The Musée Delacroix combines the personal and scholarly perspectives of 18th-century Romanticist painter Eugène Delacroix, the artistic master behind the famous Liberty Leading the People (1830). The museum is situated in the modest, refurbished, three-room apartment and atelier where Delacroix lived and worked for much of his life. Watercolors, engravings, letters to Théophile Gautier and George Sand, sketches for his work in the Église St-Sulpice, and souvenirs from his journey to Morocco constitute the permanent holdings. Temporary exhibits broadcast new developments in Delacroix scholarship. There is a tranquil enclosed garden near the atelier equipped with Delacroix’s original palettes and studies.
St-Germain-des-Prés or Mabillon. Free same-day entry with a Louvre ticket. €5, under 18 and students free. Open June-Aug M 9:30am-5pm, W-F 9:30am-5:30pm; Sept-May M 9:30am-5pm, W-Su 9:30am-5pm. Last entry 30min. before close.
Invalides
Visit this arrondissement more than once if you can. Unsurprisingly, the Tour Elffel towers over all of the 7ème attractions, but the posh neighborhood also hosts the French national government, a number of embassies, and an astonishing concentration of famous museums. Be sure to stop by the Musée de Rodin and Musée d’Orsay.
EIFFEL TOWER
It doesn’t need one. You can see it from everywhere.
TOWER
01 44 11 23 23 www.tour-eiffel.fr.
In 1937, Gustave Eiffel remarked on his construction, “I ought to be jealous of that tower; she is more famous than I am.” The city of Paris as a whole could share the same lament. A true French synecdoche, the Eiffel Tower has come to stand for Paris itself. Gustave Eiffel designed it to be the tallest structure in the world, intended to surpass the ancient Egyptian pyramids in size and notoriety. Parisians, per usual, were not impressed; the same city-dwellers who cringed at the thought of skyscrapers mumbled disapprovingly before construction had even begun. Critics called it, perhaps not unfairly, the “metal asparagus,” and a Parisian Tower of Babel. Writer Guy de Maupassant thought it was so hideous that he ate lunch every day at its ground-floor restaurant—the only place in Paris where you can’t actually see the Eiffel Tower. When the tower was inaugurated in March 1889 as the centerpiece of the World’s Fair, Parisians forgot their earlier displeasure. Nearly two million people ascended the engineering miracle during the event. Since the expo, over 150 million Parisians and tourists have made it the most visited paid monument in the world.
The cheapest way to ascend the tower is by walking up the first two floors; the third floor is only accessible by elevator. Waiting until nightfall to make your ascent cuts down the line and ups the glamour. At the top, captioned aerial photographs help you locate other famous landmarks. On a clear day it is possible to see Chartres, 88km away. From dusk until 2am (1am Sept-May), the tower sparkles with light for 10min. on the hour.
Bir-Hakeim or Trocadéro. Elevator to 2nd fl. €8.10, ages 12-24 €6.40, 4-11 and handicapped €4, under 3 free; elevator to summit €13.10/€11.50/€9/free; stair entrance to 2nd floor €4.50/3.50/3/free. Elevator open daily from Jan to mid-June and Sept-Dec 9:30am-11:45pm, last entry 11pm; from mid-June to Aug 9am-12:45am, last entry 11pm. Stairs open daily from Jan to mid-June and Sept-Dec 9:30am-6:30pm, last entry 6pm; from mid-June to Aug 9am-12:45am, last entry midnight.
CHAMPS DE MARS
FIELD, WALK
Lined with more lovers than trees, the expansive lawn that stretches from the École Militaire to the Eiffel Tower is called Champs de Mars (Field of Mars). Close to the neighborhood’s military monuments and museums, it has historically lived up to the Roman god of war for whom it is named. In the days of Napoleon’s empire, the field was used as a drill ground for the adjacent École Militiare, and in 1780 Charles Montgolfier launched the first hydrogen balloon from its grassy fields. During the Revolution, the park was the site of civilian massacres and political demonstrations. In 2000, a glass monument to international peace was erected at the end of the Champs in quiet defiance of the École Militaire across the way. Named the Mur pou la Paix (Wall for Peace), the structure consists of two large glass walls covered from top to bottom with the word “peace” written in 32 languages. Viewed through the monument’s walls, École Militaire appears to have the word “peace” scrawled all over it.
