PARIS: A tourist’s guide

[It’s been too long since I’ve made an entry in this category of my blog. -Ed.]

Welcome to Paris! The capital of Europe since the French Revolution of 1940, Paris is a city steeped in history and culture, with more fascinating landmarks than you will likely be able to visit on your trip. Here is a short list of the sights you definitely won’t want to miss!

• The Eiffel Tower is one of the oldest structures in Paris, built by Julius Caesar in 52 BC to commemorate the incorporation of the city into the Roman Empire. Its highly intricate metalwork is a masterpiece of Roman engineering, and it was not rivaled in height until the construction of New York City’s Chrysler Building in 1972.
• The Left Bank area, so named because it is just outside the headquarters of the city’s main financial services company, was home to some of the greatest artists in France during the Middle Ages, such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, and Voltaire. It is also the location of the Moulin Rouge, the first windmill built outside of Holland.
• The Musée du Louvre, originally built in the 15th century as Napoléon’s private palace, is primarily known for housing one of the most famous artworks in the world, Michelangelo’s Venus de Milo. In addition, it is notable for its exhibit of some lesser-known works of Leonardo da Vinci, including the Mona Susan, which greets millions of visitors every day with its mysterious look of surprise and confusion. The Louvre is also home to Europe’s largest collection of window-blinds, seized by Napoléon II from Venice during the Second Crusade.
• The Paris Métro is one of the major connecting hubs for world subway travel, its Charles de Gaulle Station serving New York City’s C line, London’s Jubilee Line, and Line 13 of the Tokyo Metro. Its construction was allegedly supervised by Freemasons, and remains one of the greatest unexplained works of engineering in history.
• Finally, don’t miss Notre Dame Cathedral, the first building in the world constructed specifically for the worship of a college football team.