Paris, France

Caunan, Marc Hendrick S.

Chavez, Regina Vee C.
Lat, Carl Efraime A.

FACTS ABOUT PARIS, FRANCE

The name "Paris" is derived from its early inhabitants, the Celtic Parisii tribe.

All the trees in Paris are referenced and measured. And there are 470,000 of them.

There are 31 street condom vending machines in Paris, provided by the Town Hall

Paris is often referred to as "The City of Light" ("La Ville Lumire"),both because
of its leading role during the Age of Enlightenment, and more literally because Paris
was one of the first European cities to adopt gas street lighting. In the 1860s, the
boulevards and streets of Paris were illuminated by 56,000 gas lamps. Since the
late 19th century, Paris is also known as Panam(e)
If you were to spend each day of your life in Paris visiting a different open terrace
(of a bar, cafe, or restaurant), then it would take you 29.8 years to see them all.
Yes, there are 9,057 of them.
In the whole of Paris, there is only one stop sign, "situated at the exit of a building
company in the rich 16th arrondissement". The traffic system in Paris is mainly
based on giving way to those coming from the right.

FACTS ABOUT PARIS, FRANCE

The bell in the Notre Dame Cathedral weighs. over 13 tonnes. And it's called
Emmanuel.
There are 6,100 streets in Paris.
The shortest street in the city - at just 5.75 metres, is the Rue des Degrs.
If you like baguettes then you're in the right city because there are 1,784
bakeries in Paris.
And there's plenty of bars too, although not as many as bakeries. In fact
there's 1,124 bars in the city at your disposal.

ATTRACTIONS IN PARIS

Disneyland Paris - This may sound incredible to you. Disneyland Paris is the
top Paris attraction. Since its opening in 1992, Disneyland Paris welcomed 200
million visitors. The yearly number of visitors is now 15 million.

Louvre Museum - The Louvre Museum is the world most visited museum with
9.2 million visitors per year. It is one of the biggest with 210 000 square meters
and 300 000 pieces of arts (35 000 are exposed to the public). The Louvre
Museum displays the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and many other
first class paintings from Italy, France, Flanders and the Netherlands.

The Eiffel Tower - The Eiffel Tower may be the most well known monument in
the world. Every year, 7 million visitors get to the first or second floor of this
unique 320 meters high steel tower dating back from 1889. The Eiffel Tower
was built in Paris from 1887 to 1889 by Gustave Eiffel, a French engineer
specializing in revolutionary steel constructions. The Eiffel Tower originally had
no use. Gustave Eiffel wanted to demonstrate the capabilities of steel
engineering at Paris 1889 world exhibition.

ATTRACTIONS IN PARIS

Centre Pompidou - Lesser known than the Louvre Museum and Orsay Museum,
Le Centre Pompidou is well worth your time: central Paris location, a daring
monument, modern art collections, stunning Paris views and a lively district.

Versailles Palace - If you come to Paris for at least two days, don't miss
Versailles Palace, a top UNESCO world heritage sight. Versailles Palace, 16
kilometers West of Paris, was commissioned by Louis XIV in the 17th century. The
largest in Europe, Versailles Palace housed 20 000 nobles during one century. In
1789, Versailles Palace was abandonned at the outset of the revolution. Versailles
Palace was turned into a museum of French history in 1833. Repair work began in
1925, thanks to many generous donators including David Rockefeller.

Notre Dame - Notre Dame de Paris stands at the heart of Paris on Ile de la Cite, a
testimony of eight centuries of Christian faith. Notre Dame de Paris is undoubtedly
one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in Western Europe. Notre Dame cathedral
was built between 1163 and 1270. France was then the most powerful and faithful
Kindgom of Europe. Notre Dame's two towers, many sculptures, stainglass
windows and nave are artistic experiences of mystical dimension.

ATTRACTIONS IN PARIS

Disneyland Paris

Louvre Museum

The Eiffel Tower

Centre Pompidou

Versailles Palace

Notre Dame

RECREATIONS IN PARIS

Rollerblade by night - It started one evening in 1993, and there were only 12 of
them. The Friday night rollermaniacs are now a few thousand and have made their
nightly apparition on the Paris boulevards an event worth experiencing. In 1998, the
French police even had to create the world's first rollerblading force, to monitor those
wild rides.

