The Arc du Triomphe is by far the most famous structure of its type in Paris.
It was originally commissioned by Napoleon to celebrate his many victories, and finally dedicated to an unknown French soldier from World War I . At over 50 meters in height, the Arc du Triomphe stands in the center of the'Place Charles de Gaulle', a lovely intersection of twelve avenues atop a gently rising hill.

If you look closely at this photo, along the very top you may be able to see the many tourists who climb to the top for a wonderful view of the city

You have a wonderful view down the main street leading to is the famous 'Ave des Champs Elysees', with its many wonderful stores, restaurants, buildings and entertainment

Eiffel Tower

The Tour Eiffel was built for the 1889 'World Exhibition' in Paris.
It was originally 300 meters tall, and also the tallest structure of its kind at that time.
Many Parisians saw it as a blight on their beautiful city's landscape, and wanted it torn down. Over 2 million visitors ascended to its peak during the Fair and it was a huge hit.
The tower was and still is a perfect home for many radio and TV antennae. During World War II, many radio messages were intercepted by operators in the tower. Rumor has it that one intercepted message actually led to the capture of Mata Hari.

Since then, it has been elevated by another 20 meters to house a meteorological station.
There are two levels above ground which may be reached by elevators at each of the four corners of the tower
The Tour Eiffel itself is located next to the river Seine, Perhaps the best time to visit the Tour Eiffel is at night ... the lights make it a truly spectacular sight!

Notre Dame Cathedral

Located on the 'Isle de la Cite' near the center of Paris, the construction of this most famous of Gothic buildings began in 1163, and continued for almost 200 years before it was opened.

Notre Dame Cathedral lies at the historic and geographic center of Paris. The Cathedral is built between the left and right banks of the River Seine, on the �le de la Cit�, where the first Parisians settled and Paris was born.

Since then there have been several major additions and changes made to the Cathedral over the centuries.
There are two large towers at the front entrance to the Cathedral, and tourists may climb the 387 steps from the courtyard below to the top of the tower.

The decorations of the Cathedral are really quite fanciful ... with many 'Gargoyles' and statues to be seen in almost every part of this Gothic building.

Notre Dame is also known for being the center piece of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

There are a great many spectacular and beautiful stained glass windows in this building. This is the main window called the "rose window" and even though its very old 85% of the glass is original.
Notre Dame is home to many ancient and Holy 'relics' of the Catholic Church, and is still a fully functioning Church serving its Parishioners.
Directly in front of the Cathedral's main west doors can be found a plaque set in the pavement marking: kilom�tre z�ro -- the starting point from which all map/road distances in France are measured.

Le Louvre

Construction of Le Louvre on this site has a very long history indeed. The present configuration of buildings was completed in by the Emporer Napoleon III, and was based upon the original 'Grand Plan' of King Henri IV.

The famous 'Glass Pyramide', designed by the Chinese American architect Ieoh Ming Pei, was completed in 1989 as the first of three phases of this latest reconstruction of La Louvre.The Glass Pyramide pictured above houses the entrance to Le Louvre museum complex.

The Muesum holds some of the worlds most famous works of art. The three best known, must-see works are The Venus De Milo, carved from Greek marble from the island of Paros, Winged Victory, and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

Sacr�-Coeur

Positioned on one of Paris' gorgeous hills high above the city, the Catholic Basilica of Sacr�-Coeur (Sacred Heart), offers up some of Paris' most incredible views. Climb to the top of Sacr�-Coeur's bell tower for an even better view and find yourself higher than the Eiffel Tower! The interior mosaics, stained glass, and crypt, supposedly containing part of the sacred heart of Christ, are all worth the visit.

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