Walking tour of the historical center of Paris. History of Paris. Paris district - Champs Elysees - Élysée

Historical center of Paris

You can start your walk from Concorde Square, which was once a place of executions. Further along the Tuileries Park, through the Louvre, to the Pont des Arts, we will see the arrow of the Ile de la Cité and the place of execution of the last Master of the Templar Order.

We will see the oldest Parisian bridge and a monument to the founder of the Bourbon dynasty. Let's admire the magnificent Paris City Hall and the latest inventions of the city mayor - here is an ice skating rink, a tennis court, an exhibition. Next - to the Ile de la Cité, to the most important monument of Paris - Notre Dame Cathedral.

Let's make a wish at Kilometer Zero. Then we will stroll through the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter. Boulevard San Michele will lead us to the Roman Baths and the Museum of the Middle Ages. Next is the Sorbonne, the Pantheon. If you wish, we will take a walk through the Muftard quarter, where Hemenguey lived, and take a look at the ancient Roman arenas of Lutetia.

We will definitely go through the Luxembourg Gardens, where we will see the Medici palace and fountain. It’s difficult to finish a tour of the center - then you can walk along the streets of the heroes of “The Three Musketeers”, go to the Church of San Sulpice, and look at the Line of the Roses.

Starting point of the tour - Concorde Square

- the capital of France, an important cultural, political, financial center, which received the title of one of the most romantic cities in the world. The number of residents of Paris reaches 2 million, and together with the districts exceeds 12 million people.

Guests of the city are attracted by the historical and cultural heritage, wine lovers by exquisite French wine, gourmets by world-famous restaurants. Paris is also an important city in the fashion world, with the most famous designer brands concentrated here.

Paris was founded by the Gauls around 250 BC. Since 1991, the historical center of Paris has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The main attractions of Paris

Eiffel Tower. The famous metal structure was meant to be only a temporary structure, but has become a symbol of Paris. The 324-meter-high tower was erected in 1889 to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution.

Triumphal Arch. The arch was erected by order of Napoleon Bonaparte in honor of the French victory in the Battle of Austerlitz. There is an observation deck at the top of the monument.

Champs Elysees. The most famous street in Paris is home to a huge number of restaurants, cafes and shops.

Ile de la Cité. In the 3rd century BC, the river island of Cite was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of Parisians, from whose ethnonym the name of the city, Paris, came. The western part of the island is connected to the mainland by the oldest bridge in Paris, built in 1578. Ironically, the bridge is called Pont Neuf, or New Bridge.

Center Pompidou. The Georges Pompidou Center for Art and Culture hosts a variety of cultural events. The facade of the building looks rather strange - all the technical structures are on display.

Tuileries Garden. In the Tuileries Park there was a royal palace, burned by the Communards at the end of the 19th century.

Luxembourg Garden. Public park in the center of Paris. The park houses the Luxembourg Palace, which was built for the widow of Henry IV, Marie de Medici, and now houses the French Senate.

Palace of Chaillot. The palace, built in 1937, houses several museums. In the Museum of Man you can get acquainted with the evolution of homo sapiens, and in the Museum of the Fleet - with the everyday life of French sailors.

Place de la Concorde. At the end of the 18th century, there was a guillotine on this square, which at that time bore the name of the Revolution. Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were executed here. Later, the square was renamed and an obelisk was erected on it - a gift from Egypt.

Place de la Bastille. It was here that the famous fortress was located, destroyed during the Great French Revolution.

La Défense. Modern quarter, business center of Paris.

Montmartre . For several centuries Montmartre has been a mecca for artists. In this quarter, it is worth visiting the Montmartre Museum, as well as the Salvador Dali Museum, which houses a collection of more than 300 works by the artist. The famous Moulin Rouge is also located here.

The main museums and galleries of Paris

Louvre. One of the greatest museums in the world, uniting under its roof the works of outstanding artists, sculptors, ancient finds, and royal relics of France.

Picasso Museum. The museum of the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso is located in a 17th-century castle. Picasso spent most of his life in France.

