The origin of the Louvre goes back to the end of the 12th century, when Philippe Auguste, before leaving for the Third Crusade, had a fortress built near the river to defend Paris from the incursions of the Saxons (in fact the name Louvre seems to derive from the Saxon word “leovar”, meaning “fortified dwelling”): this original nucleus occupied about a quarter of the present-day Cour Carree. The king continued to live on the Cite, so that the fortress was used to contain the Treasury and the archives. In the 14th century, Charles V…

The Cite, centre of the city’s life since the 3rd century, was founded here on what was the largest of the islands in the Seine. It was the first settlement and first religious centre, and here were erected the Cathedral and the Palais de Justice. Numerous bridges link it to the banks of the Seine, [...]

The cathedral of Notre-Dame stands on the site of a Christian basilica which had in turn been built on the site of a temple from the Roman era. Its construction was begun in 1163, under Bishop Maurice de Sully: first the chancel was built, followed over the years by the nave and aisles and the [...]

Formerly Place de I’Etoile, this square is at the end of the Champs-Elysees. It is a vast circular area 130 yards in diameter, from which a total of twelve important streets radiate out: Avenue des Champs-Elysees, Avenue de Friedland, Avenue Hoche, Avenue de Wagram, Avenue MacMahon, Avenue Carnot, Avenue de la Grande Armee, Avenue Foch, [...]

What the press defined as “the most beautiful museum in Europe” is to be found on the left bank of the Seine, where the State Audit Court originally stood in 1870; it was then destroyed during the Commune. In 1898 the Paris-Orleans railway company assigned the building of the new station to Victor Laloux. The [...]

You will probably also want to begin at once doing some shopping, even before you go looking for special souvenirs. Shopping in Paris will give you an idea of the vitality of the city, whether you are buying food or any other article. It is a large city where the people work hard. Shops selling [...]