Go punting - Parisians don't have lots of large parks, but they do have two
magnificent woods in the west, plush Bois de Boulogne; in the east, petit-bourgeois
Bois de Vincennes with its four lakes, among them Lac Daumesnil. You'll see what
looks like a Buddhist temple the remnants of a "temporary" temple built for the
1931 Colonial Exhibition which is still in use today. Bois de Vincennes is also a haven
for joggers, cyclists and bird lovers.

Pony rides - Little Parisians have all ridden a pony or a donkey at least once in their
lives. You can find them in all the capital's main gardens Luxembourg Gardens, Parc
Monceau, Buttes Chaumont and, of course, the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de
Vincennes.

RECREATIONS IN PARIS

Canal cruising - Cruises on Canal Saint-Martin will take you back to the time of the
seminal 1938 Marcel Carn's film Htel du Nord, which still stands proudly right by the
canal. A cruise from the Bastille marina towards the Marne river will take you to those
bucolic open air dance halls, the famous "guinguettes" painted by Auguste Renoir and
filmed by his son Jean Renoir.

Ptanque at Nation - East of Bastille, place de la Nation stands as a proud starshaped square designed by Baron Haussmann with big boulevards and avenues
flowing from it. For a few months during the revolution, it was called "square of the
hung throne", as it harboured the guillotine. Today, in more peaceful times, you can
witness laidback ptanque and boule parties at any time of day. Anyone can join in or
cheer on the players, who are mainly locals, among them many retired North-Africans.

Climbing in Buttes Chaumont - Built in 1867, under Napoleon III, who wanted the
Parisian working classes to get some fresh air, the Buttes Chaumont, in the north-east
of Paris, is one of the city's big green spaces. It features purpose-built rocks, lakes,
islands, a suspended bridge and a hill from which the view over is breathtaking. Every
day from 9am to 10am, there are free qigong lessons, and for children, there's a
special climbing wall near the Pirates cafe.

EVENTS/FESTIVALS IN PARIS

Rock en Seine - This three-day rock festival takes place every year at the vast
grassy expanse known as the Domaine National de St. Cloud just outside the city
limits, attracting thousands of people, whether ardent fans or summer dabblers.

Fete de la Musique (Paris Street Music Festival) - is a lively street music

festival held every June 21st in Paris, and is one of the year's most popular
events in the city of light. Hundreds of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and
cafes of Paris, regaling crowds with free performances of everything from jazz
and rock to hip-hop and electronic music.

Paris Plages (Paris Beach) - Inaugurated in 2002, Paris Beach (or "Paris
Plages" in French) is a free summer event that transforms several spots in Paris
into full-fledged beaches, each with a distinct theme. From sunning in the sand
to swimming in pools suspended over the Seine, kayaking, or enjoying a free
evening concert, Paris Plages offers activities that both kids and adults will enjoy.

EVENTS/FESTIVALS IN PARIS

Bastille Day Celebrations - Every July 14th, Paris celebrates Bastille Day
(referred to as La Fte de la Bastille or La Fte Nationale in French), which marks
the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 and the first major event of the French
Revolution of 1789.The destruction of the Bastille prison in central Paris was chosen
as a symbol of France's first stirrings of democracy, though it would take several
reinstated monarchies and bloody revolutions to establish an enduring Republic.

Paris Quartier d'Et (Paris Summer Arts Festival) - The month-long Paris
Summer Arts Festival overtakes the streets of the city with (mostly free) dance,
music, theater, and circus performances from artists living and working around the
globe.

Open-Air Cinema at the Parc de la Villette - Every summer, Parisians traipse to

the ultramodern Parc de la Villette in northern Paris with blankets and folding chairs
to take advantage of celluloid in the breeze. The open-air cinema, or "cinma en
plein air", is generally free and hosts at least one show each evening for around a
month in July and August, with a program chock full of both classics and recent hits.
Many of the films are shown in English, too.

SPORTS IN PARIS

Cycling

Football
Tennis
Ice skating
Hiking
Volleyball
Rugby
Horse racing
Bowling