Visiting Paris France

There's lots to see in Paris. We first visited in 1996 and have been back a few times. I've posted some pictures and information of some of the popular sites. Click on the places listed for more information and photos.

Arc de Triomphe

Eiffel Tower

Fontaine de Mers

Le Louvre

Notre Dame Cathedral

Obelisk from Luxor Egypt

Palace of Versailles  (actually in Versailles, not far from Paris)

Pont des Arts (Bridge famous for its "love locks")

Roman Paris (Arena, Baths, and artifacts)

Sacré-Couer Basilica/ Montmartre

Seine River  - worth a cruise

Seine River Paris France

If you have time, I recommend a cruise along the Seine River in Paris, France. Several companies offer short river boat tours. There's also riverboat shuttle service with stops near famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower.

Pont des Arts Paris France

Le Pont des Arts is a bridge over the River Seine made famous by romantics who secured locks to the fencing representing their love-- "love locks."

According to a 2015 CNN story, the practice of placing locks on the fence may have started in 2006 as a result of a novel, which became a film. The weight of the locks caused damage as the number of locks reached some 700,000.

Roman Architecture in Paris

An outdoor arena offers evidence of Roman France, or Gaul as it used to be known. The Roman City was called Lutetia. The old main Roman road is not Rue Saint-Jacques.



There's no charge to walk about this area preserved in a residential neighborhood. A little imagination reminds us of times when people watched others engage in deadly combat. Now it's a play area and worth a quick look (Arènes de Lutèce ). It was rediscovered in 1860 by Victor Hugo.








In addition, there's a crypt by Notre Dame, which contains a view of Roman Baths and artifacts. This find is fairly recent (1960s) and was opened in 1980. And it dates to some 2,000 years ago.
















To find the crypt, go to the front of Notre Dame de Paris cathedral. Here's a link to the website http://www.crypte.paris.fr/en/crypt.

Note: As of early 2020, the crypt is closed to the public because of the cathedral fire. I did not see an indication of when it would re-open.

Palace of Versailles France

Gardens at Versailles, March 2012

The palace is open everyday except Mondays at 9:00 am. See the website for details. A free mobile app is available.

The palace is located at Place d'armes, 78000 Versailles France.

There is an entrance fee for adults. See the website for details.

Everyone wants a photo of the Hall of Mirrors.

It's hard to capture the opulence, but here are a few examples of the art inside. By the way, the place is huge so if you want to see a lot, you may need more than a day.

The closest train station is Versailles Château Rive Gauche. The website says it's a 10 minute walk between the palace and the station. Other stations are less than a 20 minute walk.

A view of the gardens from our first visit in October 1996.

Le Louvre Paris France

Le Louvre is a must see museum in Paris. The grand palace, which houses the museum, dates from the 1100s. The palace was the royal residence until 1870. Inside are vast collections of works from ancient civilizations as well as art from the Middle Ages until 1848. See the website for much more detail: louvre.fr

There are special exhibitions and events, which are on the website. The Louvre is closed on Tuesdays as of the date of this post. It is open other days at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 6 or 9:45 p.m. on other days.

There is an entrance fee. Details can be found at the website. It is one of the places included in the Paris Pass.

It is located at 75058 Paris. The close metro is Palais-Royal Musee du Louvre lines 1 and 7

The nearby Tuileries Gardens are open at 7 or 7:30 a.m. depending on the time of year.

Of course, no visit is complete without seeing the Mona Lisa, which can be hard to see when busy.












And there's so much more to see-- a few examples of pictures.















I didn't see enough- I hope to return.

Sacré-Cœur Basilica Paris France

Sacre Couer Paris/ G Sutton 2012

Sacré-Cœur (Sacred heart of Jesus) is a Basilica on Montmartre (Mount of Martyrs) in Paris, France. The hill was an ancient place of worship for Druids and then for the Romans and their gods. Christians also built religious places on this hill.

The current church was built in the 1800s. The official website describes the style as Romano-Byzantine.

In addition to visiting the basilica, the mount offers a variety of eateries, interesting shops along the nearby streets, and great views of the city.

My photos were taken 9 March 2012.

Paris from Montmartre/2012/ G Sutton

Paris view from Montmartre/ 2012/ G Sutton