La Motte Picquet-Grenelle or École Militaire.
MUSÉE D’ORSAY
62 rue de Lille
MUSEUM
01 40 49 48 14 www.musee-orsay.com
Aesthetic taste is fickle. When a handful of artists were rejected from the Louvre salon in the 19th-century, they opened an exhibition across the way, prompting both the scorn of stick-up-their-arses Académiciens and the rise of Impressionism. Today, people line up at the Musée d’Orsay to see this collection of ground-breaking rejects, which were considered so scandalous at the time. Established in 1982 in a dramatically lit former railway station, the collection includes paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and photography dating from 1848 to WWI. The museum’s glorious building is former reject itself. Built for the 1900 World’s Fair, the Gare d’Orsay’s industrial function was carefully masked by architect Victor Laloux behind glass, stucco, and a 370-room luxury hotel, so as not to offend the eye of the 7ème’s sophisticated residents. For several decades, it was the main departure point for southwest-bound trains, but newer trains were too long for its platforms, and it closed in 1939. Decades later, Musée d’Orsay opened in the station as one of Mitterrand’s Grands Projets, gathering works from the Louvre, Jeu de Paume, Palais de Tokyo, Musée de Luxembourg, provincial museums, and private collections to add to the original collection the Louvre had refused.
The museum is organized chronologically from the ground floor up. The ground floor is dedicated to Pre-Impressionist paintings and sculpture, and contains the two scandalous works that started it all, both by Manet. Olympia, rumored to be a common whore whose confrontational gaze and nudity caused a stir, and Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, which shockingly portrayed a naked woman accompanied by fully clothed men. Back in the 19th century, scenes like that never happened. Or at least not publicly. The detailed section study of the Opéra Garnier is situated in the back of the room, and is definitely worth a visit as well. The top floor includes all the big names in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art: Monet, Manet, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Degas. Degas’ famed dancers and prostitutes are a particular highlight. In addition, the balconies offer supreme views of the Seine and the jungle of sculptures in the garden below. Beyond the permanent collection, seven temporary exhibition spaces, called dossiers, are scattered throughout the building. One of the most popular museums in Paris with the crowds to match, we recommend that you visit on Sunday mornings or Thursday evenings to avoid the masses.
Solférino. Access to visitors at entrance A off the square at 1 rue de la Légion d’Honneur. Baby carriages not allowed. Tickets available online. €8, ages 18-25 €5.50, under 18 and EU citizens 18-26 free (free tickets directly at museum entrance). Open Tu-W and F-Su 9:30am-6pm, Th 9:30am-9:45pm, visitors asked to leave starting 30min. before close. Boutique open daily 9:30am-6:30pm. Restaurant on level 2 open M-W 11:45am-5:30pm, Th 11:45am-5:30pm and 7-9:30pm, F-Su 11:45am-5:30pm.
ÉCOLE MILITAIRE
1 pl. Joffre
GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION
Demonstrating the link between sex, war, and power once again, Louis XV founded the École Militaire in 1751 at the urging of his mistress, Mme. de Pompadour, who hoped to make officers of “poor gentlemen.” In 1784, 15-year-old Napoleon Bonaparte enrolled. A few weeks later, he presented administrators with a comprehensive plan for the school’s reorganization, and by the time he graduated three years later, he was a lieutenant in the artillery. Teachers foretold he would “go far in favorable circumstances.” Little did they know. Louis XVI turned the building into a barracks for the Swiss Guard, but it was converted back into a military school in 1848. Today, the extensive structure serves as the living quarters of the Chief of the National Army, and add
itionally houses the Ministry of Defense and a variety of schools for advanced military studies, such as the Institute for Higher Studies of National Defense, the Center for Higher Studies of the Military, the Inter-Army College of Defense, and the School of Reserve Specialist Officers of State.
École Militaire.
