Paris

Paris is the capital city of France, and the largest city there. Its area is 105 square km,
and around 2,15 million people live there. Counting suburbs, the population of Paris
rises to 12 million people.

The Seine river runs through the oldest part of Paris, and divides it into two parts,
known as the Left Bank and the Right Bank. It is surrounded by many forests.

Paris is also the centre of French economy, politics, traffic and culture. Paris has a lot of
art, museums and historical buildings. As a traffic centre, Paris has a very good
underground subway system, airports and stations. The Metro was built in 1900, and its
total length is more than 200 km.

The city has a multi-cultural style, because 20% of the people there are from outside
France. There are many different restaurants with all kinds of food.

The most famous buildings in the Paris are the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and
The Louvre (see below).

History
Julius Caesar conquered the Celtic Parisii tribe in 52 BC. The Romans called the place
Lutetia, or Lutetia Parisiorum. The place got a shorter name, Paris, in 212 AD.

As the Roman Empire began to crumble in the West, the Germanic tribe called the
Franks moved in, taking it in 464. In 506, their king Clovis I made it his capital.
Charlemagne moved his capital to Aachen in Germany, but Paris continued as an
important town and was attacked by the Vikings twice. When Hugh Capet became king
of France in 987, he again made Paris his capital. For a long time, the kings only
controlled Paris and the surrounding area, as much of the rest of France was in the
hands of barons or English. During the Hundred Years War, the English even controlled
Paris from 1420 to 1437.

During the Protestant Reformation, a huge massacre of French Protestants started here
in 1572, called the Saint Bartholemews Day Massacre. Paris saw many other troubles
over the years of the "Ancien Regime" (Old Kingdom), then in 1789, the French
Revolution began in Paris, leading to more massacres.

The Russian army captured Paris from Napoleon in 1814, and the Prussian army
captured it in 1871. The next time it was captured was by the Nazi Germans in 1940.
The Allies freed the city in 1944 and it has never been captured again since.
Tourism
Paris has much to offer for sightseeing. Here are four very famous examples.

• The Eiffel Tower is the most famous sight in Paris, built by Gustave Eiffel in
1889 with 6,300 tons of iron — that means 18,000 pieces of iron and 2.5 million
rivets. With a height of 300 meters, for a long time it was the highest tower in
the world. Over 6 million people visit it every year.
• The Louvre is a museum with very famous works of art, such as the Mona Lisa
and the Venus de Milo. King Francis I built it in 1546. It is the biggest museum
in the world, with 60,000 square meters of show room. Over 5 million people
visit it each year.
• The Musée D'Orsay used to be a train station, but it is now an art museum. Like
the Louvre, it has very famous works of art.
• The Moulin Rouge is a cabaret with many shows. It is in Montmartre — a part of
Paris with an exciting nightlife. In the Moulin Rouge, girls put on a famous
dance called the cancan.

Transportation
Because the city of Paris is roughly only 6 miles across, visitors have a wide range of
options when it comes to transportation. While much of the more well-known
attractions are located in the center of the city and are best experienced by walking,
there are many destinations that require other means of transport. While taxis offer a fast
and relatively inexpensive means of travel, Paris’ public transportation system offers an
enjoyable, stress-free way to explore the city.

The Paris Métro system was constructed in 1900 by engineer Fulgence Bienvenüe and
architect Hector Guimard, the French Métro covers over 124 miles with 368 stations
and 15 lines. Servicing over 6 million residents and tourists every day, the Métro was
designed to be an efficient and reliable alternative to the congestion of traffic. Every
building in Paris is less than 500 meters from a train station, so accessibility is never a
problem. The 15 Métro lines are identified by their final destinations. Simply select the
appropriate line and take it in the direction you want. The Métro stations are well
marked, and there are ticket booths at most entrances.

• RATP
• Navigating the Paris Métro

Events
• 1900 - The Olympic Games took place in Paris.
• 1924 - The Olympic Games took place in Paris.
• 1998 - The FIFA world cup