France

 

France is one of the world’s major centres of arts, commerce, diplomacy, fashion, finance and science. In addition, France is the world’s most visited country and Paris is the world’s most visited city. The French capital features the world’s most visited monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and the Notre Dame de Paris. The Avenue des Champs Elysees is regularly cited as the most beautiful avenue in the world. The Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle are some of the most famous squares in the world. Paris has some of the world’s most famous bridges across the Seine such as Pont Alexandre III, Pont Neuf and Pont d’lena. The theatres, cafes and luxury shops further add to the charm of the city. Many world-famous artists have been infatuated with the French capital and have drawn inspiration from it in their work.

Following my arrival in the French capital, the first destination of my visit has been the Avenue des Champs Elysees. Located in the 8^th arrondissement, it runs between the Place Charles de Gaulle with the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde with the Obelisk of Luxor. The Champs Elysees features theatres, luxury shops and cafes. Located near the Champs Elysees is the Elysee Palace, the official residence of the President of France. The beautiful architecture of the Parisian buildings makes you want to stroll across the Champs Elysees even if you don’t want to shop.

The most important monuments around the Champs Elysees are the Arc de Troimphe at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle and the Obelisk of Luxor at the centre of the Place de la Concorde. The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most famous monuments in the world and honors those who fought and died for France and the names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Underneath the vault of the Arc de Triomphe lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The Place Charles de Gaulle is the most famous square in the French capital as it is the meeting point of twelve avenues which also includes the Avenue des Champs Elysees. On the other end of the Avenue des Champs Elysees is the Obelisk of Luxor which stands at the centre of the Place de la Concorde. Just around the Luxor are the beautiful Fountains de la Concorde which make the largest Parisian square a work of art. Just around the Avenue des Champs Elysees is the Jardin des Champs Elysees, a public park where you can enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of the city.

My next destination in the French capital is the Eiffel Tower. Eiffel Tower is the most-visited paid monument in the world and for me, the experience is incomplete without visiting its summit. visiting the summit of the Eiffel Tower is unlike any other experience. On a cold Parisian morning, the clouds and the drizzle is the weather that I have experienced on my way up to the top of the tower. From the summit, you can enjoy the views of the French capital. Some of the notable landmarks and locations that are viewable from the top of the Eiffel Tower are Pont d’lena which spans across the Seine, Jardins du Trocadero, Palais de Chaillot and the Trocadero all the way up to the skyscrappers of La Defense, the largest Business District in the Europe. The Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais and Sacre Coeur are also visible from the Eiffel Tower. Other notable sights from the Eiffel Tower include Champ de Mars, Tour Montparnasse and Les Invalides.

Paris in the rain is a delight. Walking around the city is the best way to explore the city in detail. The Seine, the cobblestone streets and the iconic monuments make it a memorable experience. Due to my love for the art, a visit to the Louvre is mandatory. The Louvre is the world’s largest museum as well as the world’s most visited museum. The Louvre is also the home to the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci. The iconic painting is the world’s most valuable painting. The exterior of the museum is a sight for the sore eyes as the museum is housed in the Louvre Palace with a large glass and metal pyramid in the center of the courtyard and fountains around it. The large pyramid in the center is surrounded by smaller pyramids. Just opposite to the Pyramids is the Place du Carrousel and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel leading all the way to the Tuileries Garden.

Shopping is very important for me and Paris is famous for its luxury fashion brands. There are many shopping venues in Paris, however, for me, Galeries Lafayette is the perfect shopping venue as you can find almost anything you want under a single roof. The Avenue des Champs Elysees is also an another world-famous shopping venue. Walking around the Champs Elysees is the best way to explore the stores on the famous avenue. Paris is also known as the city of light. I have seen the city at night and it is drop dead gorgeous at night. I have seen the Eiffel Tower lit up on a Paris night among many other beautiful sights. Walking the streets of Paris at night is an enchanting and unforgettable experience.

Paris has many of the world’s best museums and Musee d’Orsay is one of them. Therefore, I have visited the Musee d’Orsay due to my love for art and because it houses the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces by names like Monet, Degas, Cezanne, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Some of my favorite paintings in the Musee d’Orsay are the Starry Night over the Rhone by Vincent Van Gogh and The Card Players by Paul Cezanne. For the lovers of live artistic performances, Paris has Palais Garnier and Moulin Rouge among many other live performance venues. For Disney lovers, Paris has the Disneyland Paris.

The Ile de la Cite is a natural river island in the Seine within Paris. It is the centre of Paris and it features some of the most important Parisian landmarks. As a result of its importance, I have visited it as well. Some of the important landmarks at the Island include the Notre Dame de Paris, one of the most famous cathedrals in the world and one of the finest examples of the French Gothic architecture. The cathedral has been made famous by Victor Hugo’s novel Notre Dame de Paris which has been adapted for film over a dozen times including my childhood favorite Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Other important locations on the Ile de la Cite include Place Dauphine where you can enjoy the beautiful atmosphere while having a coffee with a croissant. Next to the Place Dauphine is Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge across the Seine in Paris.

Montmartre is a hill in the French capital and gives its name to the surrounding district. It has an interesting artistic history as many famous artists have lived and worked in Montmartre including Amedeo Modigliani, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Suzanne Valadon, Piet Mondrian, Pablo Picasso  and Vincent van Gogh. On the top of the hill is Sacre-Coeur, one of the most famous landmarks in Paris. The river cruise remains one of my most unforgettable experiences in Paris as after boarding a Bateau Mouche, I have seen most of the important Parisian landmarks during the cruise such as the Eiffel Tower, Musee d’Orsay, Notre Dame de Paris, Louvre, Les Invalides, Pont Neuf, and Pont Alexandre III. The river cruise is highly recommended by me.