Rodin Museum. In this museum you can see the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin.

Orangerie Museum . Art gallery on Place de la Concorde. The museum's collection includes paintings by impressionists and post-impressionists.

Orsay Museum. The Museum of Fine and Applied Arts, housed in the building of a former railway station. The Musée d'Orsay presents works by artists and sculptors who worked in the 19th-20th centuries.

Churches of Paris

Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. The most famous Parisian church, glorified by Victor Hugo in the novel Notre-Dame de Paris. Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 and lasted 200 years.

Sainte-Chapelle. Gothic church built in 1248 by order of Louis IX. During the Revolution, the Sainte-Chapelle church served as a barn.

Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The oldest church in Paris, built in 558. At the end of the 18th century it was destroyed by fire, but then rebuilt again.

Basilica of Sacré-Coeur. The snow-white church in the Roman-Byzantine style was built in the 20th century and is located in Montmartre.

Your stay in Paris is very dependent on your surroundings and a large part of your mood depends on where and how you will be staying during your trip. And this, in turn, depends a lot on the area in which you book a hotel. You should know something about the areas of Paris in advance...

A tourist in Paris feels good everywhere and is always interested :) Someone is going to Paris for the first time, while others have already explored the historical tourist places in full and are eager to see something not quite ordinary. This short article is intended for those who have not yet gotten to know Paris and are still preparing for their first independent trip to Paris. We really hope that the article will help you decide on some questions :)

So, the city of Paris is divided into 20 administrative centers (districts) or, as they are called here, districts. All districts are located within the city limits; outside the city limits there are already the outskirts of Paris. We will not delve into the administrative structure of the capital; we will look at the districts purely from a tourist point of view. On the map you can visually see how Paris is divided.

If you look at the diagram more closely, you will notice that the districts are arranged in a spiral and the districts are numbered clockwise, so it is almost impossible to get confused :)

Although the districts are located in the same city, each of them has its own characteristics:

1st arrondissement of Paris- the historical center of the city, from here, in fact, present-day Paris began. Attractions: Place Vendôme, Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, Les Halles, Tuirly Gardens and Palace Royal. One of the most trampled by tourists areas :)
Second District:- concentration of offices and banks, the Paris Stock Exchange is also located here. But at the same time, this area is rich in attractions: the National Library, the Grand Opera, cathedrals and churches.
In the third district is the famous Le Marais quarter - one of the oldest and most beautiful quarters of Paris, adorning the city with ancient houses belonging to the medieval nobility.
Fourth District rich in world-class attractions! Notre Dame, Ile Saint-Louis, Place des Vosges, City Hall and the Pompidou are located here. Paradise for tourists!
Fifth arrondissement of Paris known as the "District of the Pantheon", also covers part of the Latin Quarter
Sixth District famous for its luxurious Luxembourg Palace and magnificent gardens, as well as the Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter, where the medieval abbey is located.
Seventh District- the elegant political center of Paris. The National Assembly and French ministries are located here. It is this quarter that the whole world sees in pictures and photographs - here is the symbol of Paris - the Eiffel Tower! But this is not the only world-class attraction. The seventh arrondissement also houses the Les Invalides, the Champ de Mars, Napoleon's tomb, the Rodin Museum and the Orsay Museum.
Eighth District- residence of wealthy Parisians. Here is the residence of the President of France, the Arc de Triomphe
Ninth Circuit- bourgeois paradise of Paris! The Red Quarter, the Moulin Rouge cabaret... The most famous Parisian shops are also here!
Tenth District- the northern and eastern railway stations are located in this district. Republic Square is located here.
11th district- Place de la Bastille and one of the busiest streets in Paris, Faubourg St Antoine, where there are excellent bars and restaurants, as well as many boutiques.
12th district- a residential area of Paris, famous for its Bois de Vincennes park.
13th district- residential areas, Chinatown, National Library of Paris
14th district more attractive for tourists: Boulevard Montparnasse is a meeting place for artists, poets, writers and, in general, the bohemians of Paris.
15th district the most populated area of Paris. The longest street in Paris, Vaugirard (rue de Vaugirard), runs here. In the fifteenth arrondissement is the Pasteur Apartment Museum and the Postal Museum.
16th district considered one of the most prestigious areas of Paris. Here is the headquarters of Radio France, the National Sports Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the famous Bois de Boulogne, and the Trocadéro.
17th district is divided into two zones: the so-called working part of Place de Clichy and the upper-class zone - Avenue des Ternes - where the mansions of wealthy Parisians are located. This is such a social hodgepodge...
18th district: Montmartre and the Sacré-Coeur Basilica! The African quarter with the colorful Barbès market is also located here.
19th district is a residential area where there are two parks - Parc des Buttes Chaumont and Parc de la Villette. The Parisian Conservatory (Conservatoire de Paris) is located on the territory of the second.
20th district This is a colorful cosmopolitan area of Paris, where the second largest Chinatown is located. But the district is famous thanks to the Père la Chaise cemetery.

