Want to sit at a cafe and admire the view of Notre-Dame's cathedral? Or just profit of the cheerful melting pot in those small street of Paris?

If you're missing your country's cuisine, the Latin Quarter is the perfect place to find a restaurant that will make you feel right at home. Quatier Latin is also the place to go if you want to introduce a typical dish from your home country to your Erasmus friends!
You will also find in this cheerful district of Paris typical French cuisine at good prices.

For a long time the Latin Quarter has been well known as the student district. It is the place of all the Parisian Universities. This student's talkative exchange of knowledge in the streets gives its name as the "Quartier Latin" because everybody there were so well educated they used to speak in Latin.
No one speaks Latin anymore but you will still find the prestigious French universities like La Sorbonne, Science-Po or Assas.

This means that the Latin Quarter is still a young district where students meet after school.
Trust me the Latin Quarter is one of the best places to sit and have a drink with your friends.
If you like it during the day, you are going to love it at night ;)

The Latin Quarter must see:

• Speciality food shops from around the world
• Souvenir shops
• Bars to go at night for a drink with your friends

 A sample of Quatier Latin Paris:

How to get to the Latin Quarter?

• M4 Saint Michel,  RER B-C Saint Michel Notre Dame, M10 Cluny La Sorbonne, M4-10 Odéon.
  Bus: 21-24-27-38-63-85-86-87-96
  Vélib' (City Bike): 5033 Saint Severin – 6016, 6020 Danton – 5001 Harpe
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N12, N13, N14, N21, N122, N145 Saint Michel Notre Dame – N15, N22 Notre Dame Quai de Montbello

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Popular district of Paris, you will feel in Châtelet Les Halles - Beaubourg a village atmosphere with its small streets enhanced with a touch of modern art.

If you like street art you should go in Châtelet!
During the afternoon and evening, many artists take to the street and perform hip-hop shows and street arts!

Châtelet is a great place to stay in Paris and meet your friends without being surrounded by tourists.
But you will have to support the fact that you will be surrounded by French nationals and Parisians :D
After going to Châtelet, only then, you will know what's more annoying: French nationals or tourists?!

The best way to discover Châtelet Les Halles - Beaubourg district is by foot from Montorgueil Street. Walk from Montorgueil Street towards Les Halles to experience the real charm of Châtelet.

One final point, in Châtelet, people in the street will always ask you to sign a petition or sell you items for charity. Never accept their offer as they are not official government personnel. Politely say "no", do not worry to be strict when you say no and move along ;)

How to get to Châtelet – Les Halles – Beaubourg – Montorgueil?

• M1-4-7-11-14 Châtelet, M3 Sentier, M4 Les Halles, RER A-B-D Châtelet les Halles, M4 Etienne Marcel, M11 Rambuteau
  Bus: 21-29-38-47-58-67-69-70-72-74-75-76-81-85-96
  Vélib' (City Bike): Châtelet – Boulevard Sébastopol – Etienne Marcel
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N11, N12,  N13, N14, N15, N16, N21, N22, N23, N24, N122, N144, N145 Châtelet and stops around.

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Le Marais is known by tourists as the historic aristocratic district of Paris. Le Marais district spreads across parts of the 3^rd and 4^th arrondissements.
Nowadays le Marais can be assimilated as the Jewish district during the day and the Gay district during the night.  

Apart from that "Le Marais" is a wonderful place to go window shopping or to wander around the food markets.

Take the line 1 metro and get off at the picturesque "Saint-Paul" metro stop. In "Saint-Paul" you will find traditional food shops like the chocolatiers and patisseries.
From this part of Le Marais, you can go for a walk along "Rue de Rivoli" towards "Châtelet district". "Rue de Rivoli" is the most important commercial street in Paris.

In a nutshell you will love the Marais district for:

• It's historical aspect of Paris with the medieval cobblestone streets and the timbered medieval houses. 
• The quiet Place des Vosges square which is now a peaceful park surrounded by arcades with shops and cafes
• Being the place to shop! Either for fashion in "Rue de Rivoli" or for regional food produces around "Saint Paul" metro station.
• Being a romantic place to go with the person you love for a sweet meal in the street around flowers.

