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Infos : Paris, France Monuments

The Eiffel Tower is 320 m (1051 ft) high and was built between 1887 and 1889. It weighs 7000 tons, although this force is so efficiently distributed on the ground that the pressure exerted at the base is equal to that of a man sitting on a chair (57 psi). The tower is painted every 7 years, requiring 50 tons of paint.

The Eiffel Tower 2nd platform, 115 m (377 ft) in the air. The Champ de Mars (Field of Mars) was originally designed in 1765 to be a military exercise ground. It is now a formal garden. The building at the head of this elongated green space is the Ecole Militaire. The tall black building in the background is the Tour Montparnasse. Shortly after the completion of this controversial 56-story building, the city passed an ordinance banishing any further skyscrapers to La Défense (see pictures far below).

The Eiffel Tower 2nd platform, showing the typical soft color, stately architecture, and confining arrangement of Parisian buildings. Due to the resulting maze-like pattern of narrow streets and alleys, it is impossible to see the Eiffel Tower from many parts of the city. The gold dome in the upper left is the Eglise du Dome.

The Ecole Militaire complex. The Ecole Militaire was created by Louis XV in 1751 at the urging of his favorite mistress Mme. de Pompadour, who wanted to transform "poor gentleman" into educated officers. Over the years the various buildings, including the Cavalerie, have retained their status both as military quarters and as an army training center.

Shining gold top of the Eglise du Dome, at the south end of the Hotel des Invalides complex located just northeast of the Ecole Militaire. The Hotel des Invalides was built in 1670 on the orders of Louis XIV to house old soldiers. Originally designed to house 7000 veterans, it is now occupied by only a small number of war-disabled. The noble Dome church was built between 1675-1706 and now houses the tomb of Napoleon.

Typical street-side or alley-side market scene. Much of the day-to-day commerce in Paris (e.g. groceries, restaurants) takes place in convient awning-covered shop-front displays located on the main streets and in pedestrian alleys. At night, the display stands are rolled into the building, and a door or fence is pulled down and locked. I thought it to be quite an effective system.

The Pantheon, located several Metro stops east of the Invalides in the Latin Quarter. Originally built as Church between 1758 and 1790 in fulfillment of a vow made by Louis XV, it soon after became a Pantheon for the burial of France's greatest men. Voltaire and Rousseau are buried in the crypt here.

Notre Dame Cathedral, view from along the Seine on the south side of Ile de la Cité (City Island). I arrived at this scene after walking about 1km north and down the hill from the Pantheon. Notre Dame was completed in 1361 after two centuries of construction. Joan of Arc was tried here in 1455.

Notre Dame from Petit Pont (bridge) crossing onto the City Island just west of the cathedral. The twin towers soar to a height of 69 m (226 ft.). Unfortunately, the magnificent front facade was under construction and covered with scaffolding when I was there, so this is the best picture I was able to get.

Two of three giant stained glass windows above alter on east end of Notre Dame Cathedral. Although not as old and acclaimed as the famous western and northern rose windows, I found these to be quite beautiful. The picture quality is not great, but it's the best I could do. The first of my three favorite places in Paris was in the Cathedral during the early evening meditation hour. It was a profound experience to sit down in the silent atmosphere of this enormous vault and look up at the various stained glass windows glowing in the bright summer evening sun. The quote in the photo was taken from the "Nocturnes of Notre-Dame" booklet that is distributed for free during meditation hour.

Metro (subway) tunnel entrance on the Ile de la Cité. The Metro is the best way to get around this large city, and it is very reasonably priced: I paid about 14 US dollars for a week pass.

Pont au Change ("Money Changers' Bridge") and evening view of the Seine, looking north from the Ile de la Cité. This bridge was established in the 9th century, although the present bridge dates to 1860. The tower to the far left is the Tour St-Jacques, where in 1648 the physicist-philosopher Blaise Pascal carried out some of the first experiments concerning the weight of air.

The inner courtyard (Cour Napoléon) at the Louvre museum, a short walk northwest of Ile de la Cité. The famous Louvre pyramid is built of sheet glass supported on a framework of stainless steel tubes. The pyramid vaults over the museum reception area below the surface. The Denon wing of the Louvre looms behind the pyramid. The Eiffel Tower can be seem peeking above the right end of the Denon wing.

Pyramid-side fountain in the Cour Napoléon. The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel (not to be confused with the larger and more famous Arch de Triumph) can be seen in the background. Built between 1806-08, this arch commemorates the Napoleonic victories of 1805.

Obélisk at Place de la Concorde, immediately west of the Jardin des Tuileries and the Louvre. The monument was given to Charles X in 1829 by Mohammed Ali, Viceroy of Egypt, seeking support from the French. Standing 23 m (75 ft.) tall and weighing more than 220 tons, it is 3,300 years old and covered in Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Overlooking the Place de la Concorde from the terrace of the adjacent Jardin des Tuileries, you can align the Obelisk with the Eiffel Tower.

Arch de Triumph, a few kilometers northwest of the Obelisk on the grand boulevard of Avenue Des Champs Elysees. The world's largest triumphal arch and an international symbol of France, this 50-meter-high giant was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon in honor of his Grande Armée. The monument was completed in 1836, 21 years after the army's defeat. Twelve avenues radiate from the arch which explains why it is also called place de l'Etoile (etoile = "star"). The tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies beneath.

The Grand Arch and La Défense, a few kilometers northwest from the Arch de Triumph on Avenue Des Champs Elysees. The La Défense complex of futuristic office buildings is the most ambitious town planning project ever taken in the Paris region. The project began around 1960, and now there are over 48 towers providing office space for over 900 companies. This was the second of my three favorite places in Paris. I felt a great sense of optimism for modern mankind expressed in the architecture of these shiny new buildings. The area reminded me much of the financial district on the south end of Manhattan in New York.

La Grande Arch - awesome! The walls of this gigantic open cube rise shear in seeming defiance of gravity. With its pre-stressed concrete frame, faced in glass and white Carrara marble, the building weighs 300,000 tons and is carried on 12 enormous piles sunk in the below-ground area. The cathedral of Notre-Dame with its spire could fit into the space between the walls of the arch. The south vertical wall houses government ministry offices and the north wall major French and international companies. The 3-story thick roof is occupied by the International Foundation for Human Rights. The vertical poles towards the left on the interior of the arch support an elevator which can be taken to the roof. The front steps are a great place to hang out, eat lunch, and enjoy the sights of La Défense.

GAN Tower on east end of La Défense. This green tower in the form of a Greek cross houses a group of insurance companies.

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