
Le Pont des Arts
Also known as the "love lock bridge", for several years couples placed locks on this bridge and threw the keys into the Seine to symbolize their love. The locks became dangerously heavy and the bridge was in danger of collapsing, so the locks were removed and replaced with glass panels in 2015. It is a pedestrian only bridge, many people bring picnics and eat and socialize on it.
Pont Alexandre III
Called the most beautiful bridge in the world, opened in 1900 for the World's Fair
la Place de la Bastille
Former site of Bastille prison, attacked on July 14, 1789. It was torn down by the crowd of people with only 7 prisoners inside. "Bastille day" is celebrated in France on July 14 in honor of this major event of the French revolution
Le jardin de Luxembourg
Gardens outside of the Luxembourg palace, where the French Senate meets. There is a large pond where children can sail toy sailboats
Lutetia
Lutèce- the original name of Paris. The Parisii, a Celtic tribe, settled on the banks of the Seine in approximately 259 BC. In 52 BC, they were conquered by the Romans, who founded the Gallo-Roman town called Lutetia. The city changed its name to Paris during the 4th century.
Le Centre Pompidou
Modern art museum, named after a former president of France. First major example of an "inside-out" building-it has it's mechanical pipes all exposed on the outside of the building
Les Invalides
Napoleon had this built as a hospital for his soldiers. Now it holds the tomb of Napoleon and war museums. Known for its golden dome
Gare du Nord
North train station
Boulevard Haussmann
One of the grand, wide boulevards of Paris. This is where the famous department stores Galeries Lafayette & Printemps are located. It is named after Baron Haussmann who was in charge of a major renovation of Paris between 1853 and 1870, commissioned by Napoleon III
Versailles
Palace about 35 minutes outside of Paris, built by Louis XIV to be bigger/better than the Louvre palace
L'Opéra Garnier
Paris Opera house- ceiling painted by Marc Chagall, chandelier weighs 6 tons. inspired "The Phantom of the Opera" story
la Place de Vosges
Prestigious 17th and 18th century address, Victor Hugo wrote "Les Misérables" when he lived here. Oldest planned square in Paris, previously called Place Royale
Île de la cité
island of the city- larger of the 2 islands in the middle of Seine river. Where Notre Dame is located.
Le Champ de Mars
large park/open field located in front of the Eiffel tower, on the left bank
le Cimitière Père Lachaise
largest cemetery in Paris. Many famous figures in the arts are buried there, including Chopin, Proust, Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison
Rive gauche
left bank (below the Seine when looking at a map)
L'aéroport Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
major airport of Paris- located outside the city
le Métro
metro- public transportation. There are 16 lines, named by a color & number. The first line opened in 1900 for the World's fair. Several stops have beautiful Art Nouveau entrances.
la Sorbonne
most famous building of the University of Paris
le Musée d'Orsay
museum that used to be a train station
Montmartre
neighborhood of Paris where Sacre Coeur & Le Moulin Rouge are found.
Rive droite
right bank (on top of Seine when looking at a map)
La Seine
river that flows through Paris
les gratte-ciel
skyscrapers- all except for 1 are located outside of downtown Paris, in the business district of La Défense
Île St. Louis
smaller of the 2 islands in the middle of the Seine river
la statue de la Liberté
smaller version of the Statue of Liberty, given as a gift from the US, as a thank you for the original statue of Liberty which was a gift from France to the US in 1885