Looking back, I can say that Paris is the most beautiful European city I have ever visited. The aura of history and countless monuments is palpable everywhere. Just mentioning the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur… imagine so many famous landmarks in one place. The diagonal line of the city stretching through the Louvre, the Obelisk, Champs-Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, and the skyscraper district La Defense is amazing. The French are simply masters of architecture; no wonder they even made the Statue of Liberty for the Americans. And if you add to all this the fact, that the whole city is crisscrossed by metro like an anthill, it’s almost incomprehensible how it all works.
Contents
Day 1 – Bonjour Paris and Sacre Coeur Basilica
Day 2 – Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and La Defense
Day 3 – Louvre, Notre Dame, and Pantheon
Day 4 – Revoir
Day 1 – Bonjour Paris and Sacre Coeur Basilica
We arrive at Orly airport while it’s still light around 7 p.m. We transfer by bus 285 to the last stop of metro M7 (Villejuif – Louis Aragon). And from there, it’s just a couple of metro lines M7 and M4 to Barbès – Rochechouart station. Our accommodation, Le Village Hostel, is a short walk from this station, so we walked there on foot. The room looks more than great, keycard entry, and we even have a view of Sacre Coeur Basilica.
TIP: Tap water may not be very drinkable, so it’s better not to risk it.
We unpack our things, grab a bite to eat, and the night walk can begin. The first stop is the aforementioned basilica. It’s a huge monument and we were surprised by how many people were in the streets in the evening. We walked around it and continue to the famous street where the cabaret Moulin Rouge is located.
In front of the entrance, there were gorillas that I wouldn’t want to meet face to face 🙂 We walk along the whole street and return back on the other side. One needs to be cautious as there are many dealers moving around here. I experienced it firsthand when someone grabbed me from behind and started offering drugs to me right on the street. Cafés were crowded, and people mostly sat outside on the terraces. Despite the cold weather, everywhere there were gas lamps emitting heat. We slowly head back home as it is long past midnight.
Day 2 – Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and La Defense
In the morning, we set our alarm for seven, quickly have breakfast so we can head out to the Eiffel Tower as soon as possible. As we were told, there are usually long queues, which was indeed the case. We took metro lines M2 and M6 and got off at Trocadéro station. We walk past the Chaillot palace, and in front of us emerges a massive iron structure. At first glance, we really didn’t expect it to be so huge, hats off to this masterpiece.
TIP: You really need to arrive early in the morning if you don’t want to wait long for the Eiffel Tower.
The lines were forming steadily, and it took us about an hour of waiting. The ticket office was at the north pillar, where the elevator was located. All the legs of the Eiffel Tower point to the cardinal directions. We bought a ticket to the very top on the third floor for 12€. The journey was divided into two stages, first one elevator goes up to the first and second floors, and then the second elevator takes you all the way up to the third floor. From a height of 300m, you have Paris and the Seine at your fingertips, these are unforgettable views. At times, one can even feel the entire top of the Eiffel Tower moving 🙂
At the top, we can see the small Statue of Liberty, which is located on Swan Island in the middle of the Seine. We rode back to the second floor and then continued on foot down the stairs. We also saw many workers hanging on ropes and doing something there. But working at such a height requires a strong stomach. The whole Eiffel Tower is dotted with lights, there must have been thousands of them. And I don’t even want to imagine what it’s like to paint it 🙂 We descended a decent number of steps and looked at the structure up close.
We continue on through Champ de Mars, where beautiful shots can be taken. Merchants with souvenirs, especially small Eiffel Towers, are moving all around here, but don’t forget that you can bargain with them. Our next stop is Les Invalides, which houses the military museum of the French army. The most significant tomb at Les Invalides is that of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) in the crypt beneath the Mansart dome, known as the Église du Dôme. A little further on, we visited the Rodin Museum. All the parks had perfectly trimmed bushes, and I believe the gardeners are never bored here.
We continue with metro lines M13 and M8 to Opera and then directly with metro line M1 to the skyscraper district La Defense. It is the most modern part of Paris, and here you can find the tallest building, Tour First (240m). You can also see the modern triumphal arch Grande Arche, through which the famous diagonal of the city also passes. We had a look around the shopping centers, but overall, it’s quite expensive there.
Shortly after dusk, we arrived by metro at the main Arc de Triomphe. We climbed up to the top platform after 222 spiral steps 🙂 We enjoyed a magnificent view of the sparkling Eiffel Tower. The tower was shining yellow and occasionally it would start twinkling in white. Moreover, there was a light revolving around the top like a beacon, creating a perfect effect for the viewer. We admired the night view of Paris for a while and that was truly our last stop of the day. Tired, around 11 p.m., we finally arrived home and straight to bed.
Day 3 – Louvre, Notre Dame, and Pantheon
We start the day with a walk through the Champs-Élysées starting from the Arc de Triomphe. It is the widest street in Paris, creating a diagonal line across the city. Next is the Place de la Concorde, where the famous Egyptian obelisk with a gilded tip stands. We continue along the sidewalk to the Louvre Palace. We also recommend arriving early in the morning as there can be long queues. The main entrance is through the pyramid, but we queued at a side entrance. It is a huge palace complex that served as the residence of the French kings in the past. Today, it houses one of the largest museums in the world. We spent the entire morning there and didn’t come close to seeing everything. The museum is divided into several departments. You can see Egyptian antiquities, artifacts from the Near East, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Islamic art, sculptures, decorations, paintings, graphics, and drawings. Among the most famous artifacts is the painting of Mona Lisa, displayed behind special protective glass.
Our next stop is the Gothic cathedral Notre-Dame. We took a tour inside and then climbed up the stairs to the bell tower, giving us beautiful views of the streets of Paris once again. The cathedral is located on the tiny island of Île de la Cité, which represents the very center of Paris. Other landmarks on the island include the 13th-century Sainte Chapelle, the oldest bridge in Paris crossing the Seine River, Pont Neuf, and the Conciergerie Palace. We peeked into the chapel and then continued our journey by metro to the Odeon station. We took a break in the Luxembourg Gardens and enjoyed some food.
We sat on the chairs and when the rain started chasing us, we continued to the Pantheon church. Along the way, we pass by the famous university Sorbonne. In the Parisian Pantheon, many significant personalities of France are buried, such as Voltaire, Joseph Louis Lagrange, Marie Curie, Pierre Curie, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas the Elder, Émile Zola, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Hanging from the dome is a 67m long Foucault pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the Earth. Photography is prohibited inside, but if you climb the stairs to the dome, you are guaranteed beautiful panoramas. Once again, spiral stairs are part of our everyday life 🙂 After touring the church, we hop on the metro and head to Rue du Bac 140, where the Virgin Mary appeared. To finish the day, around 7 p.m., we visit the Pompidou Center for Modern Art. The building has 6 floors, so we didn’t get to see everything by a long shot. Here you can find works by famous figures such as Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Samuel Beckett. On the way back home, we made a stop at the Bastille monument, and then finally reached our long-awaited bed.
Day 4 – Revoir
We are heading to the airport in the same way we came, M2-M4-M7 and then by bus 285. The departure is scheduled for 9:20 and thankfully, we won’t have any turbulence on our way back home.
