The Region
The heart of Paris is its beloved Seine. No other European city has such a strong tie to “her” river. It is from the Seine that distances, house numbers are counted. The Seine divides the town into the Rive Droite (North bank) and the Rive Gauche (South bank), being strongly different in character. While the Eastern part of the town has its roots in history, the architecture of the Western part stems mainly from the 19th and 20th century. The history of the left bank of the Seine has always been determined by artists and intellectuals. Art galleries line up next to publishing houses, the Boulevard Saint-Michel and the Quartier Latin are the home of students and professors.
Read More / Weiter Lesen »
Culture & Sights
There is almost no spot in Paris not worth seeing. Every house, every corner has its own story. Starting with the most important medieval masterpiece Notre-Dame whose construction lasted two painstaking centuries. The artists’ quarter Montmartre, Sacré Coeur and Place du Tertre are irresistible points of attraction to the visitors. Many come here to walk in the footsteps of Picasso and Modigliani who once lived and worked here. The Louvre, the second-largest museum of the world and the Musée d’Orsay are among the world’s best-known art galleries. History-lovers will feel at home in the Dôme des Invalides, the burial place of Napoleon, as well as in the Place de la Concorde, the stand of the guillotine having made this place one of Europe’s most important historical sites. The famous Opera is a symbol of the opulence of the Second Empire. It houses a magnificent white marble stairway with splendid chandeliers and a gold-and-red trimmed auditorium. The Centre Pompidou is a remarkable place for lovers of modern art. The inside of the exhibition building is turned outside: escalators and elevators, ventilation pipes and even water pipes. What diversity in the “City of Love”!
The Cuisine
Some highlights of the French cuisine are fois gras, charcuterie, cheeses and wines. Fauchon in the Place de la Madeleine and the food department on the ground floor of the department store Le Bon Marché have a vast offer of cheese, shellfish, truffles, caviar and regional produce. The huge wine cellar CavasTaillevent sells some of the most expensive French wines. A typical Paris restaurant is the Thoumieux near the Dome of Invalides.
The Country and its People
Over the last decades Paris has become more and more cosmopolitan; about 130 nationalities can be met here in the streets. There is a Russian quarter, “Chinatown” and a North-African quarter.
