The first to fourth arrondissements form the heart of Paris on the Seine River's right bank and include the two Parisian islands. Les Halles was the city's central market, covered in 1183. Read Zola's 1873 novel The Belly of Paris for a timeless picture of this unique setting unfortunately demolished in 1971 and replaced by a huge underground modern shopping center. Chatelet-Les-Halles is the world's largest underground transportation station. It serves three quarters of a million passengers daily. The Louvre Museum annually greets over eight million tourists, the most of any art museum in the word. Besides Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo it contains another four hundred thousand objects. Be sure to see the Tuileries Garden and the Comedie-Francaise. Nearby is the Hotel Ritz, the last stop for Dodi Al-Fayed and Princess Diana before their tragic 1997 demise.
The second arrondissement is home to Paris's remaining glazed commercial arcades. These often beautiful structures are Parisian adaptations of Oriental bazaars and souks that form a miniature city free from noise, traffic, and inclement weather in which window-shopping developed into yet another Parisian art form. They evolved (degenerated) into the suburban shopping center. Visit at least one arcade to get a taste of Paris in the days of old.
The Grand Boulevards form a long arc west to east from the Church of the Madeleine to the Bastille. Once the hangout for Paris's upper crust they still form a distinctive, often lively part of the city. The actual street name changes from Boulevard Madeleine, to five other names and finally to Boulevard St. Denis. Going east the boulevards traditionally get poorer and perhaps more interesting.
The third arrondissement contains the northern sector of the medieval Marais district while the fourth arrondissement contains the livelier southern part. The Marais was marshland first cleared in the Twelfth Century. In the Sixteenth Century the aristocracy built beautiful residences there. The Marais took a real hit when the court moved to Versailles. But luckily enough this area was not highly affected by Baron Haussmann's urban redevelopment. You should see the Carnavalet Museum, devoted to the history of Paris. Paris's oldest square, the Place des Vosges, was built by Henri IV as the Place Royale.
The Ile de la Cite (Cite Island) was already inhabited in the First Century B.C. by a Gallic tribe known as the Parisii who gave their name to the city. Georges Pompidou Centre built in the nineteen seventies near the Halles Market and the Marais contains a library, the National Modern Art Museum with works by Kandinsky, Matisse, Miro, Picasso, and much more. You either love the building or you hate it because of its very distinct (ugly) architecture with pipes on the outside.
Charles de Gaulle spoke from City Hall on August 25, 1944 when Paris was liberated. The rue des Francs-Bourgeois with its many fashion stores is one of the rare Paris streets open on Sunday. Even if you don't regularly tour churches see the French Gothic Notre Dame de Paris on the Ile de la Cite, one of the world's most beautiful churches. Construction took almost two centuries, and frankly was worth it. During the French Revolution, many of its treasures were either destroyed or plundered. Central Paris is home to several historic churches, but if you ask me none of them are in the same league as Notre Dame de Paris.
Four circuits, four different feels
Riding a double-decker offers a couple of advantages in Paris: the upper deck is a great vantage point, and the traffic fumes are not as pungent. The top deck is very pleasant. During rainy days, take shelter inside the bus
The Open Tour operator offers you 4 circuits, each one giving you an opportunity to tour several well-known areas of Paris. The longest tour is called ?Grand Tour?: it takes 2 hours. The ?Montparnasse - Saint-Germain? tour is a very interesting one too.
The operator took care of the language issue: guests are provided with a commentary in 8 languages. But perhaps the best benefit of the Open Tour circuits is to allow you to get off at each stop, visit the area, and board the next Open Tour double-decker with your day pass.
Choosing the ?Grand Tour?
The starting line for the Grand Tour circuit is at the ?Printemps? department store, where you can buy day passes for the ride. The first stop is the Opera Garnier. Recently renovated, the Opera Garnier is a prime example of Second Empire architecture. It hosts the National Ballet Academy where young pre-teen girls walk the hard-labor path in the hope to be eventually awarded the coveted title of ?Star?, a soloist ballerina.
