Getting to Know Paris
Bonjour, welcome to DAY 1 of this Paris Planning Challenge.
Today, we are going to find our bearings in Paris. Let’s start with a short introduction to the City of Light:
» Paris is the capital of France, with a population of +2M inhabitants.
» The city is more than 2,000 years old! A Celtic settlement (the Parisii) inhabited Ile de la Cité in the 3rd century BC. The Romans conquered this settlement in 52 BC and named it Lutetia.
» Thanks to its long history, Paris offers visitors many different sights, from Roman remains to contemporary architecture just a few years old.
» Paris is bisected by the Seine River (la Seine, in French), which flows westwards to the English Channel, cutting the city into two. The isle you can see in the middle of the Seine is named Ile de la Cité.
» In Paris, you will often hear about Paris Rive Gauche (Paris’ Left Bank) and Paris Rive Droite (Paris’ Right Bank): when facing downstream, the northern bank is to the right, and the southern bank is to the left. Historically, the Right Bank was the synonym of elegance and sophistication, while the Left Bank was the bohemian Paris.
» Today, Paris is divided into 20 administrative divisions called “Arrondissements” or “Districts” (but not neighborhoods). On this blog, and in Paris in general, you will often read or hear about Paris 1, Paris 10, Paris 8 . . . We all refer to Paris Arrondissements. More than simple divisions, the 20 Arrondissements of Paris have their own character and charm.
» To find your bearings in Paris, there is a little trick: the 1st Arrondissement of Paris is in the center of the city, then the other Paris arrondissements are located forming a spiral turning clockwise, to finish in the 20th Arrondissement in the east.
As you can see on your right, the street names in Paris always have the Arrondissement they are in on the top. Indeed, the famous Avenue des Champs Elysées is located in the 8th Arrondissement.
Today’s Task
» Read this quick guide to the Districts of Paris to get the essence of each district.
» Click on this map of Paris (Google Maps), with the city’s main sights
» Find the Seine River, Ile de la Cité, the Left Bank, and the Right Bank on the map.
» Find on this Google Map the following top tourist sights: Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacré Coeur Basilica (in Montmartre), and Arc de Triomphe. In which Arrondissement are these sights located?
» Think about a specific area in Paris to stay: Paris Left Bank or Paris Right Bank? Also, after reading the guide to the Arrondissements of Paris, you can try to shortlist 2-3 Arrondissements (the districts you like most).
Further Readings (Optional)
Are you traveling to Paris from the US? Check what every American needs to know before traveling to Paris for the first time.
That’s ALL for today! Look out for Day 2 of the challenge at the same time tomorrow.