Go to Paris!

The French capital is one of the most stimulating cities on earth. Is it the elegance of the tree-lined boulevards? The radiance of the light? The magnificence of the architecture? The style and ambience of the cafes? It is difficult to say. Come to find out...

Thinking to Paris, the tourists have in mind a lot of superlatives and travel clichés. You can usually find whatever you expect or hope to discover. But set aside your preconceptions of Paris, and simply explore the city's avenues, backstreets and parks. Try to forget about Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame. Put away your map and just wander! Your path will inevitably cross one of the city's famous parks and gardens. Many were once the private domains of French royalty, but today they are free to all. A short Métro ride from the city center will bring you to either of the two vast former royal forests that border the city, the Bois de Boulogne in the west or the Bois de Vincennes in the east.

Just wander! But have in mind the city's reputation as an expensive place to visit and always keep with you a French conversation book.

Relaxing with Bateaux Mouches

Since the Middle Ages, the Seine river is the spine of the city of Paris. For centuries, the Parisian people try to make the best out of the river and its banks.

The Seine is crossed by many old and beautiful bridges. The oldest one is Pont-Neuf near the Notre-Dame cathedral, inaugurated in 1607. May be the most interesting one is Alexandre III bridge near the Invalides military hospital, inaugurated in 1900 during the Paris world exhibition. Many of the most famous Paris monuments are on the river banks. The list includes Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel tower.

With BATEAUX MOUCHES, the popular French boat, a river cruise on the Seine is a good way to discover Paris, the beauty of its bridges and monuments and the richness of its history. A river cruise is also very relaxing after a few full days of visits and shopping in Paris.

Paris: bird-eye view

There are some non-expensive places for a Paris bird-eye view. One of them is the Arch de Triomphe (de l'Etoile). Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon shortly after his victory at Austerlitz (and dedicated to the glory of the Great Army), it was not finished until 1836. After the 1830 Revolution, king Louis-Phillipe dedicated the monument to the armies of the Revolution and of the Empire.

The day the Battle of Verdun commenced in 1916, the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off. The figure was immediately hidden to conceal the accident to try to avoid any undesired associations or interpretations as a bad omen.

Engraved around the top of the arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame lay under the Arch.

The terrace (284 ... steps high) offers a unique panoramic view of Paris.

Le Louvre

Philippe Auguste originally constructed "Le Louvre" as a royal palace in 1190. It was rebuilt in the mid-16th and only after the French Revolution the idea of transforming it into a huge art museum was discussed. Le Louvre museum opened on 18th November 1793.

Today the Louvre is one of the most beautiful museums in the world, housing collections from nearly every era and every major artist throughout history. To see the collection in its entirety is a mammoth task. If you want see the whole museum you need at least a complete day (2 or 3 days is better). Whatever you decide, don't miss masterpieces as Mona Lisa of Leornado Da Vinci and Venus of Milo.

Disneyland Paris - one park for all

Disneyland Paris is situated just outside the city, in Marne la Vallée. It was opened in 1992.

From Paris, RER line A takes you fast to the heart of Disneyland. In just 35 minutes, you can be at the gates of a fairytale . And if you buy your entrance ticket from a metro station, we'll have one way RER ticket for free.

Come to meet Mickey and Dumbo and all your Disney friends! Belt up for a journey to the moon with Space Mountain, pilot your own spaceship on Orbitron or take part in the intergalactic battle. Follow in the footsteps of Indiana Jones (with its magnific loooop...) or visit the Wild West in Frontierland. Take a stroll in its themed stores, listen to the orchestras, dive into the fever of Hurricanes Nightclub, take a nightcap at the Sports Bar and go to rest in one of Disneyland hotels nearby the park.

Do not forget about Fastpass: a free, new time-saving service that shortens your wait at some of the most popular attractions. Simply present your Disneyland Park Passport at these attractions and you'll get a ride timeframe. See more, do more, play more until it's time to return to the attraction during the ride timeframe indicated on your Fastpass ticket - your guarantee to board in just a few minutes.

