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About Paris |
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Paris is truly the heart of France and is a very easy to explore making
it a shoppers paradise. It's size not only makes it easier to compartmentalise,
it also lends itself to walking, you to really get to know Paris properly.
With Paris as France's capital, it is possible to make day trips to
many historic places. Frequent trains from Paris make these tourist
sites inexpensively accessible.
A part of it's charm is its reluctance to change, Bercy Village, a
new complex of bars, shops and a multi-screen cinema, is proving very
popular, whereas Belleville, traditionally a working-class area, is
increasingly attracting the new bohemians.
Paris's Métro system celebrating its centenary and still remarkably
efficient and with the Parisian bus system are both easy to use, The
river Seine continues to be the lifeblood of the capital and a trip
along the river is an ideal way to take in many of the sights.
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Places to visit in Paris |
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Eiffel Tower
This is Paris' famous landmark, built in 1889 and 300 m (984 ft.)
high.
Arc de Triomphe
This arch was built to commemerate Napoléon's Great Army. It
is found at the top of the Champs-Elysées.
Champs Elysées
An avenue aiming toward the Arc de Triomphe.
Notre Dame Cathederal
A masterpiece of gothic architecture, well worth a visit.
Invalides
This is a major dome of Paris where Napoleon's ashes are found.
Place de la Bastille
This is the landmark of the French Revolution, today, hosting the
new Opéra.
La Madeleine
A Neo-Greek temple ordered by Napoleon in homage to its Great Army.
Place des Vosges, Le Marais
A famous early 17th century square with some of the most beautiful
parisian apartments in the middle of a middle-age district.
Palais Royal
was originally a stately manor and has been lovingly restored to its
original late 18th-century format.
Palais Royal
It is famous for its gardens where revolutionary plots all started,
today they are a haven of peace next to the Louvre.
Panthéon
This late 18th century neo-classical temple host the remains of french
great men.
Disneyland Paris
This is the largest and most well known theme park of Europe.
Parc Asterix
Here, you can meet Astérix and Obélix in this leisure/theme
park north of Paris.
Basilique Saint-Denis
This is a gothic church , the resting place of a number of french
kings.
Stade de France
This masterpiece of modern architecture was built for the 1998 football
World Cup with 80,000 covered seats.
Bibliothèque Nationale de France
The French National Library dating back to 1368, housing the largest
collection of maps in the world along with 12 million printed works
and 250 000 manuscripts.
Paris Zoo
A major Zoo with around 1,200 animals.
Jardin d'Acclimatation
This is the oldest zoo of Paris going back to mid 19th century, now
a children's leisure park.
Thoiry African Reserve
Found in the surroundings of an elegant Renaissance castle, it's is
the first african game reserve to be found out of Africa.
Cathédrale de Chartres
A delightful piece of gothic architecture.
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Facts on Paris |
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Population: 2.2 million
Time Zone: GMT/UTC plus 1 hour
Electricity: 110v
- Paris, the largest city proper of continental Europe and the
capital of France, is over 2,000 years old.
- The city has a total area of 41 square miles (105 square kilometres),
if the two big parks at either extremity are included, and 34
square miles without them.
- 250 BC Lutétia founded on the Ile de la Cité
by a Celtic tribe, the Parisii.
- Paris now ranks as the 4th biggest market in the world, attracting
large numbers of foreign dealers
- Banks open every day, mostly from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m., except
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
- Paris also has 2,150 cash machines, open 24 hours a day, 7
days a week which accept international cards.
- Paris has won the vaunted title of the world's most popular
location for international meetings. With 332 conferences, Paris
outstrips Vienna and Brussels.
Financial
- 400 stock exchange companies
- 400 foreign banks and financial institutions
- 1,500 bank branches, i.e. one branch per 1,400 inhabitants.
Travel
- With 14 Tube lines, 58 bus routes and 4 RER (regional train)
lines, the Paris system will get you across the capital for a
very competitive price.
- The maximum speed limit on motorways is 130 kilometres per hour
(110 kilometres per hour in rainy weather) and 90 kilometres per
hour on other roads, 80 kilometres per hour on ring roads and
50 kilometres per hour in built-up areas.
- At stations and airports, close to busy roads and at the 470
taxi ranks throughout Paris. There are around 14,900 taxis in
Paris
Culture & Entertainment
- The Eiffel Tower, built for the International Exposition of
1889 is 989-foot (300 metres) tall with another 56 feet (20.75
metres) when television transmission was added. When the weather
is clear, from the three platforms you can see for 50 miles.
- Notre Dame Cathedral took nearly 200 years to build.
