Paris 

Paris, the French capital on the River Seine, has a total population of around 2,200,000, the metropolitan area around 11,200,000. The city is one of the world’s leading business and cultural centres and ranks as a “Global City” with a far-reaching influence. Dubbed la Ville-Lumière or the City of Light, Paris is reputed to be the world’s most visited city, drawing around 30 million foreign and around 15 million French visitors each year. The number of attractions that the city holds is enormous, almost daunting, with top museums, countless historic buildings and monuments. Not to mention some of the world’s finest art galleries, including the Louvre and Orsay with masterpieces by such greats as Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso. The Centre Pomipdou holds a collection of over 50,000 works of the finest European modern art. Those interested in Paris history should visit The Paris Story, a unique museum giving a comprehensive insight into the city’s past and also with a miniature Paris. So where do you start when you visit Paris? Here are just a few of the must-see attractions: the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Basilique du Sacré, the Louvre, Paris Opera House and Moulin Rouge.

The world-famous landmark of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, was designed by French structural engineer, Gustave Eiffel and built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World Fair. At almost 325 metres high, the tower was the tallest structure in the world for over 40 years until it was superseded by the Chrysler building in New York in 1930. No visit to Paris is complete without a trip up the Eiffel Tower. There are three levels open to the public and tickets are available to the first and second levels using the stairway or lift and to the third level by lift only. If you take the stairs, you’ll have to climb 300 steps to level one and then another 300 to level two. There is a restaurant on both levels, ideal to take a breather and tank up on energy. The views from the tower are phenomenal. Construction of the tower was initially opposed by the artistic and literary elite of Paris and almost led to its demolition in 1909. Today the Eifel Tower is the hallmark of both Paris and France.

The Arc de Triomphe towers majestically in the centre of the Place Charles-de-Gaulle, at the western end of the Champs Elysées. It was conceived by Napoleon Bonaparte and dedicated to the glory of his imperial armies. The monument is enormous: 45m wide, 22m deep and 50m high; the actual width of the arch itself is 14.50m. The structure was designed by Jean François Thérèse Chalgrin (1739-1811), completed in 1833 and inaugurated in 1836 by French king, Louis-Philippe. The tomb of France's Unknown Soldier has sheltered beneath the arch since 1920. Its eternal flame commemorates the dead of the two World Wars, and is rekindled every evening at 18.30. Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals are found on the inside walls. Specific historic associations apart, the arch has become a symbol of French patriotism.

The Louvre is arguably the world’s leading art museum, certainly one of its largest and one of the most visited. A central landmark of Paris, located on the right bank of the River Seine, it boasts an exhibition area of well over 60,000 square metres and a range of almost 35,000 items from antiquity to the 19th century. Exhibits include Michelangelo's Slaves, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and famous works by Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. French 19th-century masterpieces include Ingres' La Grande Odalisque, Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa, and works by David and Delacroix. The Musée du Louvre is housed in the Louvre Palace, a former fortress built in the late 12th century. The Louvre, one of Paris’ must-see-sights was opened in 1793 with around 2,500 paintings. Today around 30,000 are on display.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, generally known as Sacré-Cœur, is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Basilica’s domes are well-known landmarks on the Parisian skyline. The basilica is located at the very top of the Butte de Montmartre (Montmartre Hill), the highest point in the city. The basilica was built from Catholic contributions from all over France as a sign of remorse after the Franco- Prussian War of 1870-71. The names of the donors are carved in stone. Construction began in 1873 using travertine stone, a material that releases calcite, which has the effect of keeping the stone almost white despite weathering and pollution. A total of 234 steps lead up a narrow spiral stairway to the top of the dome, where visitors are rewarded with perfect panoramic views over Paris. The area and steps in front of the basilica are where visitors from all over the world converge, an area which has featured in several films. One of the basilica’s remarkable attractions is a mosaic in the apse, one of the largest in the world and entitled Christ in Majesty.

Opened in 1875, the opera house was officially named the Académie Nationale de Musique - Théâtre de l'Opéra and retained this title until 1978 when it was re-named the Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris. After the opera company chose the Opéra Bastille as its principal theatre upon its completion in 1989, the theatre was re-named the Palais Garnier, although Académie Nationale de Musique is still prominent above the columns of its front façade. The grand neo-baroque building was designed by architect Charles Garnier (1825-98) after he won an architectural competition, before which he was largely unknown. The Opera House was built between 1862 and 1875, and at that time was the largest in the world. Its area covers some 11,000 square metres, with seating for an audience of 2,200. The elevation is divided horizontally into three. The ground floor has seven round arches, which are flanked by eight sculpted stone figures symbolizing Poetry (by Jouffroy), Music (by Guillaume), Idyll (by Aizelin), Recitation (by Chapu), Song (by Dubois), Drama (by Fabuière), Dance (by Carpeaux) and Lyric Drama (by Perraud). Above the four central figures are medallions with the heads of Cimarosa, Haydn, Pergolesi and Bach. The loggia on the second floor has 16 tall and 14 small Corinthian columns and busts of Halévy, Meyerbeer, Rossini, Auber, Spontini, Beethoven and Mozart, each set in an oculus. Above this is the attic floor, with four imposing gilded groups praising poetry and fame. The Opera House is now used only for ballet and by visiting companies.

The Moulin Rouge in Paris is the world-famous cabaret venue opened by Spanish-born Joseph Oller in 1889. This was the era of belle époque, a stable period before the First World War. A period of fun and frolics. A time during which Parisians were full of joie de vivre. The ideal time to open an exotic dance hall brimming over with beautiful showgirls. Little wonder that famous artist Toulouse-Lautrec was a regular visitor, spending hours drawing the scene around him. The Moulin Rouge was the spiritual birthplace of the modern can-can, originally introduced by courtesans to entertain the male clientèle. The venue has an enormous dance floor, mirrors on all walls and a décor reminiscent of France in the early 1900s. A time when the upper-class enjoyed mingling with the “rif et raf” and ladies of the night. Today the Moulin Rouge is a top-class tourist attraction offering musical shows to visitors from all over the globe.