Friday, October 29, 2010

Top 10 sights in France


Eiffel Tower:

a trip to France, especially Paris most certainly cannot be complete without a trip to the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel, Tower also termed as La Dame de Fer or the Lady of Iron was built in the year 1889 and is situated on the Champ de Mars. Also, the monument is most paid and visited, in the world.

Louvre Museum:

the Louvre Museum was earlier used as a palace by the royal families in France. Today, the Louvre is the largest and most visited museum in the world. This museum is a great place, not only for the architecture, art and history, it also has some of the most famous works of art in the world, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

Musee d’Orsay:

situated quite close to the River Seine is the Musee d’Orsay, which is a museum that is located at Gare d’Orsay, which was an old railway station, used between 1898 and 1900. The museum is home to a large number of sculptures, paintings, photographs and pieces of furniture. Most of the art here is from the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist period.

Notre Dame Cathedral:

the Notre Dame Cathedral is the named after Notre Dame de Paris or the French equivalent of Our Lady of Paris. The Catholic Archdiocese of Paris has its main quarters in the Notre Dame. Many people claim it to be amongst the most brilliant of manifestations of gothic architecture with French influence.

Arc de Triomphe:

situated in the middle of the Place Charles de Gaulle is the Arc de Triomphe, which is a monument in honor of the soldiers and the civilians who died for their country during the French Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars. This magnificent structure is one of the greatest structures created in honor of military forces.

Basilique du Sacre-Coeur:

The Basilique du Sacre-Coeur or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Paris is a church that serves the Roman Catholic community of Paris. The church is a basilica that is located on the top of butte Montmartre , which is the highest of places in the entire city. A place that is a sure place to go to if you like visiting churches.

Disneyland Paris:

Located in Marne – la – Valee, is one of the most famous resort for recreation and holiday in all of France, and indeed all of Europe- Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris is also called Euro Disney. Disneyland Paris is made up of two theme parks, a district for entertainment and dining, a retail store and seven hotels that are owned by Disney.

Palace of Versailles:

the Palace of Versailles is possibly the largest house in the world and is known to be capable of housing five thousand people. It used to be the living quarters of the king and his family in earlier times. This building is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is today, the Museum of the History of France.

Le Mont – Saint – Michel:

Le Mont – Saint – Michel is a tidal island located in Normandy. Located at the edge of Couesnon River, close to Avranches. The population of this island is a measly forty-one. The island is most well known for the Benedictine Abbey from the Medieval Ages. The island is known for the rough tides that hit on its shores.

Loire Valley:

the Loire Valley is often famously called the Garden of France. Royalty seems to be the order here as there are more than three hundred chateaux all over the valley. Leonardo Da Vinci lived the final three years of his life over here at the Château Royal d’Amboise.