Paris: France

Paris: France
Paris is the capital city of France, as well as the capital of the Île-de-France région, whose territory encompasses Paris and its suburbs. The city of Paris proper is also a département, called Paris département (French: département de Paris).
Paris, together with its suburbs and satellite cities, forms the Greater Paris metropolitan area, with a population estimated at 11.5 million as of January 2004. It is the second largest metropolitan area in Europe (after Moscow, and along with London), and approximately the 20th largest in the world.
Greater Paris metropolitan area, with a total GDP higher than Australia, is the largest financial and business center of Europe (alongside London), harboring more than 30% of France’s white-collar population, as well as more than 40% of the headquarters of French companies, with the largest business district of Europe (La Défense), and the 2nd largest stock exchange in Europe (Euronext).
Known worldwide as the City of Light (la Ville Lumière), Paris has been a major tourist destination for centuries. The city is renowned for the beauty of its architecture, its urban perspectives and avenues, as well as the wealth of its museums. Built on an arc of the River Seine, it is divided into two parts: the Right Bank to the north and the smaller Left Bank to the south.
Formerly the capital of a colonial empire stretching over five continents, Paris is still regarded as the heart of the French-speaking world and has retained a strong international position, hosting the headquarters of the OECD and the UNESCO among others. This, combined with its financial, business, political, and tourism activities, have turned Paris into one of the major transportation hubs in the world. Alongside New York, London, and Tokyo, Paris is among the four most important global cities.
Paris tourist attractions
The River Seine is well known for its tree-lined quais (walks along the river banks), open-air bookstalls and historic bridges that connect the Right and Left banks. Paris is also famous for its tree-lined boulevards such as the Champs-Élysées, and for its many architectural gems.
View from the Montparnasse Tower (Tour Montparnasse) toward the Eiffel Tower. On the right Napoleon’s tomb lies under the golden dome at Les Invalides. The towers of the office and entertainment centre La Défense line the horizon.
Places in Paris one may like to visit:
Monuments and buildings
The Eiffel Tower
Arc de Triomphe – monument at the center of the Place de l’Étoile, commemorating the victories of France and honoring those who died in battle.
Les Invalides – museum and burial place of many great French soldiers, including Napoleon.
The Conciergerie – medieval building; former prison where some prominent members of the ancien régime stayed before their death during the French Revolution
Palais Garnier – home of the Paris Opera, considered by Hitler to be the most beautiful building in the world.
Cathedral of Notre Dame on the Île de la Cité
The Samaritaine Building – department store built at the start of the 20th century
The Sorbonne – the University of Paris, founded in medieval times
Statue of Liberty – a smaller version of the New York City harbor statue which France gave to the United States in 1886.
The Panthéon – beautiful church and tomb of a number of selected great men and women
Sainte-Chapelle – 13th century Gothic palace chapel.
Église de la Madeleine
Place des Vosges – square in the Marais district laid out by Henry IV
Roue De Paris – temporary ferris wheel, installed 1999 to 2003
Flame of Liberty public co-opted temporary memorial for Diana, Princess of Wales
Museums in Paris
The Sacre Coeur, a Roman Catholic basilica.
A Parisian view from the second level of the Eiffel Tower, with Le Dome des Invalides creeping at the horizon, barely past the towering shadow.
Louvre – a huge museum housing many works of art, including the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus de Milo statue.
Musée d’Orsay – an art museum housed in a converted 19th century railway station, contain mainly Impressionist works.
Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg – houses the Musée National d’Art Moderne and a cultural center with a large public library. Famous for its external skeleton of service pipes.
Musée Rodin - a large collection of works by France’s most famous sculptor
Musée du Montparnasse in the former residence of artist Marie Vassilieff at 21 Avenue du Maine, details the history of the great artistic community of Montparnasse.
Musée Cluny, also known as the Musée National du Moyen-Age, houses a large collection of art and artifacts from the Middle Ages, including the tapestry cycle The Lady and the Unicorn.
Musée Picasso, exhibits nearly 3000 pieces of art by Pablo Picasso as well as art from his own personal collection including works by Cézanne and Matisse.
Streets and other areas within Paris
Montmartre – historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur and also famous for the studios and cafés of many great artists.
Champs-Élysées – a famous street, a broad boulevard often clogged with tourists.
Rue de Rivoli – boutiques for tourists
Place de la Concorde – at the foot of the Champs-Élysées, formerly Place de la Revolution, site of the infamous guillotine and the obelisk.
Place de la Bastille – where the Bastille prison stood until the Revolution.
Montparnasse – historic area on the Left Bank, famous for the studios, music-halls, and cafés of artists.
The Statue of Liberty copy on the river Seine in Paris, France. Given to the city in 1885, it faces west, toward the original Liberty in New York City.
Père Lachaise Cemetery – a popular tourist site, it contains the graves of many famous French men and women and those from other countries who came to live in France.
Cimetière de Montmartre
Cimetière du Montparnasse
Cimetière de Passy
Catacombs of Paris
Les Halles – shopping precinct, includes an important metro connection station.
Le Marais – trendy district on the Right Bank with large gay and Jewish populations
List of parks and gardens in Paris
Canal Saint-Martin