The Open Tour then moves on the Palais Royal Gardens where stand the ?Buren's Columns?. These glorified stumps of black and white concrete are the brainchild of French sculptor Daniel Buren. This work was commissioned by the French government in the early years of Socialist President Francois Mitterrand's first tenure. Some like them; I don't find them particularly attractive in a classical courtyard which predates them by 3 centuries.
The bus then moves to the central courtyard of the Louvre museum where you will admire (or loathe) architect Li Pei's glass pyramid. There again, the contrast between such a modern structure and the classical proportions of the Louvre buildings is open to debate.
Off to Notre Dame Cathedral, across the river Seine, over the Pont Neuf, the medieval bridge built from 1578 to 1604 during the reign of Henri the 4th. You can tour Notre Dame Cathedral, and attend a Catholic mass. For those of you who are in good physical shape, the high towers offer a great view of Paris left bank at the top end of a long and painful flight of stairs. The plaza which lies at the feet of the cathedral has become a stage for street performers.
If you want to continue your tour by the Orsay Museum, the Open Tour double-decker will carry you there right after Notre Dame. Following the left bank of the Seine to the museum is pleasant ride. The museum itself is an old train station which was reconverted during the 80's, and made into a wonderful home for impressionist art.
A little detour will have you cross the Seine again, and land on Concorde Square, a plaza of awesome dimensions. There stands the Louqsor obelisk offered to King Charles X by Egyptian sovereign Mohammad Ali in 1831. Then it's up the Champs Elysees Avenue.
The lower part of Champs Elysees has retained its old charm with dirt sidewalks, and trees. On your left, the ?Petit Palais? and ?Grand Palais? (the ?Small? and ?Large Palaces?) are major exhibition venues. Check out their program, and treat yourself right.
Atop the Champs Elysees stands the Arch of Triumph, a monument commissioned by Napoleon I to celebrate his victory over the Austrian armies at Austerlitz. The four pillars of the large Roman-style structure bear the names of the killing fields where the French tyrant exacted his death toll on European populations.
Around the Arch of Triumph, down a side avenue. The Open Tour bus rides you to the Trocadero, a very large structure built in the Roman style at the end of the 19th century. The Trocadero plaza is one of the two places in Paris from where you get the best full view of the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower is a must-see. The decker goes around it, across the Mars Mall, a vast expanse of grass which extends from the feet the Tower to inside the upper-class 7th district. A fine place to stop at and tour before re-boarding the next Open Tour bus.
The Open Tour home stretch leads you back across the Concorde Plaza, up the Rue Royale and along the upscale chic Rue St Honore. The rich 2-hour tour stops at the gates of the Madeleine Church.
Details of some importance
The Open Tour company offers 1-day and 2-day passes. Those allow you to board and de-board the company's double-deckers at any stop along the tour circuits. Both passes also give you access to take all 4 tours. At ?25 and ?28 respectively, they are excellent value for money. Children's rates are discounted 50% over regular rates. The Open Tour should be a thrill for your teenage kids. That you can board and get off at any stop ensures they won't get bored, or grow impatient.
The website of the operator shows you where to buy your day pass, where to board the bus, and at what time. Type ?open tour Paris? on Google, they come up first.
I leave you on this final note: when you want to see as many sites as possible but feel dead tired after 3 days of walking the streets, the Open Tour double-deckers offer an easy-going way to soak in some more history and architecture. Good deal!
Both Levi Reiss & Phil Chavanne are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Levi Reiss has sinced written about articles on various topics from Touring Italy, Travel and Leisure and Food and Drink. Levi Reiss authored ten computer and Internet books, but would rather drink fine French, German, or other wine, paired with the right foods. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine. Levi Reiss's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
Phil Chavanne has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Cooking Tips and Disease & illness. ***About the Author***As a noted Paris specialist, Phil Chavanne has helped many to make the very best of a trip to the French capital. Find many of the answers you need to prepare your next stay to Paris at. Phil Chavanne's top article generates over 49500 views. to your Favourites.