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City Landmarks
The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe are among the most popular sights. The Tower was completed for the 1889 Universal exhibition and became the symbol of Paris throughout the world. Its amazing iron construction offers striking views from any perspective.
The massive Arc de Triomphe, symbol of Napoleon's achievements, stands on the Place Charles de Gaulle. The view from the top reveals the star effect of the twelve radiating avenues and offers an exceptional panorama of the Champs-Elysees. |
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Bird's Eye View of Paris
The centerpiece of the beautiful Jardins du Trocadero is a long, rectangular ornemental pool, spectacular at night when the fountains are illuminated. The Palais de Chaillot, with its huge curved colonnaded wings, is a cultural center and it houses several museums.
Champ-de-Mars is a vast garden stretching from the Eiffel Tower to the Ecole Militaire (Military School).
The Invalides, one of the most prestigious historical complex of Paris, houses the Army Museum and Napoleon's tomb, lying under the dome of the church. |
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Places of Interest
The Sacre-Coeur Basilica crowns the very top of the "Butte Montmartre", the highest hill in Paris, and is visible from a long way off. It is the symbol of a popular and bohemian Paris, associated with artists for 200 years.
Opened in 1793, the Louvre Museum was the first public museum in Europe. It now contains one of the most important art collections in the world and is home to the "Mona Lisa" and the "Venus de Milo". The centuries-old facades of the Louvre surround the new glass Pyramid entrance designed by architect I.M. Pei in 1989. |
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Pantheon
Originally built as a church, this architectural masterpiece was transformed during the Revolution into a Pantheon of Great Men. Under the building, the vast crypt houses the tombs of France's most glorious historical figures: scientists, politicians, writers...
The interior of the building is solemn and impressive by its size. The history of France is illustrated through numerous paintings and Foucault's pendulum hangs from the dome center, still providing proof of the Earth's rotation. |
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Versailles
22 km west of Paris, Versailles palace was the residence of the kings of France from 1661 (Louis XIV) to 1789 (Louis XVI).
The French gardens with its wealth of sculptures, statues, busts and marble vases, were landscaped by André Le Nôtre. The 250-acre grounds include woods, lawns, flower beds, alleys, artificial lake and fountains galore. |
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