Disneyland is a great attraction for all family!

Champs Elysees - A Popular Promenade

In 1667, a huge area of parkland was added to the Tuileries Palace, extending as far as the Chaillot hill. Le Nôtre, who was in charge of the work, laid out a huge array of avenues bordered by flowers and shrubs along which Parisians were free to stroll at their leisure. In 1694, the broad avenue that had just been completed was given the name of Champs Elysées, in reference to Greek mythology.

Champs Elysées is a popular promenade and the central point to most French National celebrations. The Tour de France finishes here and people from all over the world congregate here to celebrate Bastille Day - the French national holiday.

From Arch de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, the 2km-long and 72m-wide stretch, is an ideal place for walk and relax. You can find here whatever you want. Just come, walk and look!

Bohemians Paris: The Latin Quarter

One of the most famous Parisian districts, the Latin Quarter has welcomed intellectuals and bohemians alike since the Middle Ages. It derives its name from the language of the scholars as the students of the famous Sorbonne University spoke Latin here throughout the 19th-century. The area is full to the brim with cafes, bookshops, small boutiques, nightclubs, street merchants and artists. And to not forget: inexpensive restaurants, its narrow alleys fragrant with aroma of roasted lamb (plenty of Greek restaurants are there). It is a real heaven for food lovers. If you want to find the real Paris then don't miss this hip, young, and vibrant area.

A confusing world: Musée Grévin

Around 1870, Arthur Mezer conceived the idea of making 3D representation of the famous people who were on the front page of his well-known daily newspaper "Le Gaulois". He asked Alfred Grévin (1927-1982), a talented cartoonist, sculptor and designer of costumes for the theatre, to help him with this project.

Founded in 1882, the Grévin Museum (Musée Grévin in French) is the Paris wax museum. It has a baroque architecture and includes a mirage room and a theater for magic tricks. Its aim is to bring back great people and events of history in a very realistic way. International political leaders, actors, sports stars and many others seems to say "Hello!" to everybody, sometimes even confusing you.

Located on the "Grands Boulevards" (boulevard Montmartre), the museum also features spectacular wax scenes from the French history, in particular from the dramatic 1789 French revolution.

Romanian corner in Paris: Atelier Brancusi

A most unusual man and a most unique artist, the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi (1876-1957), trained initially as a carpenter and stonemason, was a central figure of the modern movement and a pioneer of abstraction. After attending the Bucharest School of Fine Arts, Brancusi traveled to Paris in 1904 where his early influences included African as well as oriental art (and, of course, Romanian folk carvings). Brancusi created his first major work, The Kiss, in 1908. From this time his sculpture became increasingly abstract, moving from the disembodied head of Sleeping Muse to the virtually featureless Beginning of the World and from the formal figure of the legendary bird Măiastra to numerous versions of the ethereal Bird in Space. Brâncuşi decided to make much simpler work and began an evolutionary search for pure form. His sculpture gained international notoriety at the 1913 Armory Show in New York.

In his Paris studio (at 8 Impasse Ronsin), Brâncuşi devoted great attention to the arrangement of his sculptures, documenting individual works and their installation in an important body of photographs.

In the 1930s Brâncuşi worked on two ambitious public sculpture projects, an unrealized temple in India for the Maharajah of Indore and the installation at Târgu Jiu, Romania, of his Gate of the Kiss, Table of Silence and Endless Column (this entire ensemble, together with Heroes Cathedral, dedicated to Romanians heroes on World War I).

On his death Brâncuşi left the contents of his studio to the Museum of Art of the City of Paris, on condition that the studio to be installed in the museum in its entirety. This is now the Atelier Brancusi (near the Pompidou Center in Paris).

Atelier Brancusi in Paris is only the starting point in knowing this great artist. Come to Romania to visit the monumental ensemble in Tg. Jiu and his memorial house in Hobiţa Gorj (a traditional Romanian village)