City of Lights Highlights
by Howe Sim,
published in Article Avenue
With a
population of just over 2.15 million people, Paris has far fewer residents than
the world’s other ‘global cities’: London, New York, and Tokyo. Yet the French
capital attracts in excess of 20 million visitors a year, more than any other
tourist destination on the planet. Whether you are drawn to its remarkable
collection of art, its architectural heritage, its fashion houses, or its
famous cafés, there is something in this bustling city for everyone. Most
believe that you need at least a month or two here to develop more than a
passing acquaintance with it. Newcomers can understandably feel overwhelmed by
the number and variety of attractions from which to choose. Here’s my list of Paris’ top 8 must-sees.
Cafes are
great spots for a leisurely lunch and people watching
1. Île de la Cité. This boat-shaped
island on the Seine River, which runs through the centre of Paris, is where the
city was originally founded. In medieval times it functioned as the seat of
religious and political power. Today it
is considered the official geographical centre of the nation, with all highway
distances measured from Kilomètre Zéro located on the eastern end of the
island. Its most popular historic attractions include the Cathédrale de
Nôtre-Dame, Église Sainte-Chapelle, and the Conciergerie.
Nôtre-Dame attracts 10 million visitors
annually, who flock to see its spectacular flying buttresses, the famous
gargoyles perched between the twin towers, and the 9.5 metre-wide stained-glass
windows adorning the north, south and west façades. Admission to the cathedral is free except for a treasury housing
ancient manuscripts and relics, as well as access to its twin towers.
Just west of Nôtre-Dame are the grounds of
the Palais de Justice. The residence and seat of royal power until the 14th
century, it now houses law courts, the small but beautiful church
Sainte-Chapelle, and the former prison Conciergerie. Sainte-Chapelle was
originally constructed by King Louis IX in 1241 as a shrine to house his
relics, including Christ’s alleged crown of thorns, a piece of the cross, and
nails from the crucifixion. The upper chapel is an impressive sight, its walls
consisting of the original 13th century stained glass windows soaring 15 metres
to a star-covered vaulted roof. The windows, separated by stone columns, depict
1,134 Biblical scenes, starting from Genesis through to the Crucifixion.
The upper level
of Sainte-Chapelle is an impressive sight
During the French Revolution, the
Conciergerie achieved infamy as the antechamber to the guillotine, where 2,000
of its prisoners, including Queen Marie Antoinette, were decapitated. Today you can still view the impressive
vaulted Salle des Gens d’Armes, the prison quarters, and the cell where Antoinette
was held.
Guards of the
royal family used to live in this hall in the Conciergerie
2. The Panthéon. Many of France’s
heroes can be found entombed in the magnificent Panthéon, located south of the
Seine in the trendy Latin Quarter.
Interred within the large underground crypts are such notables as noble
laureate Marie Curie, author Victor Hugo, inventor Louis Braille, and writer
Voltaire. The Panthéon’s Roman-inspired façade consists of 22
massive Corinthian columns supporting a portico roof. Equally impressive is the building’s interior, which is made up
of four wings arranged in the shape of a cross, from the centre of which arises
the 10,000-ton 83-metre tall dome.
Hourly tours to the upper level of the dome afford visitors a
spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of Paris.
The interior of
the Pantheon is adorned with large murals
3. Cemetière du Père Lachaise.
Another popular Paris landmark where the French honor their dead is the
prestigious Cemetière du Père Lachaise. First established by Napoleon in 1803,
it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The grounds, which
occupy a sprawling 44 hectares, hold an estimated one million graves. Among
those buried here are French novelist Marcel Proust, Irish playwright Oscar
Wilde, Polish composer Frédéric Chopin, and legendary singer Jim Morrison of
The Doors. Maps are posted around the
cemetery to help visitors locate the more popular graves, and more detailed
maps can be purchased at the entrances to the grounds.
4. Musée du Louvre. No trip to
Paris would be complete without at least a brief visit to the Musée du Louvre,
the world’s largest and most visited museum. Originally built as a fortress in
1190 to protect Paris against Viking attacks, it was home to kings and emperors
until it was converted into a museum during the French Revolution. One of its recent and most controversial
additions was the central courtyard’s glass pyramid, designed by architect I.M.
Pei, which now serves as the main entrance to the museum.
The Louvre’s
main courtyard is a popular stop for tourists
Alternate entrances, to help avoid the
often long lines at the pyramid, include the underground shopping mall
Carrousel du Louvre and the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre Métro station. One can also purchase Le Carte Musées et
Monuments (Museums and Monuments Pass), which allows you priority access via
the Passage Richelieu as well as entry to some 70 other city attractions. We limited ourselves to a mere three hours
at the Louvre, and only quickly skimmed through such highlights as da Vinci’s
Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the opulent Napoleon III apartments. A true museum buff could easily spend a week
wandering through all its magnificent galleries (which display only a fraction
of the museum’s pieces), and still barely scratch the surface of it.
The glass
pyramid is in stark contrast to the surrounding Renaissance architecture
5. Musée d’Orsay. While the Louvre
generally features works from 10th century France to the mid-1800s,
later French art (1848-1914), including one of the best Impressionist
collections in the world, is displayed in the nearby Musée d’Orsay. Housed in a
former railway station, d’Orsay attracts many visitors simply because of its
magnificent old façade and arched glass roof.
Crowds flock here to see Whistler’s Mother, Van Gogh’s canvases, and of
course Monet’s famous Blue Waterlilies.
The Musee
d’Orsay is housed in a stunning former railway station
6. Avenue des Champs-Élysées. One
of the world’s most famous promenades, the Champs-Élysées stretches from the
Place de la Concorde in the east to the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, at
the center of which 12 busy avenues converge on the Arc de Triomphe. It is on this wide thoroughfare that
Parisians celebrate national events such as military parades and funeral
processions. The promenade is home to the President of France, embassies and
consulates, upscale shops, and five-star hotels. Unfortunately, the Champs-Élysées is also now littered with movie
theatres, fast food joints, and car showrooms.
The view from
the top of the Arc de Triomphe is breathtaking
7. Tour Eiffel. On most days, you
can easily see the Tour Eiffel from the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Once the world’s tallest structure, the
Tower remains one of the most distinctive symbols of Paris. Built as a temporary attraction for the 1889
Universal Exhibition, it was fiercely denounced by critics but saved from
demolition because of its utility as a radio tower. For those not willing to
wait in long lineups to take the elevator to the viewing gallery 247 meters
above ground, there are stairs that will let you climb to the 57-metre-high
first level and then to the 115-metre-high second level. The panoramic view
from either of these levels is still spectacular. If possible, visit the Tower in the evening, when it is
illuminated for 10 minutes every hour.
The Tour Eiffel
is invariably packed with tourists
8. Montmartre District. If your
schedule allows, consider spending half a day in the Montmartre district of
Paris. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was home to artists such
as Picasso, Dali, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas, and Manet. Today the area is alive with quick portrait artists and souvenir
stalls. It does however retain some of its old village charm, with its narrow
winding cobblestone streets and small terraces. Armies of tourists climb the hill for the magnificent view of
Paris from the Basilique Sacré-Coeur. Other popular attractions here include l’Espace
Salvador Dali (www.daliparis.com), where some 300 of the Spanish surrealist’s
works are on display, as well as the Musée de Montmartre, which features the
work of artists formerly living there.
Sacre-Coeur as
seen from a cobblestone street in Montmartre