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| Top Ten Essential Architecture | top ten Romantic Paris | |||||||||||||
| For a more complete list, see Paris Main List | ||||||||||||||
| 1 | Square du Vert-Galand | |||||||||||||
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One great place to have a picnic is the Square du Vert-Galand. At the tip of Ile de la Cité and overlooking the Seine, this spot is ideal for sitting down and relaxing in Paris. The closest metro stop is the Pont Neuf. One movie filmed in and around this area that I love is called The Lovers on the Bridge or Les Amants du Pont-Neuf with Juliette Binoche. |
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| 2 | Ile Saint-Louis | |||||||||||||
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The Île Saint-Louis is one of two natural islands in the Seine river, in Paris, France (the other natural island is Île de la Cité, the Île des Cygnes is artificial). The island is named after King Louis IX of France (Saint Louis). The island is connected to the rest of Paris by bridges to both banks of the river and by the Pont Saint Louis to the Île de la Cité. This island was formerly used for the grazing of market cattle and stocking wood. One of France's first examples of urban planning, it was mapped and built from end to end during the 17th-century reigns of Henri IV and Louis XIII. A peaceful oasis of calm in the busy Paris centre, this island has but narrow one-way streets, no métro stations and two bus stops. Most of the island is residential, but there are several restaurants, shops, cafés and ice cream parlours at street level, as well as one large church, Église St. Louis en L’Isle. |
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| 3 | Top of the Eiffel Tower at night | |||||||||||||
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The Eiffel Tower (French: Tour Eiffel) is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris. It is the tallest structure in Paris and among the most recognized symbols in the world. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, it is a premier tourist destination. |
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| 4 | Place des Vosges | |||||||||||||
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The Place des Voges was built on the site of the Hôtel des Tournelles, which was abandoned by Catherine de Médicis after her husband, Henry II, was mortally wounded in a jousting tournament there. It was Henri IV who decided to built a royal square on the site, ceding all the peripheral residences save those on the southern side to private individuals, all of whom had to accept the following stipulations: no parcels could be subdivided; all facades had to adhere to a uniform, brick-and-stone design (probably conceived by Louis Métezeau); and each owner had to allow for a circulation gallery on ground level in accordance with a preconceived model. These rules were respected, even during the Revolution, when some of the residences became government property. |
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| 5 | Jardin du Luxembourg | |||||||||||||
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The Palais du Luxembourg in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden, is where the French Senate meets. The formal Luxembourg Garden (Jardin du Luxembourg) presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model boats. In the southwest corner, there is an orchard of apple and pear trees and the théâtre des marionettes (puppet theatre). |
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| 6 | Place de Furstemberg | |||||||||||||
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This famous little place is the heart of St-Germain des Pres left bank "chic adresse". All around, you will find many prestigious stores of design, materials, decoration and antiques. Many artists have painted this romantic Place. You will find there the Musée Delacroix. This Musée is where the artist lived and worked from 1857 until his death in 1863. the renovated and enlarged museum holds changing temporary exhibitions of Delacroix's work (consult Pariscope for details). Displayed here permanently in the painter's old apartment and studio are a few of his watercolours, a self-portrait of him dressed as Hamlet and some graphic paintings of a lion hunt. Delacroix's major work is exhibited permanently at the Louvre and the musee d'Orsay, and you can see the murals he painted at nearby St-Sulpice Church. |
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| 7 | Place du marché Sainte-Catherine | |||||||||||||
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The Place du Marché Sainte-Catherine is an example of how quaint and village-like the Marais can be-- though during weekends and high tourist season, this is not always the case. Enjoy the cheerful atmosphere of the square. You may see neighborhood kids bounding about: this is a favorite spot for play. Interesting Facts: Built in the 13th century, in honor of Saint Catherine The buildings surrounding the square are recent, in Parisian terms anyway: they date to the 18th century. The square was made pedestrian-only last century. Since then, it has become a favorite spot for laid-back, greenery-enhanced sipping and nibbling. Take an opportunity to do so here, if you'd like. |
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| 8 | Jardins des Tuileries | |||||||||||||
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The Tuileries Palace stood in Paris, France, on the right bank of the River Seine until 1871, when it was destroyed. It closed the western end of the Louvre courtyard, which has remained unopen since the destruction of the palace. |
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| 9 | Pont des Arts | |||||||||||||
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| 10 | Jardins du Palais Royal | |||||||||||||
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