Paris Monuments
FollowSome buildings in Paris are not just beautiful, they also represents historical and memorable events and moments in France history.
Here are a list of seven monuments in Paris you can visit. Not only admiring their architecture beauty or enjoying the surrounding view, you can also learn a bit of France history from each of them. Who says that you cannot get anything new while you are vacationing?
Notre Dame
The Notre Dame Cathedral is the most famous church in France. It was built out of the order of Bishop Sully, the Paris archdiocese bishop, who wanted a new cathedral to more represent the glorious Paris. The cathedral was started to be built in 1163 and completed almost 80 years after that in 1240.
The cathedral then witnessed several important events in France history. Its building had been damaged many times due to wars and riots. The last noted war was the World War II which damaged several stained glass windows of the cathedral. Read More…
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
6 Place du Parvis Notre-Dame
75004 Paris, France
Versailles Palace
Versailles was originally a name of an area in Paris. The name was mentioned firstly in a document stored in the Abbey of Saint-Pere de Charters. The area then developed into a busy village and the beauty of its scenery caught King Louis XIII’s attention.
Once it came to the King’s possession, he built a chateau complete with a chapel and a garden as a perfect hideaway. The next France kings then continued to reconstruct the place to be as beautiful as now it is.
There are some important parts of the palace which hold significant role in its history such as the hall of mirrors, the chapel, the grand apartment, and the royal opera. Its garden is also a feast to the eyes. Make sure you don’t miss those when you visit there. Read More…
Place Lyautey, 78000 Versailles, France
Phone : +33 1 39 50 45 55
website : chateauversailles.fr
The Eiffel Tower
You cannot miss the Eiffel Tower when you go to Paris. This one of the seven wonders of the world that has officially become the icon of the city.
Not all of people who know about the Eiffel Tower know that the monument was built for the Exposition Universelle in 1889. The tower was planned to be only there for the exhibition and then torn down afterwards. However, some developments let the tower to stay as the part of Paris.
Do not miss the chance to see the spectacular view of Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower. Take a picture with the tower as a background to show to your friends! Read More…
Avenue Gustave Eiffel, 75007 Paris, France
Phone : +33 892 70 12 39
Website : tour-eiffel.fr
Les Invalides
Les Invalides is a place with lots of war memories. Initially built as a place to treat wounded soldiers back in Louis XIV era, Les Invalides is now a complex of museums, monuments, hospital, and residences for war veterans.
In the complex, there are Musée de l’Armée which is a military museum of the French Army, Musée des Plans-Reliefs, and Musée d’Histoire Contemporain that you can visit. Visitors can also enjoy the view of the area and pay respect to some notable figures who were buried in the complex’ cemetery. Read More…
70 Rue de Babylone, 75007 Paris, France
Phone : +33 810 11 33 99
Website : invalides.org
La Grande Arche
La Grande Arche is a monument located in a business district named Le Defense. The monument is built as the ambition of France president, Francois Mitterand, who wanted a new monument to renew the spirit of the legendary Arc de Triomphe. However, this time, the monument was built not to commemorate a military victory but rather a victory over humanity and humanitarian ideals.
La Grande Arche also has an interesting modern design. It has the shape of a giant cube, also known as tesseract, decorated with glass and marble shipped straight from Italy. Read More…
Grande Arche, 1 Parvis de la Défense, 92044
Paris La Défense, France
Phone : +33 1 49 07 27 57
Website : grandearche.com
La Conciergerie
La Conciergie is unique in term of its function. It was once built as a palace, yet it is now more popular as an ex-prison. This ex-prison is dedicated as a monument because it was a witness of French Revolution and once held important prisoners who were all beheaded with guillotine including the infamous Queen of France Marie-Antoinette.
La Conciergie now still serves as a Paris law courts. Therefore, only small parts of the area which is open to public. Do not worry, though, since there are still many things to see. Read More…
8 Boulevard du Palais
75001 Paris, France
Phone : +33 1 53 40 60 80
Website : monuments-nationaux.fr
Basilique du Sacre Coeur in Montmartre
The basilica is famous for its iconic white color. The color is gotten from travertine stone which is used as the material to built the basilica. Located on the highest point of Paris, you can enjoy a view of Paris city from top.
Basilique du Sacre Coeur’s construction was built as a penance for the rebellious nature of its surrounding society. Therefore, it was once a witness to a historical riots which took place in 1971 when a group of demonstrators took shelter in the basilica and called upon their radical friends.
The basilica was built initially through private donations. Then it started to get funding from pilgrimage donation. Now, pilgrimage donation is still a main source of the funding. Read More…
35 Rue du Chevalier de la Barre, 75018 Paris, France
Phone : +33 1 53 41 89 00
Website : sacre-coeur-montmartre.com
