Une Promenade en Paris

The city of lights. The city of love. The city of my dreams. Only one place in the world meets the criteria for all three: Paris, France. I have been blessed to have visited my favorite city three times, with many more visits in the future {I hope!}. I’ve been to some of the top monumental sights in this beautiful city, but would you believe I haven’t seen it all? I’ll share what I believe are some of the must see sights!

Eiffel Tower:

The most iconic site of Paris is definitely the Eiffel Tower. I saw that on each trip there. The first time I saw it, it was a variance of emotions. In movies and pictures, it looks like an elegant structure straddling the Seine River; however, when I saw it in person, I was speechless. At first, I was disappointed. My initial thought was that it looked like a giant tower of metal reaching for the sky. There wasn’t anything pretty or majestic about this. I think seeing it at night changed my mind. With the amber lights glowing through the beams, it is a magnificent sight to behold. Starting at 10:00pm and lasting until 12:00pm, on the hour, the Tower will twinkle for five minutes. After seeing that, I fell in love. So my advice here is, definitely make the time to see the Eiffel Tower both during the day, and at night. It could make the whole difference in the world. As it did in my case.

Notre Dame:

Notre Dame is one of, if not THE, most well-known church in Paris. The first time I visited this marvelous church, it was during a bread festival. A massive white tent was set up just outside the church grounds, and inside were various types of breads. It was pretty cool and pretty delicious. There was a guy sitting outside the tent, feeding the cute little birds and he taught us which bread they preferred, and how to hold it so that they would come to you. Back to the church, we waited in the long line to go inside, and it was definitely worth it. It’s breathtakingly beautiful inside; although, I have come to find most cathedrals/churches in Europe are all so. The attention to detail is exquisite. The heightened ceilings. The stain-glass windows. All incredible. The outside is just as magnificent. Gargoyles sit at attention, watching and waiting. Figurines line the doors at all angles. Words cannot even describe the beauty of this place. Just go visit!

Sacré-Cœur:

This is my favorite church in Paris. It sits on top the hill of Montmartre. Its pristine white walls gleam night and day. There are steps to climb all the way up, or you can take the funicular up. I walked up all those 270 (or 300) steps to reach the beautifully planted church. To say that inside is massive, I feel, would be a massive understatement. I felt like an ant while I was in there. Everything is so big! The ceilings are so tall! Services are still held here, and I had the pleasure of attending one. Of course it was conducted in French, but to my surprise, I understood what was going on for the most part. That was really cool! I would definitely attend this church again. And oh, don’t get me started on the view of the city from this hill. Even on a cloudy day, the view is SPECTACULAR!

Montmartre:

Moulin Rouge. Cute cafes. Cobblestones. Boutiques. Authentic French food. Everything you will find in Montmartre. I think Montmartre is a perfect place to fully immerse yourself in the French culture. Stop by one of the many cafes to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee and to munch on a delicious pastry. Spend some time enjoying the hustle and bustle of the hill. Climb to the top – take in the view. I like to take a step back, and just watch everything happen…it’s almost magical! But that could just be me 🙂

The Catacombs:

I am ever so thankful I never watched that scary movie about the Paris Catacombs before I decided to visit the real deal. At times it did get a little creepy down there. Waiting in line was longer than I expected, but there’s only a certain number of people allowed to go in at a time, and after going down, I completely understood why. You’re underground with a one directional flow of traffic. Too many people down at the same time would cause the tunnels to become crowded, and definitely not enjoyable. At first it’s easy to forget why you’re down there, but once you see the first skull, it’s so surreal. You enter and pass through a short museum first, before you start your trek through the tunnels. Although there are endless routes, there is only one available to the public. You see skulls and bones, sometimes arranged in a design. I’d definitely recommend the Catacombs, although reading up on it beforehand may enhance the experience!

The Louvre:

First off, don’t ever think that you can walk from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower. Just because the Tower looks close, does not mean it’s within walking distance. Trust me on this one. Speaking from personal experience. Secondly, don’t ever think you can see this museum in one day, let alone several hours. You need multiple days to appreciate the Louvre in all its entirety. The more days you have to dedicate to it, the better. There are days/times where entry is free, so make sure you check that out. When I visited the Louvre, I did not realize how big it is. One of the entrances is a triangular prism lit with red lights. You descend down into the museum via escalators and then you’re on your own. They offer maps, and they have security guards. Use both to your advantage. Even with both resources at our disposal, my group ended up lost on more than one occasion. So much walking would be an understatement. We walked so much and didn’t even cover a fourth of the museum, but I did manage to chaff my legs. Learn from my experience. Wear comfortable clothes. Wear comfortable shoes. Dedicate a day {or better yet, days} for this breathtaking museum.

Arc de Triomphe:

The Arc de Triomphe is located in this massive roundabout in the middle of the street. If anyone ever attempted to walk from the sidewalk to the Arc, I’m sure they were or would be definitely hit by a car. The cars were flying across the unmarked roads, so how they moved as to not hit one another, I cannot tell you. But what I can tell you is to safely view the Arc, you should stand on the sidewalk and if you’d like to see it up close and personal, for a fee, you can.  There is a walk way underneath the street that can lead you directly to the Arc, should you pay to go up, or conveniently across the street.

Versailles:

Although Versailles isn’t technically located in Paris, it’s close enough to take a day trip. Experiencing this palace is parallel to no other {that I’ve experienced}. Opulent is what comes to mind if I had to describe the château in one word. I could not do the palace any justice in any attempts to describe the grand staircases, the ornate rooms, or the lavish gardens located just behind. The Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, is magnificently beautiful. I’ve had the chance to tour Versailles twice, and I don’t think it’s enough. There’s so much to see, so much walking to do, and so much history to absorb. If you have the time, definitely check out this palace.

 

Have you been to Paris? Where did you travel, and what did you think? What would your recommendation be for my next trip? If you haven’t been to Paris, do you ever want to go? Why or why not? Please share…I’d love to hear from you!