Paris has many nicknames, but its most famous is ‘The City of Light’ (La Ville-lumière), a name it owes both to its fame as a center of education and ideas and its early adoption of street-lighting. The name Paris derives from that of its inhabitants, the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. The city was called Lutetia (more fully, Lutetia Parisiorum, “Lutetia of the Parisii”), during the first- to sixth-century Roman occupation, but during the reign of Julian the Apostate the city was renamed Paris.
Outside Opera Train Station
A guy and his dogs along the streets of the city
Public Street Toilets
The sanisettes come in several styles, but all have the same basic design: You press a button (or, in some cases, insert a coin) to open the door, and when you step inside, a sensor in the floor causes the door to close and lock. You do your business, then open the door and exit. The door closes again, the toilet is automatically cleaned and disinfected by a motorized mechanism, and a green light signals that the lavatory is ready for the next user.
Saint Michael’s Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris was one of the first Gothic cathedrals, and its construction spanned the Gothic period. Its sculptures and stained glass show the heavy influence of naturalism, giving them a more secular look that was lacking from earlier Romanesque architecture.
Kelvyn by the staue of Saint Joan of Arc.
La Grande Roue
The big wheel as many call it was built for the millennium celebrations in 1999 and was suppose to stay at the Place de la Concorde for only a year. That one year turned into two and was cause for much controversy when the owner Marcel Campion refused a judge’s order to have the wheel taken down.
Jardin des Tuileries
The garden is surrounded by the Louvre (to the east), the Seine (to the south), the Place de la Concorde (to the west) and the Rue de Rivoli (to the north). It occupies an area of 25 hectares and was commissioned by Catherine de Médicis but the present layout of the formal garden (1664) is attributable to Le Nôtre.
Musee Du Louvre
Originally a royal fortress and palace built (12th century) for Philip II, le Musée du Louvre is an immense complex of buildings erected in Paris over a span of four centuries. Most of the structures that constitute the museum follow the French Renaissance style of the architect Pierre Lescot, who in 1546 was commissioned by King Francis I to erect what is now the west wing of the complex.
The Louvre Pyramid (Pyramide du Louvre) is a large glass and metal pyramid, surrounded by three smaller pyramids, in the main courtyard of the Louvre Palace (Palais du Louvre) in Paris. The large pyramid serves as the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Completed in 1989, it has become a landmark of the city of Paris.
The Seine
A major river of North Western France and one of its well-known commercial waterways, plus a great tourist attraction, especially within the city of Paris. Dating back to when the Parisii tribe first established a fishing village along its banks, the waters of the River Seine have always been the heart and soul of Paris.
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel’s was unanimously chosen.
Arc de Triomphe
Napoléon’s Triumphal Arch was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his victories, but he was ousted before the arch was completed. In fact, it wasn’t completed until 1836 during the reign of Louis-Philippe. The Arc de Triomphe is engraved with names of generals who commanded French troops during Napoleon’s regime. The design of the arch by Jean Chalgrin is based on the Arch of Titus in Rome. The Arc de Triomphe is much higher (50m versus 15m), but it has exactly the same proportions.
