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60 Things To Do In Paris, France
What
to do in Paris?
51 Fontaine
des Innocents
The Fontaine
des Innocents (Fountain of the Innocents) is named after the church
cemetery "Église des Innocents" which was named
after the innocent children killed in Judea by Herodes. The fountain
is adorned with nymphs, angels and naked, plump little boys with
wings. The fountain was designed by prominent Renaissance architect
Pierre Lescot. Pierre spent most of his life working on the Louvre.
The fountain was created between 1546 and 1549 making it over 450
years old and it is the last remaining Renaissance fountain in Paris.
In 1788 the
Église des Innocents and its cemetery were to be replaced
by a market. The fountain was relocated to the Square des Innocents.
A fourth side was added to the fountain by Augustine Pajou. This
was necessary as there were originally only three sides because
the fountain was set against a wall.
The Fontaine
des Innocents was renovated in 1856 adding the water basins at its
base.
52 (45) Parc
André Citroën
The popular
formal 14 hectare (35-acre) park is named after the old french automobile
manufacturer Citroen . The park is situated on the site of Citroen's
old factory.
The park's
main attraction is its attractive greenhouse pavilions. The fountains
are also popular with children and adults alike.
Parc André
Citroën presides on the banks of the River Seine. The design
is based around artifice, architecture, movement and nature.
53 (67) Bibliothèque
Nationale de France
Bibliothèque
Nationale de France contains the treasures of France’s literary
world. Built in 1996 the glittering new library is quite futuristic
in design which is interesting when you consider its main function
is becoming redundant.
54 (69) Hôtel
de Ville (City Hall)
Built in 1882
the Hôtel de Ville is Paris's city hall by a death square.
The building has hundreds of statues representing famous Parisians
and thirty statues representing French cities. If you look around
the clock at the central tower you'll find some feminine looking
sculptures representing the River Seine, Paris, 'Work' and 'Education'
. The guy statues were out smoking cigars and drinking brandy :)
Tread the
large staircase, gawp at the long Salle des Fêtes (ballroom),
enjoy the painted walls, the stained glass windows and get a stiff
neck looking up at the chandeliers and decorated ceiling.
The square
(Place de Greve) is of bloody interest as most of the executions
in Paris took place here. Beheading, quartering, cooked alive or
burned at the stake. These were gruesome times. In 1792 a more civilised
(?) process was a adopted for the French Revolution. La guillotine.
The executions were given the chop in 1830 and Place de Greve was
renamed Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. Maybe they should have
called it Red Square.
55 (25) Place
de la Bastille
The Place de
la Bastille (Bastille Square) was where the French Revolution was
born. The Square's original function was that of a fort to protect
Paris from the infidel English. Place de la Bastille was completed
in 1382.
Place de la
Bastille had four meter wide walls and eight 22m (72ft) high towers
yet it was successfully stormed and subsequently destroyed by revolutionaries.
The original outline of the fort is marked out by special paving
stones covering the Square. In the centre of the Place de la Bastille
is a 50m column in memory of the victims of the 1830 and 1848 revolutions.
Some of fortress remains can be found in a nearby park.
Behind the
ex-fort you’ll find a marina for pleasure boats and further
south, the Canal Saint Martin.
56 (29) Montmartre
The heart of
Montmartre is Place du Tetre, full of 'quick-draw' artists. A great
spot to see art in the making – quickly.
57 Palmier
Fountain
The large Palmier
Fountain holds court over the Place du Châtelet, an historic
square in the middle of Paris. The Palmier Fountain was built in
1808 to commemorate Napoleon’s numerous lets-get-out-there-and-meet
people exploits.
58 St. James
Tower (Tour St-Jacques) and Pascal
Dating back
to the 16th century the tower is all that remains of a butchers
church (Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie). Yes, no kidding, wealthy French
butchers had their own church.
59 (18) Museum
of Eroticism
Entertaining
and funny. Include in your plans to lighten-up your stay. You are
on holiday after all.
Have some fun
and bring your camera. Think of all the people at home and give
them something to chuckle about when you return.
60 (24) Paris
beach
From July to
August the beach comes to Paris. With the global economy in the
state its in this could catch on. It might also save the planet.
The city beach is located on the bank of the not to be swam in Seine
from Ile St. Louis to the Jardin des Tuileries.
The beach is
a people magnet just like the real thing. It feels a little like
a city park with umbrellas and sand of course.
Watch a wild
Friday summer nights bike ride-parade-street thing happening near
the nearby Hotel de Ville.
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100 Things To Do In Paris, France