How to get to le Marais district?

• M1 Saint-Paul, M7 Pont-Marie, M 1-5-8 Bastille
  Bus: 20-29-65-69-76-86-87-91-96
  Vélib' (City Bike): 4010 Saint Paul – 4012, 4015 Rivoli – 4011 Pont-Marie – 3013 Rue de Sevigne – 4013 Rue Vieille du temple
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N11, N16 Rue Vieille du Temple Mairie du 4^ème, Rue du Jouy, Saint Paul, Birague – N01, N02, N144 Bastille

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Constructed in 1973, Montparnasse Tower is the highest building in Paris with its 210 meters high and 59 floors.
Let's mention that the Eiffel tower is not considered as a building.

As the Eiffel Tower was, Montparnasse Tower was criticized during its construction for its height.
But after few years, Montparnasse Tower became a familiar landmark for everybody in Paris.

The tower is located on a line with Ecole Militaire, Invalides Museum, Champs de Mars, Tour Eiffel and Trocadéro.

Inside Montparnasse Tower, you will find a shopping mall, business offices and company headquarters.

Even if the most part of the tower belongs to private companies, you can visit the 56^th floor to admire Paris landscape and also have some food in restaurants.
From the 56 floor, you can access the rooftop, which sometimes is use for helicopters departure and arrival.

For the Frenchies, Montparnasse Tower is famous for the absurd comedy called "La Tour Montparnasse infernale" who tell the story of two window cleaners who become victims of a hostage taking.

A sample of Tour Montparnasse Paris:

How to get to Montparnasse Tower: Tour Montparnasse 33 Avenue du Maine 75015 Paris

• M4-6-12-13 Montparnasse Bienvenüe – Transilien N Montparnasse
  Bus: 28-58-82-88-89-91-92-94-95-96
  Vélib' (City Bike): 15001, 15118 Rue de l'Arrivée – 14127 Odessa – 14101 Edgar Quinet
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N01, N02, N12, N13, N61, N62, N63, N145 Montparnasse

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• Opening hours and prices to visit Montparnasse Tower
  

Famous for its special architecture, the Centre George Pompidou is the contemporary art museum in Paris.

Nor could say if the building looks more like a spaceship, a deserted factory with strange pipes or something else but it is the magic about contemporary art.

Centre George Pompidou is full of crazy contemporary art such as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography, cinema, architecture and design.

Plus there are also plenty of exhibitions per year in Centre Pompidou!

A sample of Centre George Pompidou Paris:

 How to get to Centre Pompidou: Centre Pompidou 19 Rue Beaubourg, 75004 Paris

• M11 Rambuteau – M1-4-7-11-14 Châtelet – RER A-B-D Châtelet les Halles
  Bus: 21-29-38-47-58-69-70-72-74-75-76-81-85-96
  Vélib' (City Bike): 4021 Rambuteau – 4020 Quincampoix – 1005 Cossonnerie – 4104 Boulevard Sebastopol
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N11-12-13-14-15-16-21-22-23-24-122-144-145 Châtelet
  
  
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• Opening hours and prices for Centre Pompidou museum

Place de la Bastille is known as the place where the French Revolution began on the 14^th of July 1789. 

The Bastille was used as a jail and it was a symbol of the arbitrary nature of royal power, (some rivals of the king were put into jail for no reason) the poor inhabitant of Faubourg Saint-Antoine street decided to storme the jail to protest about the public's dissatisfaction towards Louis XVI carelessness about inflation of food prices.

To put you in the context of 1789, you have to know that lots of storms destroyed the crops during summers of 1787 and 1788.
With its consequences to increase the cereal prices used to make flour for bread, one of the cheapest and basic foods produced by the farmers.
Poor people like hand workers and farmers were completely starving, unable to afford to buy breads to eat.

At the same time, taxes for the church and taxes for the landowners were getting higher and higher.

Aware that the situation was becoming worse in his country, the French King Louis XVI ordered to record the "cahiers de doléances".
The "cahiers de doléances" was a kind of survey or guestbook where the population could write down their main preoccupations.
It's supposed to see what's going right and what's going wrong to help the government to take actions and decisions for the population. 

