Paris is busy with historic attractions, must-see sights and staggering achievements in architecture, town planning and structural engineering. Not only is France's capital city a venerated cultural hub of Europe, it is a bustling business and commerce centre, all of which offers visitors to Paris a unique fusion of ancient and modern, but remains vital to young and old alike.
When planning a trip to Paris, you could find setting an itinerary helpful. A great place to begin is on the Champ de Mars, where you'll find the spectacular Eiffel Tower. Situated by the Seine, the Eiffel Tower is an ideal starting point from which you can discover Paris's bohemian Rive Gauche. Designed by Gustave Eifel, the Tower is cast wholly of iron; its design reaches 324 metres in height and commands the use of 2.5 million rivets, all of which combines to create a design so iconic - it stands as an image of France around the world.
Towering above the Paris skyline, the Eiffel Tower is hard to miss. It's an exceptionally popular attraction, welcoming millions of visitors each year. Access is ticketed, with the first and second levels reachable by stairs and lifts, whilst the third tier can be reached by lifts alone. It is important to remember that queues will be long, but the view across the city is worth it from any level of the Tower. It boasts two restaurants; one Michelin-starred, and even if you don't climb the Tower, marvelling at the lace lattice of its structure and enjoying the surrounding gardens is a pleasure in itself.
The Left Bank (La Rive Gauche) is steeped in culture, and a literary tour of Parisian cafes, shops and cemeteries can be an enlightening afternoon endeavour. Discover Paris's beat generation and their dining and drinking haunts around the side alleys and streets of the city's romantic 14th arrondissment. Here, artists, authors and poets communed to create along Rue de Rennes, Boulevard Saint-Germain, Saint-Michel and Montparnasse. In fact, Rimbaud, Hemingway and Sartre, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso and Man Ray were all inspired by Paris. What's more, in Montparnasse Cemetery you'll find the final resting place of Paris's cultural society, including Ginsberg, Kerouac and Burroughs, Baudrillard, Sartre and De Beauvoir.
Deeper into the Left Bank, you can discover the regal splendour of the Palace of Versailles. A stunning example of French classic architecture and design, this Royal Chateau has been home to many of France's most renowned rulers, including Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette. The Palace is situated roughly 20km from central Paris and has been exquisitely restored and protected.
If your time in Paris is coming to an end, certainly consider the Louvre. While the city itself is synonymous with art and culture, never more so is it distilled than in the vast Louvre Palace. Situated on the Right Bank (La Rive Droite), in the 1st arrondissment, the Louvre today houses some of the world's most famous works of art, across a variety of disciplines, from paintings and sculpture to artefacts.
The Musee du Louvre displays 35,000 works of art across a staggering 60,600 sq metres, and in some of the most ornate and beautiful gallery spaces in the world. Planning is key when visiting the Louvre - you could, quite literally, be there for days. Identify what exhibits you'd like to visit and make your way to the according wing; there are three wings - the Denon, Sully and Richelieu. Choose from Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, Etruscan and Roman Antiquities, Islamic Art, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Paintings and Prints and Drawings. The museum is always popular with tourists and absorbed some 8.5 million visitors in 2008 alone.
As you can see, when on a short break to Paris, the better you plan, the more you can get out of your trip. Therefore, as well as considering the time of arrival from your flights to Paris, you could also easily arrange your hotel or B&B convenient to your itinerary, leaving you free to unwind and enjoy the pleasure of exploring Paris.
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