La Rive Gauche
The three quarters below have been grouped together as they back onto one
another; which allows them to be visited on foot within a short space of
time. Latin Quarter I n 1215; the Pope approved the establishment of a university
on the left bank of the Seine in Paris. Students and teachers alike settled
in the area and; since Latin was the official language of education at that
time; the area came to be called the Latin Quarter. The district is renowned
as being Paris's intellectual and cultural nerve center; with its bars and
cafes having served France's most famous writers and artists; such as Sartre
and Picasso. The place is simply alive with history ! Most of the streets
that you walk along in this quarter date back to medieval times and still
have their original architecture; but even more significantly; the Latin
Quarter is home to several roman ruins; the most impressive being the Arè
nes de Lutè ce amphitheater and the remarkably well preserved Cluny baths.
Amongst the quarter's cobbled streets you will also find the city's oldest
church; St. Germain des Prè s; dating back to the 6th century. However;
by far the most striking view in the Latin Quarter must be the enormous
dome of the Pantheon. Originally the building was destined to be a church;
commissioned in 1744 by Louis XV to honor St. Geneviè ve; but with the outbreak
of the revolution it became a pantheon used to house the tombs of France's
heroes; as it remains to this day.
Saint Germain des Près
Saint Germain des Près is home to the two most famous and traditional
cafes in the Latin Quarter; namely CafeFlore and Les Deux Magots. These
two celebrated cafes are located ten meters from one another on Boulevard
St Germain; directly opposite the church of St. Germain des Prè s. The
CafeFlore was a favorite with Rohmer; Bardot and Largerfeld ; whilst Les
Deux Magots was preferred by Picasso; Hemingway and Sartre amongst others.
These cafes provide an ideal place to have an evening drink before heading
off into a nearby restaurant for dinner. Weather permitting; you should
take table on the terrace; so as not to miss out on any of the street-side
entertainment that unfolds around you. Musicians and entertainers put
on mini-shows for an enthusiastic audience; but don't get too distracted
or you will miss the countless stars that can be seen roaming along the
Boulevard. Keep your eyes open as just about anybody could wander by -
even Jacko or Madonna! No stay in Paris is complete without following
in the footsteps of Sartre and co.; by having a coffee in one of these
cafes...unfortunately the owners realize this only too well; so be prepared
to pay for the privilege ! However; you may console yourself with the
knowledge that whatever you lose on the coffees; you will more than make
up for in the fashion boutiques of the district; as those expensive foreign
designer clothes are much cheaper when you're buying them where they're
made ! Just as Paris is the World capital of fashion; so Saint Germain
des Prè s is Paris's fashion epicenter. It is here that supermodels have
pursued their career in "haute couture" walking down the catwalks for
such giants as Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian Dior. There are also many
small boutiques with bargains abundant for those who find themselves unable
to spend $800 on a dress without feeling guilty !
Montparnasse
Around World War one; writers; poets and artists of the avant-garde abandoned
Montmartre and moved to Montparnasse; shifting the centre of Paris's artistic
ferment to the area around boulevard Montparnasse. Chagall; Modigliani;
Miro; Kandinsky; Picasso; Hemingway; Henry Miller and Cocteau as well
as political exiles such as Lenin and Trotsky all used to hang out here
at various times; talking endlessly in the cafés as La Coupole and Le
Dôme and restaurant for which the quarter is still famous. Montparnasse
remained a creative centre until the mid-1930s. Today especially since
the construction of the Gare Montparnasse complex; there is a very little
to remind visitors of the area's bohemian past. Boulevard du Montparnasse
and its many fashinable cafes and cinemas attract large numbers of Parisians
after dark. Boulevard du Montparnasse make up one of Paris's most important
nightlife districts.
Must sees
View of 56th floor of Montparnasse Tower :
the view is most spectacular around sunset; when; if you stay long enough;
you can also see the city at night.
Pantheon : When Louis XV recovered from
a desperate illness in 1744 ; he was so grateful to be alive that he conceived
a magnificent church to honour Sainte Geniève. But with the Revolution
underway the church was soon turned into a panthéon -a monument housing
the tombs of France's great heroes. Many French notable rest here as Voltaire;
Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Emile Zola; Victor Hugo and Jean Moulin.
Palais du Luxembourg : First built as a
royal residence; the palace has been used for various purposes from prison
to Luftwaffe headquarters. The garden façade was added in 1841. Now it
is the home of the French Senate.
Saint Severin : one the most beautiful churches
in Paris; is named after 6th-century hermit. It is a perfect example of
the flamboyant Gothic style. Construction finished in the early 16th century
and included a remarkable double aisle encircling the chancel. In the
garden stands the church's medieval gable-roofed charnel house.
Arènes de Lutèce : This heavily reconstructed;
2nd-century Roman amphitheatre; discovered in 1869; could once seat around
10; 000 people for gladiatorial combats and other events.
Must goes
Musee d'Orsay : The Musee d'Orsay displays
France's national collection of paintings; sculptures; objets d'art and
other works produced between 1848 and 1914; including the fruit of the
impressionist; postimpressionist and Art Nouveau movements.
Musee de Cluny : Now officially known as
the musée national du Moyen-Age kept one the finest collections of medieval
art in the world in a superb late 15th-century building; incorporating
the ruins of Gallo-Roman baths.
La Sorbonne : One the Europe's oldest universities.
Founded in 1253 by Robert de Sorbon as a simple dormitory for theology
students; the Sorbonne became the administrative quarters for the University
of Paris by the end of the 13th century.
Musee de la Monnaie : The museum of coins
and metals traces the history of French coinage from antiquity to the
present and includes coins and metals; as well as pressed and other minting
equipment.
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