INVALIDES
HISTORIC BUILDING
Situated at the center of the 7ème, the gold-leaf dome of the Hôtel des Invalides glimmers conspicuously rain or shine, adding a touch of bling to the Parisian skyline. Most visitors assume that the building’s history is just as scintillating, but Invalides has always led a life of seriousness and importance. Originally founded by Louis XVI in 1671 as a home for disabled soldiers, it is now the headquarters of the military governor of Paris and continues to serve, on a small scale, as a military hospital. Stretching from the building to the Pont Alexandre III is the tree-lined Esplanade des Invalides (not to be confused with the Champs de Mars). The Musée de l’Armée, Musée des Plans-Reliefs, Musée des Deux Guerres Mondiales, and Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération are housed within the Invalides museum complex, as is Napoleon’s tomb, which lies in the adjoining Église St-Louis. To the left of the Tourville entrance, the Jardin de l’Intendant is strewn with benches and impeccably groomed trees and bushes, a topiary testament to the army’s detail-oriented (read: anal) mentality. A ditch lined with captured foreign cannons runs around the Invalides area where a moat used to be, making it impossible to leave by any means beyond the two official entrances. Be aware that certain areas are blocked to tourists, out of respect for the privacy of the war veterans who still live in the hospital.
Invalides. €9; under 18, EU citizens 18-25, and all after 5pm free.
Champs-Élysées
There’s a reason that the 8ème remains Paris’s most-touristed arrondissement, long after the Champs-Élysées has ceased to be posh. The area harbors more architectural beauty, historical significance, and shopping opportunities than almost any other area in the city, and remains an exhilarating—if hectic—place to spend a day. Champs-Élysées also hosts a variety of art museums in its northern corners; they are often located in hôtels particuliers, where they were once part of the private collections.
ARC DE TRIOMPHE
pl. de l’Étoile
HISTORIC MONUMENT
arc-de-triomphe.monuments-nationaux.fr
The highest point between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Defense, the Arc de Triomphe offers a stunning view down the Champs-Élysées to the Tuileries and Louvre. Plans for the monument were first conceived by the architect Charles Francois Ribar in 1758, who envisioned an unparalleled tribute to France’s military prowess—in the form of a giant, bejeweled elephant. Fortunately for France, the construction of the monument was not undertaken until 1806, when Napoleon conceived a less bizarre landmark modeled after the triumphal arches of victorious Roman emperors like Constantine and Titus. Napoleon was exiled before the arch was completed, and Louis XVIII took over its construction in 1823. He dedicated the arch to the French military’s recent intervention in Spain and its commander, the Duc d’Angouleme, and placed its design in the hands of Jean-Francois-Therese Chalgrin. The Arc de Triomphe was consecrated in 1836;
walk, walk fashion baby
As the home of major luxury fashion flagships such as Chanel and Yves Saint-Laurent, Paris takes its couture to the extreme. With the Fédération française de la couture (French Fashion Federation) running biannual fashion weeks at the Carrousel du Louvre, the fashion industry in Paris mostly centers on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where anyone wearing a T-shirt and jeans may be heckled and stoned. But France’s sartorial history provides some even stranger insight into the country’s fashion evolution.
• NOT SO AMERICAN. The actual origin of supposedly all-American denim is Nîmes, located in the south of France. Levi Strauss actually imported the unique fabric from the city, which also explains blue jeans’ other name—“de Nîmes.”
• THE BANE OF A MILLION WOMEN. In the 1940s, two Frenchmen became rivals in their quest to claim the bikini as their invention. Jacques Heim first introduced his skimpy two-piece swimsuit design in public, calling it l’Atome. But when Louis Reard hired a skywriter to scrawl his term “Bikini” over the skies of the French Riviera, Heim got shafted, and generations of body image issues began.
• PRETTY PROPAGANDA. When Louis XIV reigned over the French court, he became so obsessed with the idea of France as the revolutionary fashion arbiter that he would send life-sized dolls dressed in the most up-to-date gowns to other European courts. It remains unclear whether they were as effective as today’s Bratz dolls.
• FASHION DICTATORSHIP. The tradition of French rulers manipulating the country’s fashion industry runs deep. When Napoleon came into power in the early 19th century, he barred textile imports from England and singlehandedly rejuvenated the Valenciennes lace industry, reintroducing tulle and batiste into popular trends, particularly women’s dress. But in typical totalitarian style, Napoleon took it a step further and forbade women in his court to wear the same dress twice for public appearances, in an ongoing effort to stimulate the fashion industry.
in honor of the emperor that conceived of its design, the names of Napoleon’s generals and battles are engraved inside. The arch has been a magnet for various triumphant armies ever since. After the Prussians marched through the Arc in 1871, the mortified Parisians purified the ground beneath it with fire. On July 14, 1919, the Arc provided the backdrop for an Allied victory parade headed by Ferdinand Foch. After years under Germany’s brutal occupation during WWII, a sympathetic Allied army ensured that a French general would be the first to drive under the Arc in the liberation of Paris.
