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Paris, capital of France, also known as the City of Lights, since it was the first city to illuminate its streets. Others call it the City of Love. It is one of the most visited cities in Europe, which has about 20 districts in its urban distribution.
Obviously, you can’t visit all of them in a couple of days. It takes time and a good tour throughout the city because it includes a large number of interesting places to visit, not counting those located on the outskirts of this capital, such as the Disney, palaces (for example, Versailles), castles, gardens, among others.
Paris has a high-quality gastronomy, countless museums, basilicas, perfect places to go shopping, or if you prefer you can choose a park and go for a picnic or you can also sail at night on the Seine River. It really has so much to enjoy that it takes several trips to get to know it.
Aspects to consider if you are going to spend your vacation in Paris:
For example, in the spring the weather is very pleasant, you can go for walks, the parks are full of flowers, airfare costs are cheaper and accommodations have greater availability.
Some interesting activities that take place during this season are: watching the cherry blossom around the Notre-Dame cathedral. Also the event of the vertical of the Eiffel Tower; that is to say, the one who climbs its 1665 steps at the highest speed.
In April the Paris Marathon is held and between the end of this month and the beginning of May the Fair, where you will know the products of everyday life. Also, in mid-May you can enter the museums for free in La nuit des Musées.
In the summer season there are more people, many queues to enter the tourist attractions, although the opening hours are extended. The gardens are filled with picnic activities, in addition, the airfare increases in price and it is advisable to book accommodation well in advance.
Among the typical activities of the season are the open-air cinema performances at La Villete park, as well as the Bastille Day celebration; in June you can have fun at the Throne Fair, an amusement park. Also, between June and July you can attend the Jazz Festival and there are summer sales of up to 80% between July and August.
In the autumn season there are fewer tourists than in the previous season, and therefore the airfare is cheaper. Accommodation can also be booked a few weeks in advance.
Among the typical activities of the season we have the first day of October the famous Autumn Festival, the 1st Saturday of October are the concerts of the Nuit Blanche or White Night, also in the 2nd week of October the Montmartre Harvest Festival; and if you are with your partner nothing better than a beautiful cruise on the Siena River.
In the winter season the temperature drops and oscillates between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius, therefore, few people come in this season, which means that air fares also go down. But accommodations are not so cheap, except for New Year’s Eve.
Among the activities of the season we have in the Grand Palais, ice skating, you can visit the Christmas markets in December at the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, on the Champs Elysees and La Défense. Also on the 31st of the month the celebration at the Arc de Triomphe at the end of the year. Also, until the beginning of January the Merveilleux festival and at the end of January the Paris Fashion Week.
The best places to visit in Paris according to the location of your District: I, IV, V and VII
The I District, also called Louvre or the 1st arrondissement has the largest number of tourist attractions; in addition, it also includes a small part of the Ïle de la Cité. In this area we find the Orangerie Museum, also the Chátelet Theater, the Tuileries Palace, the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, the Tuileries Garden, the Royal Palace, La Conciergerie, the Sainte Chapelle and, of course, the Louvre Museum.
The latter is the most important museum in France, which houses some 300,000 works, composed of many rooms in each wing of the enclosure. It is recommended to dedicate at least 1 full day, due to the vastness of the place. It exhibits different kinds of paintings, ancient sculptures such as Roman, Greek, Egyptian, among others.
In the 4th District Le Marais: it is known as the gay district of Paris. Here we find the Pére-Lachaise Cemetery, the National Museum of Modern Art called Centre Georges Pompidou, the Saint Paul-Saint Louis Church, the Bastille Square, the Hotel de Ville and the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
This cathedral was built between 1163 and 1250 on the initiative of Bishop Maurice de Sully. During the following centuries different areas of the cathedral were modified, rehabilitated and completed, especially in the nineteenth century, because of the French Revolution. In 2019 it suffered a fire that damaged the roof of the enclosure.
In the V District, called Panthéon: it is the oldest and most famous district because it is located in this area the Latin Quarter, visited by many young people due to the good prices of restaurants, nightclubs and bars. In addition, in this area is located the Sorbonne University, the Jardin des Plantes and the Pantheon of Paris. This Pantheon was built between 1764 and 1790.
The purpose was to dedicate it to the memories of women and men who since the Revolution have influenced the history of France. In 1791, the Revolution made it independent of any religious influence and it became the National Pantheon. But then, according to each government it became a religious and then patriotic building, until in 1885 it became the resting place of Voltaire, Marie Curie, Rousseau, among others.
In the District VII or arrondissement du Palais-Bourbon: this district is the result of the expansion of the city in the early nineteenth century; today are located the prestigious, central and prosperous neighborhoods. We can locate in this area the Orsay Museum, the Champs de Mars, the Invalides, the Church of the Miraculous Medal, the Quai Branly Museum, the Army Museum, the Rodin Museum and the Eiffel Tower, a 300 m high structure that was supposed to be temporary, only for the Universal Exhibition in 1889. But it stayed and has been used for experiments on air resistance, for meteorological observations and as a radio antenna. It has remained as the representative symbol of Paris.
The best places to visit in Paris according to the location of your District: VIII, IX, XIV and XVIII
In the VIII District, called arrondissement de l’ Élysée: it is an important district, since the business centers are located and, therefore, it is the place where the residents of Paris work. There are architectural monuments such as the Place de la Concorde, the Champs Elysees, the residence of the President of the country, the Elysée Palace and, of course, the Arc de Triomphe.
This is a monument that in 1806 Napoleon had built to honor the Grand Army, and bears the names of these illustrious men, as well as the tomb of the famous Unknown Soldier. The Arch has many stories of different moments, such as in 1840 the passage of the remains of Napoleon Bonaparte, in 1919 the military parade of the 1st World War, as well as in 1944 that of the 2nd World War.
In the 9th arrondissement, also called arrondissement de l’Opéra: it is located in the heart of Paris, where the famous shopping malls, exclusive brand stores such as Galeries Lafayette and Printemps are located. But there are also buildings such as the Opera Garnier, the Place Pigalle, the Olympia Hall, Musée Gustave Moreau and the Grévin Museum.
The latter is the wax museum of the French capital, with a large area divided into several rooms, where more than 500 figures of important people are exposed not only in France but worldwide, both in the political spheres, such as singers, athletes and actors. The building also has a theater and a belvedere.
In the 14th arrondissement, also called arrondissement de l’Observatoire: that is, the Observatory District, a quiet place but away from the city center and bustle, especially in Montparsse, which is an area of residences. Among the monuments to visit are the Pari’s Observatory, Montsouris Park, Denfer-Rochereau Square, hospital centers and the Catacombs.
These famous Catacombs date back to Roman times, a series of subway tunnels that were the limestone mines used by this population. Today it is one of the cemeteries of Paris, since, at the end of the eighteenth century, the city had many problems with sanitation, and it was decided to make the transfer of about 6,000,000 remains of people to this subway.
In the XVIII district also called arrondissement des Buttes-Montmartre: it is known as the bohemian district, where you can observe the different artists working. Also in this district is located the famous Cabaret Music-Hall, the Moulin Rouge, the Place du Tertre, the Wall of the I Love You and the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur.
This basilica has a Romanesque-Byzantine style. Construction began in 1875 and was completed in 1914, and is located at the level of the Montmartre hill. It was inspired by the construction of the Church of San Marco in Venice. Although it was ready for consecration in 1914, it had to be postponed to 1919 due to the 1st World War.