- Paris offers 3 opéra houses, 141 theatres, 134 museums, 17 music
conservatories, 343 cinemas, many concert halls.
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Useful Contacts |
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Tourist Information
British Embassy
35, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75383 Paris cedex 08
Tel : +33 (1) 44 51 31 00
Customs Information
23 bis, rue Université, 75007 Paris
Tel : +33 (1) 40 24 65 10
Lost or stolen credit cards
American Express - Tel : +33 (1) 47 77 72 00
Diner's Club - Tel : +33 (1) 49 06 17 50
Master/EuroCard - Tel : +33 (1) 45 67 84 84
Visa - Tel : 08 36 69 08 80 (2,23 FRF per minute)
Mastercard International (emergency service for international visitors)
33, av Maire, 75015 Paris
Tel : 08 00 90 13 87 (toll free number)
Transport
Motorway Information: +33 (1) 47 05 90 01 www.autoroutes.fr
Info Route (traffic up-date): +33 (1) 48 99 33 33
Public transport system (subway and buses): 08 36 68 77 14 (Premium
Rate)
SNCF Railway Enquiries( Paris region): +33 (1) 53 90 20 20
Eurostar: 08 36 35 35 39 (Premium) www.sncf.fr
Emergency Numbers
Adult's Burn center: +33 (1) 42 34 17 58
Anti-Poison Center: +33 (1) 40 05 48 48
Children's Burn unit: +33 (1) 44 73 62 54
Dental emergency: +33 (1) 43 37 51 00
Doctors (24 - hour house calls): +33 (1) 47 07 77 77
Fire brigade: 18
Police: 17
Public Ambulance Service: +33 (1) 45 13 67 89 SAMU
24 hour medical emergencies: 15
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History of Paris |
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Paris was first known as the Parisii, founded towards the end of the
3rd century BC. In 52 BC, Julius Caesar's legions took control and
the settlement became a Roman town. Christianity was introduced in
the 2nd century AD in the 5th century, the arrival of the Franks took
over the Roman reign. In 508 AD, the king at that time made Paris
his capital, the capital of what as then, Gaul.
,The construction began on the cathedral of Notre Dame in the 12th
century, which took nearly 200 years to build, while the Marais area
north of the Seine was drained and settled to become what's known
today as the Right Bank. The Sorbonne opened its doors in 1253, the
beautiful Sainte Chapelle was consecrated in 1248 and the Louvre,
around 1200, was built as a riverside fortress.
Vikings from Scandinavia began raiding France's western coast in the
9th century and after 300 years of conflict, they started to push
toward Paris. Then proceeded the Hundred Years War between Norman
England and Paris' Capetian dynasty, eventually resulting in 1415,
the French defeat at Agincourt, after which the English took control
of Paris in 1420. In 1429, Jeanne d'Arc re-rallied the French troops
to defeat the English at Orléans, and, except Calais, the English,
in 1453 were expelled from France.
Around the 1400s, Italian Renaissance helped the many of the city's
signature buildings and monuments which sprang up during the period.
In the late 16th century, Paris was again fighting, a rebellion between
the Huguenots (French Protestants supported by England) and the Catholics.
It was Louis XVI who's rule led to an uprising of Parisians on 14
July 1789 and the storming of the Bastille prison, the start of the
French Revolution In 1799 under a young general, Napoleon Bonaparte,
who adopted the title First Consul. In 1804, he was crowned Emperor
of the French, and Napoleon proceeded his European campaign. He left
France with the national legal code, which bears his name, and monuments
such as the massive neoclassical Arc de Triomphe.
From 1851 under the rule of Napoleon III, within 17 years, he oversaw
the construction of a flashy new Paris, with wide boulevards, sculptured
parks as well as a modern sewer system. Due to an defeat in a war
with the Prussians in 1870, the citizens of Paristook to the streets,
demanding that a republic be created.
This Third Republic took Paris into the glittering belle époque (beautiful
age), with its famed Art Nouveau architecture and a barrage of advances
in the arts and sciences. By the 1920s and 1930s, Paris had become
a worldwide centre for the artistic avant-garde Paris was under Nazi
occupation of 1940, and Paris remained under Germany' control until
25 August 1944 when the Allied forces that retook the city.After the
war, Paris regained its position as an important creative influence
in europe.
During the 1980s, under President François Mitterand, a series of
costly building projects were undertaken, like the Centre Pompidou
and the glass pyramids in the Louvre. In the late 1990s, Paris dominated
the international spotlight with two front-page events- The auto-accident
death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in August 1997 and France's first-ever
World Cup victory in July 1998.
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