Paris north-western of the river Seine...

Journal of a Trip to Paris -
To the South of the Seine we find the Eiffel-Tower, the Hotel des Invalides, the Palais Bourbon and Montparnasse...

When walking around the Trocadero (the end of the walk part 2) and the Palais de Chaillot, you have the symbol of the city directly in front of you – the Eiffel-Tower.

This symbol of Paris measures, including the top of the antenna, 321 meters and has at least six million visitors a year. Until 1932 it was the talles structure of the world, then had to give up the title to the Empire State Building in New York.

 
Without a doubt, the Eiffel-Tower is one of the most beutiful and unnecessary structures in the history of mankind. It was only built as an attraction for the opening of the Worlds Fair in 1889 by the congenial engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel.

The building plan saw to it that under the strongest of winds the construction wouldn`t topple. The lofty steel beams reduced pressure on the ground it stands on.

In the evening the Tower is submerged in beautiful lights that are beamed towards it from various directions. Prior to the year 2000 a digital clock was installed that counted out the days `till the Millenium... befitting the Paris life-style.

In two of the four- legged-structure there are elevators that take you to the first two platforms (57 and 112 meters high). Whoever has a ticket (60.-Francs) to the top platform can again stay in line with many others to catch the elevator. The elevator goes up in the middle of the tower and takes you another 150 meters higher.

It is worth the effort because the view is breathtaking. The whole city can be seen from here. Especially at dusk, when all the lights go on, the impression is unforgettable. The only building with a similar hight is the Montparnasse-Building (Tour Maine-Montparnasse).

Coming from thePalais Chaillot (Trocaero) and walking past the Eiffel-Tower you arrive at the Parc du Champ de Mars and the Ecole Militaire. Following you`ll find the UNESCO-Building with its conference hall shaped like a trapeze.

When turning left again you will automatically find the Hotel des Invalides, a former veterans home for war invalids. Meanwhile most of the rooms in this building are used as offices for the military and for a museum, the Musèe de lÀrmèe. The most impressive part of this building complex is the Dome of the Invalids. It houses the sarcophagus of Napoleon.

Going in the direction of the Seine you reach the Palais Bourbon which houses the State Assembly, the Assemblèe National. This Palais was built in the beginning of the eighteenth century. Continuing along the Seine to the East you will arrive at the Musèe dÒrsay which was built for the Worlds Fair in 1889, Since 1986 it functions as an art museum. It has impressionistic paintings from the epoque of 1848 to 1914 spread out over 17,200 square meters.

You will find interesting paintings from Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and many others of the time..

Further on to the southeast you will come to the part of the city called Saint-Germain-dès-Près, known for it`s undoubtable charm. This is where the typical life-style of Paris can be taken in. Here you will find art-galleries, antique stores, jazz-bars etc., everything for those persons who want to see and be seen..You should not miss seeing the Eglise Sain-Germain-des-Près, the passage Cour de Commerce (small shops that invite you to look around) and across from it the Procope, the oldest Cafè in Paris.

To the South there is the largely spread-out Jardin du Luxembourg with its Palais du Luxembourg. Along the pathways there are numerous statues of well-known women and men. When twilight comes a whistled signal is given to warn the parklovers that the gates will be locked.

 Impossible to ignore is the highest building in the entire region; the Tour Maine-Montparnasse. From the outside-terrace on the 59th floor you will have the second-best panoramic view of the city. Here you have the advantage of seeing the Eiffel-Tower in all its beauty from the side

It is advisable to take the elevator up (12.-Euros) shortly before sundown to see the city and the Eiffel-Tower in indirect lighting.

 In cooperation with travel pictures from Paris travel gallery pictures from Paris (german). 
 

Verdun and Versailles......

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