Today, the arch is dedicated to all French army soldiers and veterans. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, illuminated by an eternal flame, is situated under the arch, and was added to the structure on November 11, 1920. The memorial honors the 1.5 million Frenchmen who died during WWI. Visitors can climb up to the terrace observation deck for a brilliant view of the Historic Axis from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the Louvre Pyramid at one end to the Grande Arche de la Défense at the other. There is also a permanent exhibit, “Between Wars and Peace,” which reads like the Arc’s autobiography.
Charles de Gaulle-l’Étoile. Expect daily throngs, although you can escape the crowds if you go before noon. You will kill yourself (and face a hefty fine) trying to dodge the 10-lane merry-go-round of cars around the arch, so use the pedestrian underpass on the right side of the Champs-Élysées facing the arch. Tickets sold in the pedestrian underpass before going up to the ground level. €9, ages 18-25 €5.50, under 18 and EU citizens 18-25 free. Open daily Apr-Sept 10am-11pm; Oct-Mar 10am-10:30pm. Last entry 30min. before close.
AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES
From pl. Charles de Gaulle-Étoile southeast to pl. de la Concorde
SHOPPING DISTRICT
Radiating from the huge rotary surrounding the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées seems to be a magnificent celebration of pomp and the elite’s fortuitous circumstance. Constructed in 1616 when Marie de Medici ploughed the Cours-la-Reine through the fields and marshland west of the Louvre, the Avenue remained an unkempt thoroughfare until the early 19th century, when the city finally invested in sidewalks and installed gas lighting. It quickly became the center of Parisian opulence, and maintained a high density of flashy mansions and exclusive cafes well into the early 20th century. More recently, the Champs has undergone a bizarre kind of democratization, as commercialization is diluting its former glamor. Shops along the avenue now range from designer fashion boutiques to car dealerships to low-budget tchotchke shops: the colossal Louis Vuitton flagship emporium stands across from an even larger Monoprix, a low-budget all-purpose store.
Despite its slip in sophistication, the Champs continues to be known as the most beautiful street in the world. In 1860, Louis Vuitton spearheaded a committee to maintain the avenue’s luxu
ry, and it still strives to do so today, installing wider sidewalks and trying to prevent certain shops from moving in—H&M was refused a bid in 2007, but eventually won out. With rents as high as €1.25 million a year for 1000 sq. m. of space, the Champs is the second-richest street in the world (New York’s 5th Avenue is number one, if you really want to know). The Avenue also continues to play host to most major French events: on Bastille Day, the largest parade in Europe takes place on this street, as does the final stretch of the Tour de France. And while the Champs itself may be deteriorating into something increasingly (gasp!) bourgeois, many of its side streets, like Avenue Montaigne, have picked up the slack and ooze class in their own right. Charles de Gaulle.
PLACE DE LA CONCORDE
pl. de la Concorde
HISTORIC MONUMENT
In the center of Paris’s largest and most infamous public square, the 3300-year-old Obélisque de Luxor stands at a monumental 72 ft. The spot was originally occupied by a statue of Louis XV (after whom the square was originally named) that an angry mob destroyed in 1748. King Louis-Philippe, anxious to avoid revolutionary rancor, opted for a less contentious symbol: the 220-ton red granite, hieroglyphic-covered obelisk presented to Charles X from the Viceroy of Egypt in 1829. The obelisk, which dates back to the 13th century BCE and recalls the royal accomplishments of Ramses II, wasn’t erected until 1836. Gilded images on the sides of the obelisk recount its 2-year trip to Paris in a custom-built boat. Today, it forms the axis of what many refer to as the “royal perspective”—a spectacular view of Paris from the the Louvre in which the Pl. de la Concorde, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Grande Arche de la Défense appear to form a straight line through the center of the city. The view serves as a physical timeline of Paris’s history, from the reign of Louis XIV to the Revolution to Napoleon’s reign, and finally, all the way to the celebration of commerce.
Let's Go Europe 2011: The Student Travel Guide Page 54