But using this cahier de doléances was more a political tactic than improving people's situations.
Louis XVI only thought that people would think that they would be listened to by the government and it would calm them down and make them happy. It was just to give a good impression and distract the people's attention from the starving issue.

In fact Louis XVI didn't take the record seriously and didn't make any improvement for the people's economic situation.

When the population realized that the king didn't listen and cheated on them ….

• Because the Queen Marie-Antoinette was spending all the money from the taxes for her own pleasure by buying expensive jewellery, shoes, dresses…
• Because she didn't give a shit about the people starving over there and disrespected them when she answered them "if they don't have bread, let them eat cake!"
• Because Louis XVI was having the power to freeze the inflation of the cost of the bread but didn't use it (at this time the cost of bread wasn't regulate only by offer and demand, the king could fix the maximum price to sell for all the country)

… people became furious and started to protest about Louis XVI government.

This is how the French Revolution started on July 14^th 1789.

Now at the place of the destroyed Bastille jail you can see in the centre the column of July.
This column was made to commemorate all the French citizens who fought for the public's right in the 2^nd revolution of July 1830 (27-28-29 of July 1830).

I know it's a bit complicated to understand that we have a different date for revolutions but the French Revolution of 1789 didn't solve all the political problems in one day.
After the French revolution of 1789 the political system had been changing all the time going thoughout:

• The Anarchy during the French Revolution
• The Republic
• The Empire during Napoleon
• A Constitutional  Monarchy …

Fights for citizen's rights took time and continued after the French Revolution.

Due to that Revolution period during the history of France, Bastille is a popular place for the French strikes during those days.

If you want to relax in Bastille, you can go for a walk along the Canal Saint Martin (exit towards Rue de Lyon, Boulevard de Bastille) or sunbath in Place des Vosges Park.

Bastille is also a big French student's meeting point to hang out at night.

A sample of Place de la Bastille Paris:

How to get to Bastille: Place de la Bastille, 75004 Paris

• M1-5-8 Bastille
  Bus: 20-29-65-69-76-86-87-91
  Vélib' (City Bike) : 4007 Bourdon – 4101 Bastille – 11001 Richard Lenoir
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N01-N02-N11-N16 Bastille

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Conciergerie was the first French kings Palace before Charles V decided to move his residence to le Louvre in 1364.

After that move, Conciergerie was used as a jail. Detention conditions were terrible: Conciergerie was dirty, overcrowded and insane prisoners were mixed with politicians opposing prisoners. Conciergerie was recognized as the rudest jail in Paris.

During the French Revolution, la Concergerie was also used as the Revolution Justice Palace.
Marie-Antoinette (Louis XVI's wife), Robespierre (defender of human rights during the French Revolution) and thousands of citizens were judged in Conciergerie jail before they got under the Guillotine.

The best view over La Conciergerie is when you are on the border of Seine River. Like during summertime in Paris Plage :)

Before you go inside we should warn you that there is nothing really impressive to see in La Conciergerie. However what is worth seeing is the Sainte-Chapelle which is also part of the Royal Palace with La Conciergerie.

Part of the Royal Palace, Sainte-Chapelle was ordered by the French king Louis IX in 1242 to keep some religious treasures that belonged to the king family.

The most popular of these treasures are the relics of the Passion of Christ and the Crown of Thorns. Sainte-Chapelle was the private chapel for the king, his close friends and family.
Ornamented by the lily-flowers the emblems for the French king, Sainte-Chapelle considerably improved the royal power over the crowd as the king is to be representative of god.

Nowadays the edifice between the Sainte-Chapelle and La Conciergerie is the Justice Palace. That's why you have bodyguards and cabs everywhere at the entrance.

