Paris is one of the best city's in the world you can walk around. walking around the city of Light, is one of the greatest joys of visiting Paris. There are uniquely Parisian pleasures to see and be found around every Paris corner that will bring you closer to the city’s essence than anything else. Whether strolling the wide Boulevards laid out by Baron Haussmann in the 19th century or exploring the medieval nooks and crannies of the left bank,you will come away with a new appreciation for the soul of this magnificent world capital. Explore one of my favorite Paris walks thru my photo's. Remember to forget walking briskly, Paris is for strolling. Don't be too destination directed. Let Paris lead you. Don't try to lead it. Wherever you walk you will find surprising and wonderful architecture, sights, smells and tastes and you will perhaps, begin to understand why so many people, all over the world, claim Paris as the capital of their hearts.
Arm yourself with a Paris street map (Plan de Paris), available from newsagents. The blue Paris Pratique is clear and compact. I love to shop in supermarkets for lunch time picnics. Try to go for franprix, ED or Supermarchés de Paris, Also you might walk upon a weekend food or Antiques markets in certain areas of the city. Find a shady parc or square to sit in where you can watch the old men playing petanque and have your picnic. A romantic evening walk down by the Seine is quite beautiful. Enjoy the photo's
The clock was installed in 1371 under the reign of Charles V and was the first public clock in Paris
It was restored a first time in 1585.
It is decorated with inscriptions in Latin, the royal monogram and bas-reliefs representing the Justice on the right side and the Law on the left side.
T he 43m high square Clock Tower marks the corner of the Palais de Justice at the junction of the current Quai de l'Horloge and Boulevard du Palais on the Ile de la Cité.
It was built by King Jean le Bon in 1353.
The clock was severely mutilated during the French Revolution and restored by the clock maker Lepaute in 1849. The sculptures were reproduced to the identical by the sculptor Toussaint.
The original bell, that was melted during the Revolution in 1792, announced the royal marriages, births and deaths...
18th Century Building in Le Marais with gold stars
18th Century Building in Le Marais with gold stars
Roof tops of Paris view from my apt window in Le Marais
Wonderful old architecture in Le Marais
Saint Germain des Pres
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
The Hôtel de Salm was constructed between 1782 and 1787 by the architect Pierre Rousseau (1751–1810) for the German Prince Frederick III, Fürst of Salm-Kyrburg. The revolutionary government nationalised the building, and from 13 May 1804 it was renamed the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur, and became the seat of the newly created Légion d'honneur. The interior was remodeled for that purpose by Antoine-François Peyre, and new exterior sculptures were added by Jean Guillaume Moitte and Philippe-Laurent Roland. It was also a favorite of Thomas Jefferson, whose design for Monticello, his own estate, was influenced by it.
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
Palais de la Légion d'Honneur
Assemblée Nationale
Assemblée Nationale
L'Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids),
L'Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids),
L'Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids),
Inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture. Mansart raised its drum with an attic storey over its main cornice, and employed the paired columns motif in his more complicated rhythmic theme. The general programme is sculptural but tightly integrated, rich but balanced, consistently carried through, capping its vertical thrust firmly with a ribbed and hemispherical dome. The domed chapel is centrally placed to dominate the court of honour. It was finished in 1708.
The Église du Dôme Inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture.
Inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture. Mansart raised its drum with an attic storey over its main cornice, and employed the paired columns motif in his more complicated rhythmic theme. The general programme is sculptural but tightly integrated, rich but balanced, consistently carried through, capping its vertical thrust firmly with a ribbed and hemispherical dome. The domed chapel is centrally placed to dominate the court of honour. It was finished in 1708.
The Église du Dôme Inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome the original for all Baroque domes, it is one of the triumphs of French Baroque architecture.
La Tour Eiffel
Everywhere you walk around Old Paris you see wonderful old hardware like this large 18th century Door knocker
A Napoleon lll cast iron grate
I would love to call this my home!
The gates of Bagatelle park and chateau
The gates of Bagatelle park and chateau
The gates of Bagatelle park and chateau
Gatehouse of Bagatelle park and chateau
The gates of Bagatelle park and chateau
Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
Door of Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
Neoclassical façade of Notre Dame de Lorette, Paris
The Church of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (Église Saint-Vincent-de-Paul)
History of the Porte Saint-Denis
The Saint-Denis arch was erected (1671-74) by Nicolas François Blondel, and paid for by the City of Paris. Small openings were cut into the sides to facilitate circulation, contrary to the architect's wishes.
A bas-relief on the southern façade represents the passage of the Rhine and the symbolic figures of the vanquished regions of the Rhine and Holland (beneath the features of a grieving woman). On the northern façade, the king is shown placing the town of Maastricht under his yoke.
It was through this gate, and along the rue St-Denis, that the kings of France would return to Paris from religious services at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Napoleon's troops also passed through the arch, entering the city in 1816 after a victorious campaign. On the occasion of her visit to the Universal Exposition in 1855, Queen Victoria passed under the arch; she was the last sovereign to have completed this ritual dating back nearly a thousand years.
On June 23, 1848, a bloody insurrection of disenchanted workers took place here, complete with the erection of barricades and capture of the national guard's post at the boulevard Bonne Nouvelle. In the ensuing firefight, over 30 insurgents were killed or wounded. The whole confligration was documented on June 25 by Fredrick Engels (the co-founder of Marxism), who subsequently published many accounts of the June Revolution in Neue Rheinische Zeitung.
The arch of the Porte Saint-Denis served as the inspiration for the more famous Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile (completed in 1836), as well as for the Manhatten Bridge Arch in New York (designed by Carrere and Hastings, completed in 1909).
Historical factoid: Back in 1436, when Paris was still a fortified stronghold, the English — with the support of the Burgundians — had invaded and occupied an area of the city around the Porte Saint-Denis. However, their unwelcome presence was soon to be challenged: While King Charles VII was approaching Paris, its citizens began to revolt against their unwanted guests. Directed by Michel de Lailler and aided by the High Constables Richemont and Jean de Villiers d'Adam, a plan of attack was devised. Richemont, who was based in Saint Denis (outside the city limits), decided to enter Paris through the Porte Saint-Martin, while the English were expecting him at the Porte Saint-Denis. The English were soundly defeated, allowing King Charles VII to triumphantly enter the city on November 12, 1437.
The Arc de Triomphe de la Porte St-Denis, Paris
The Arc de Triomphe de la Porte St-Denis, Paris
The Arc de Triomphe de la Porte St-Denis, Paris
Two triumphal arches, at the Porte Saint-Martin and Porte Saint-Denis, were commissioned by Louis XIV to commemorate his military victories. Ever since 1670, reinforcement of France's northeastern borders had allowed the removal of fortifications surrounding Paris, and this circumference was transformed into verdant promenades. During the centuries that followed, they were to become the "grand boulevards"(1) of Paris.
Symbolically marking the entrances into 17th-century Paris at the sites of the old toll-gates, these two triumphal arches served only an ornamental function. Their sculptures and bas-reliefs celebrated the King as a head of war.
History of the Porte Saint-Martin
Construction of the Porte Saint-Martin immediately followed that of the Porte Saint-Denis in 1674, and it was likewise paid for by the city of Paris. A Latin inscription at the summit of the south façade proclaims, "To Louis the Great, for having vanquished the German, Spanish, and Dutch armies: the Dean of the Guild and the Aldermen of Paris."
The two bas-reliefs on the south façade represent the taking of Besançon (see Province of Franche-Comté) and Louis XIV in the act of crushing the Triple Alliance. The north façade depicts the taking of Limbourg and the defeat of the Germans.
Although Louis XIV favored living at Versailles, he championed the urban development of Paris, instituting a Department of Roads to ensure that city streets were cleaner and well-lit.
Historical factoid: Saint-Martin once had its own métro stop, situated between Strasbourg-Saint-Denis and République. It was closed at the beginning of World War II (September 2, 1939) and reopened upon the Liberation of Paris (August 25, 1944). However, it was soon shut down again — this time permanently, judged to be too close to its neighboring stations. Saint-Martin is the largest of all closed métro stations in Paris, and still features the old porcelain tiled advertisements on its walls. In recent years, it has been put to use to house some homeless souls during the coldest winter months.
Two triumphal arches, at the Porte Saint-Martin and Porte Saint-Denis, were commissioned by Louis XIV to commemorate his military victories. Ever since 1670, reinforcement of France's northeastern borders had allowed the removal of fortifications surrounding Paris, and this circumference was transformed into verdant promenades. During the centuries that followed, they were to become the "grand boulevards"(1) of Paris.
Symbolically marking the entrances into 17th-century Paris at the sites of the old toll-gates, these two triumphal arches served only an ornamental function. Their sculptures and bas-reliefs celebrated the King as a head of war.
Rue Saint-Denis is one of the oldest streets in Paris. Its route was first laid out in the 1st century by the Romans, and then extended to the north in the Middle Ages. From the Middle Ages to the present day, the street has become notorious as a place of prostitution. Its name derives from it being the historic route to Saint-Denis.
Historically, this street was an extremely upper-class area, occupied by jewellers and textile merchants, since it was part of the king's processional route to the Basilica of Saint Denis.
The neighborhood around the rue Saint-Denis is now above all made up of sex shops, with the part situated between rue Réaumur and boulevard Saint-Denis notorious as a place of prostitution. Nevertheless, the street does also contain some clothes shops, bars and restaurants, as well as the church of Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles, a bank, and the Chambre des notaires building.
The Hôtel de Ville in Paris, France,
The Hôtel de Ville in Paris, France,
A Neoclassical church
History of the Porte Saint-Denis
The Saint-Denis arch was erected (1671-74) by Nicolas François Blondel, and paid for by the City of Paris. Small openings were cut into the sides to facilitate circulation, contrary to the architect's wishes.
A bas-relief on the southern façade represents the passage of the Rhine and the symbolic figures of the vanquished regions of the Rhine and Holland (beneath the features of a grieving woman). On the northern façade, the king is shown placing the town of Maastricht under his yoke.
It was through this gate, and along the rue St-Denis, that the kings of France would return to Paris from religious services at the Basilica of Saint-Denis. Napoleon's troops also passed through the arch, entering the city in 1816 after a victorious campaign. On the occasion of her visit to the Universal Exposition in 1855, Queen Victoria passed under the arch; she was the last sovereign to have completed this ritual dating back nearly a thousand years.
Paris is full of old churches and full of very fine decorations. One can spend days going thru the churches of Paris.
The churches of Paris are full of fine art masterpieces.
The churches of Paris are full of fine art masterpieces.
I just love this painting
Vertical Garden
A blind person could take fabulous photo's in Paris as everywhere one looks there is so much beauty
Hôtel de Sens gardens
It was originally owned by the archbishops of
Sens. The building is in between late
Gothic and early Renaissance style, and now houses the
Forney art library. This mansion is one of three medieval private residences remaining in Paris. It was built between 1475 and 1507
Hôtel de Sens gardens
I love the old details of Paris
Theseus fighting the Minotaur by Étienne-Jules Ramey (French, 1796–1852). Marble, 1826. In the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.
Theseus fighting the Minotaur by Étienne-Jules Ramey (French, 1796–1852). Marble, 1826. In the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.
Theseus fighting the Minotaur by Étienne-Jules Ramey (French, 1796–1852). Marble, 1826. In the Tuileries Gardens, Paris.
Hotel Gouthiere, Rue Pierre Bullet 6
One of my favorite 18th century homes in Paris is the Hotel Gouthiere located at 6, rue Pierre-Bullet, It was built from 1772-1780 for bronzer Gouthiere who had to sell it in 1787 because of his debts. It is one of the most charming Neo-Egyptian Louis XVI interiors and exteriors. The street courtyard wall is topped by Sphinxes and the carved courtyard entrance is decorated with the caduceus staff. Gouthiere work on the famous jewel cabinet of Marie Antoinette.
Walking around Old Paris you can't help but noticing colorful doors everywhere you looked
Rococo Scrolls
18th century building
Enjoying the Chocolat L’Africain at the Angelina Tea room
The Angelina tea room first opened its doors in Rue de Rivoli in 1903, and has since become a must-visit for any foodie traveling to Paris. Audrey Hepburn and Coco Chanel have dined here,
