The finest Luxury Hotels in Paris..
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Luxury Hotels in Paris
The Hilton, Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and
InterContinental Paris.
Hotels near Hyde Park, Park Lane, Picadilly.
Paris Hotels and Travel Guide
Paris Tourist Attractions
Hotel Ritz Paris near Rue de Rivoli
Paris vacations can satisfy your needs of a holiday in many ways. For some holidaymakers it is the city of romance, as in the sense the famous photo of Doisneau when the two loving embrace in eternity. Others visitors consider the French capital as a melting pot for writers and artists. Some short city breakers see it as Europe’s hot spot for shopping with the numerous clothing, perfume and jewelry shops. Young travelers might head for Paris for its exciting nightlife, red light district and Europe’s biggest Salsa/Meringue and Hip Hop scene. Although the Parisian’s have a reputation of being simply snobbiest and arrogant, your first trip to the French metropolis might surprise you. Knowing where to go and what to do makes it highly unlikely to experience a disappointing vacation. Is it the city’s history, architecture, culture or the worlds biggest art museum to only name a few highlights that make Paris such a fascinating travel destination.
The metropolis is divided by the Seine into two parts, the Rive Droite (rights banks) north of the Seine and the Rive Gauche (left banks) south of the river. The capitals centre is of manageable size only ten by eleven kilometers and many of the city’s attractions can easily be reached on foot or via the Metro which is part of the excellent public transportation network. Orientation becomes easy since the city is divided into 20 Arrondissements (Arrondissements = districts or quarters). This straightforward structure runs spiraled and starts at de la CIT in the center and ends at Porte de Montreuil in the east. You can get a little map for free at any Metro station or local L’Office de Tourisme (Tourism Office).
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Sightseeing in Paris
Park Hyatt Paris on Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré near the Louvre
The Louvre is the largest museum of the world and with its 19 hectares comprehensive exhibition floors attracts more than five million visitors annually. The museum lies centrally, between the Jardin des Tuileries, the Forum and Notré Dame. In 1989 a new entry was built, of glass in the form of a pyramid which gives the Louvre a well known characteristic status.
The pyramid, the Louvre entrance, was designed by an American-Chinese architect called Ieoh Ming Pei. At the beginning it was laughed at as a “greenhouse”. Today it is considered the symbol of the new image of the Louvre.
The Louvre was in bad condition at the beginning of the eighties, however has been completely restructured. The monument stands unprotected from wind and weather which is unfortunate for tourists when joining the queue to buy a ticket. Visiting the Louvre Museum is a very popular thing to do for many Paris lovers particularly when it rains. The visitors are directed underground in different directions. Around the central entrance hall the tourist will find service facilities such as book shops, restaurants, souvenir shops, trendy clothing accessory and fashionable shops, first aid stations, baby changing tables and baggage deposits.
The oldest mention of the Louvre has been took place around the 1200 century as the king’s castle was built. The building of today's complex was from 1515 to 1547 under Franz the I. and his successor Heinrich II. who continued these efforts until 1559. Katharina de' Medici continued to build until 1563. After the French revolution in 1793 the former palace, where until 1682 the French kings resided, was turned into the central museum of art in France. The paintings and collections of the King were housed already in these premises, which now became accessible to the public and hence grew into one of the most famous tourist attractions for art lovers in the world.
Over 300,000 pieces are held in the Louvre Museum. The most well-known is certainly the painting Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. In 1804 Napoleon donated his bedroom painting to the Louvre Museum. Some further art attractions are: The Venus of Milo (statue), Erasmus of Rotterdam, Napoléons I. (of Louis David), (sculpture of Guillaume Coustou), and the Slave (sculpture of Michelangelo).
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