Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris through the years. The tower rises at 984 feet. It was built for the World Exhibition held in 1889, in celebration of the French revolution in 1789. If you can’t have the chance to see it up close, you’ll still have the chance to see it all over Paris. There’s no escaping this picturesque and world-famous structure.
The Louvre
Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Michelangelo’s Dying Slave—you’ll find them all at The Louvre. Originally a royal palace, The Louvre today is one of the world’s largest and important museums. It houses a lot of the world’s celebrated works of art. Anyone who has even the slightest appreciation for art should visit here.
Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre Dame de Paris – “Our Lady of Paris”)
Because of our nature with Christianity, it’s hard for us Filipinos not to have an appreciation with beautifully structured cathedrals. One of which—and one of the most famous—is the Notre Dame Cathedral. It has been the center of Catholicism in France since it has the “cathedra”, the official chair of the Archbishop in Paris. The Notre Dame Cathedral is also considered one of the finest French Gothic architecture. And although it has suffered a handful of damage and vandalism all throughout the years ever since it was built in 1345, they were still able to reconstruct and preserve its beauty up until this day.
Moulin Rouge
Ever since it opened its doors nearly 120 years ago, Moulin Rouge has set the standard for the world’s most famous cabarets. It soon gained a reputation of a place where men could get “entertained” by Parisian women. In later years, the establishment cleaned up its act (so to speak), eventually lost its reputation as a brothel, and became a fashionable music hall known for its extravagant cabaret shows, attracting a high-class clientele. Today, Moulin Rouge is still famous with adult visitors. The show features more than one hundred performers decked out in the most extravagant costumes, which include lots of feathers, rhinestones, and sequins. The sets are equally as spectacular.
Musée d’Orsay
The Musée d’Orsay is a museum housed in a grand railway station built in 1900. Home to many sculptures and impressionist paintings, it has become one of Paris’s most popular museums. When it opened, the museum contained some 2300 paintings, 1500 sculptures and 1000 other objects. Most of these works of art came from other museums such as the Musée du Luxembourg. Over time the collection has expanded significantly mainly due to acquisitions and gifts. It covers a period from the mid-nineteenth century up to 1914 and contains works from Degas, Rodin, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Cezanne, van Gogh and others.
(Source: A View On Cities)
