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Most
visitors to the "City of Light"
describe Paris in
superlatives: Its atmosphere is the most romantic, its shops and hotels are
the most chic, its restaurants beyond compare. It is true. Famous old song
says: "Paris, Paris..." There are very few cities in the world as
wonderful as Paris.
It is
situated in north central France,
capital and largest city of the country, on the Seine
River, about 370 km (about 230 mi)
from its Atlantic Ocean outlet at Le
Havre. They say the Paris location is quite profitable in terms
of economy. Paris
is situated in a low-lying basin; the city is mostly flat, although the
elevation gradually increases from the river to the low hills that ring the
city's edge. It is divided into the Right Bank
to the North and a smaller Left back to the South. The highest natural
feature within the city proper is the Butte de Montmartre, at 129 m (423 ft)
above sea level.
With an
estimated population approaching 10 million, the Paris metropolitan area contains nearly
20 percent of the nation's inhabitants and dominates the economic, cultural,
and political life of France
to an extraordinary degree; the population of Paris proper was 2,125,246 in 1999. The
centralizing philosophy of successive governments has historically favored
the city as the site for all decision making, thus exercising a powerful
attraction on virtually all of the nation's activities.
The
historic core of Paris
is the Île de la Cité,
a small island occupied in part by the Palais de
Justice and the Cathedral of Notre
Dame de Paris. Notre-Dame de Paris dates back to the
13th century and is one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in Western Europe. Its stain glasses and the huge interior
are really stunning artistic experiences of mystical dimension. Located on
the City Island
and surrounded by the Seine
River, Notre-Dame de
Paris is a flagship in the Parisian landscape and provides a magnificent view
of the City of France from the top of its towers.
Rising
above the city is the Eiffel
Tower. The Eiffel Tower
is the most recognizable landmark in Paris, France, and is known worldwide as a symbol of France. Named
after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it is a premier
tourist attraction in Paris,
with over 5.5 million visitors per year.
One
of the largest museums in the world, and possibly the most famous of them all
is the Louvre, Paris. Situated in the 1st arrondissement at the
heart of Paris, France, this palace is both from an architectural point of
view as from an arts (see Paris Art page) perspective one of the must see
sights in the City of France. It displays about 300,000 works, among them
some world-famous like the Mona Lisa from Leonardo da
Vinci, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory.
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