If you are still wondering where to stay during your stay in Paris, then pay attention to our article

Description

You will go on a bus tour of the historical center of Paris, from Place Vendôme to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and travel along the Ile de la Cité, where Paris was born.

The most visited city in the world, Paris, has a rich history and amazes with the diversity and dynamism of its streets and neighborhoods.

Our excursion will allow you to experience the unique atmosphere of the city!

Place Vendôme, famous for its jewelry workshops, the Bastille - the center of the French Revolution, the Marais quarter, which has preserved the atomosphere of the medieval city, the Latin Quarter, the students' district, where the famous Sorbonne is located, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the favorite quarter of Parisian artists - all these interesting You will be able to see the places during this excursion and feel their special, unique character.

The boat will take you to the Ile de la Cité, where, in the words of Victor Hugo, “the heart of Paris beats,” and you will take a fascinating guided tour of Notre Dame Cathedral.

All the most famous sights of Paris will reveal their secrets to you!

Options

English, Spanish: Mon, Wed and Fri
French, German: Wed
Italian, Portuguese: Mon and Fri

Helpful information

The offer is valid (except in special cases):
- from January to February: Mon, Wed, Sat, Sun
- March: daily, except Tue and Sun
- from April to October: Mon, Wed and Fri
Departure point: 1st arrondissement of Paris
Nearest metro station: Palais Royal (line 1 and 7), Pyramides (line 7 and 14), Tuileries (line 1)
A boat trip to the Ile de la Cité (except when the Seine is in flood). In winter (from November 1 to March 31), the boat trip can be replaced by a minibus excursion.
Bus tour route: Place Vendôme, Louvre, Town Hall, Place de la Bastille, Rue Saint-Antoine, Marais Quarter, Latin Quarter, Sorbonne, Collège de France, Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens, Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Tours of Notre Dame Cathedral are not available during services. During divine services and on Sundays, a guide leads a tour in front of the cathedral façade
Animals are not allowed
The excursion organizers have the right to cancel the excursion or change its route for the safety and comfort of passengers, as well as in the event of strikes or demonstrations

The left bank shares with the Ile de la Cité its history and its glory. In the Middle Ages, numerous colleges appeared on the left bank, which united by 1200...

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The Ile de la Cité, where your excursion will begin, is the cradle of Paris, the city was born here. In the Middle Ages, the island became the center of secular and spiritual power: a royal palace appeared in its western part, which is still reminiscent of the Palace of Justice and the Conciergerie, and in its eastern part, in 1163, the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral began.

The left bank shares with the Ile de la Cité its history and its glory. In the Middle Ages, numerous colleges appeared on the left bank, which by 1200 united into a powerful and prestigious Parisian university, the future Sorbonne.

Excursion route: from Notre Dame Cathedral, through the narrow streets of the Latin Quarter, through the Roman Baths and the Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages to the Sorbonne, the Pantheon and the Luxembourg Gardens, where the Luxembourg Palace, built by Marie de Medici, is located, and today is the meeting place of the French Senate. You'll be immersed in the bustling atmosphere of the student quarter and perhaps look for a small restaurant where you can taste traditional French onion soup...