A sample of La Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle:

How to get to la Concergerie: La Conciergerie, 2 Boulevard du Palais 75001 Paris – Sainte Chapelle, 8 Boulevard du Palais 75001 Paris

• M4 Cité
  Bus: 21-24-27-38-58-81-85-Balabus
  Vélib' (City Bike): 4002 Place Louis Lepine
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N14-N21 Cité Palais de Justice, N15-N22 Cité Palais de Justice or Cité Parvis Notre Dame, N11-N12-N13-N14-N15-N16-N21-N22-N23-N24-N122-N144-N145 Châtelet

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• Opening Hours and Prices for La Concergerie and Sainte-Chapelle
  

What would Paris be without the Eiffel Tower ?
Constructed by Gustave Eiffel and his team, working for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, the Eiffel Tower was built to promote the French Industry's savoir-faire. 

You may know that you can't truly be French if you don't criticize new things. So in true French style everyone began to complain about the construction of the Tower because it was too modern, too big…
The Tour Eiffel spoilt the charm of other architectural monuments and so on.
Lots of people wanted the Eiffel Tower to be knocked down.

To protect his work Gustave Eiffel gave the tower a practical use. Tour Eiffel was used for science experiments, weather forecasts, radio transmissions…

It was the radio transmission that made people completely change their mind about the Eiffel Tower.
During WWI French people started to admire the tower when the French army won against the Germans, thanks to the good communication system that was made available by the antenna placed on the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower became an important symbol of Paris and of French people.

As the Eiffel Tower was built to promote French science and industry you will see the names of 72 French scientists on the 1^st floor of the tower. 
The Eiffel Tower promoted the French industry so well that Gustave Eiffel built more buildings around the world. To name a few : 

• Train stations: Budapest-Nyugati (Hungary), La Paz (Bolivia)
• Bridges: Ponte Luis I, Porto (Portugal), Viaduc du Garabit (France), Ponte Cuenca (Spain), Trang Tien Bridge (Viet-Nam), Rocher de la Vierge, Biarritz (France)…
• And also private buildings, churches…

If you are going to be in Paris for a longer stay, the Eiffel Tower is something that should be seen in both the daytime and at night.
Make sure that the sky is clear to enjoy it fully ;)
From the 2^nd floor you will have a very good view over the main monuments of Paris.
From the 3^rd floor you can see an 80km panoramic view of Paris.

The most enjoyable things to do are having a picnic on the Champs de Mars, admiring the sunset on the Eiffel Tower or the sparkling tower, from the stairs at Trocadero, at night. 

A sample of the Eiffel Tower:

How to get to Eiffel Tower: Tour Eiffel Champ de Mars  5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris

• M 6 Bir-Hackeim, RER C Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel, M 6-9 Trocadero, M8 Ecole Militaire
  Bus: 42-69-82-87
  Vélib': 7023 Quai Branly – 7025 Octave Creard – 15071 Suffren
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N53 Trocadéro

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• Eiffel Tower Sparkling at night during 3mn every full hour until 1:00

• Opening hours and prices for Eiffel Tower

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Napoleon Bonaparte ordered Vendôme column to commemorate, as well as, glorify the success of his army in the battle of Austerlitz in 1805.

Vendôme column was inspired by the Trajan's column and the Marcus Aurelius column in Rome.

The Vendôme column is made of 1200 cannons, taken from both the Russian and Austrian armies.
Vendôme column is decorated with antique styled bas reliefs representing battle scenes and military trophies galore.

Column's twisted shape is inherent of the stairway inside that gives a view to Napoleon's statue. Fascinated, one more time, by Roman Empire Napoleon Bonaparte is represented like Caesar Imperator with the imperial laurel-leaf crown.
Do not look to go up to the Vendôme column because public is not allowed there!

All around Vendôme place you will find plenty of luxury stores of all kind: jewellers, perfumeries, fashion stores and so on!

A sample of Vendôme column in Place Vendôme Paris:

How to get to Vendôme Place: Place Vendôme, Paris

• M1 Tuileries, M3-7-8 Opéra, RER A Opéra-Auber, M7-14 Pyramides
  Bus: 21-27-68-81-95
  Vélib' (City Bike): 1019 Saint Honoré – 1022 Paix Casanova
  Noctilien (Night Bus): N11-N24 Castiglione, N15-N16 Opéra

• Maps: