John's Paris Page

I was in Paris in 1995, in June of 1999 and again in July of 2004. This page was inspired by my love for the city. The photos above of Les Deux Magots, the Metro stop at Abbesses, and the bookseller's stalls behind Notre Dame stir up wonderful memories for me. If you are a fellow Francophile, this page is for you, too.

Paris:

The Paris Pages: a huge collection of links, enough to please any francophile.
City Net guide to Paris: still more links to the most romantic city in the world.

Art: there are so many wonderful museums in Paris it is hard to know where to start, but here are four of my favorites:

Musée du Louvre: Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, what else can I say; there is nothing else even close any where is the world; if you love art, visiting this enormous palace is an incomparable experience and an absolute must.
Musée d'Orsay: an elegant old train station converted to a museum; the best collection of Impressionist paintings in the world; don't go to Paris without eating at least one meal in the elegant dining room on the second floor.
Musée Auguste Rodin: is housed in the beautiful 18th century Hôtel Biron; it is worth a visit if only to stroll through the shady sculpture garden behind the museum.
Musée National du Moyen-Age Thermes de Cluny: contains a wide collection of medieval art, including the awesome unicorn tapestries, all set in a 15th century Gothic mansion, with the Gallic-Roman baths adjacent.

Some other attractions:

Cimetière du Père Lachaise: over one million people are buried here including Chopin, Bizet, Rossini, Molière, Colette, Oscar Wilde, Balzak, Marcel Proust, Gertrude Stein, Delacroix, Pissarro, Seurat, Modigliani,Sarah Bernhardt, Simone Signoret, Yves Montand, Édith Piaf, Isadora Duncan, Marshal Ney and Baron Haussmann. But the most viewed tomb of all is that of The Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died of an overdose in Paris in 1971. The day I was there in 1995, Morrison's grave was surrounded by an ever-changing crowd of young people, while the rest of this huge old cemetary was deserted.
For underground adventure (other than riding the Metro) visit the Catacombs of Paris and the Crypt of Notre Dame.
Another "must see" is Montmartre on the north side of the city: see the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur and the Metro stop at Abbesses, one of the few remaining Art Nouveau style entrances (see photo above). Père Lachaise is close by.

Cultural Miscellanea:

The Virtual Baguette: an e-zine that's lots of fun!
Les Fromages de France: all about French cheese (in French).
Club Oenologie François Rabelais: have some wine with your cheese.
Les très riches heures du Duc de Berry: Paris in medieval art.
Pages de France: a French bookstore.
Le Tour de France 1999: le site officiel.
Premiers Pas Sur l'Internet: for kids.
Napoleon on the Internet

Parlez-vous Français?

Travel:

Go to: francophilia library * meta-library * home page