Spain and France Journey (Part Four) – Paris

Continued from: Spain and France Journey (Part Three) – Barcelona

Spain has too many reasons to captivate you: the ancient Roman aqueducts, the passionate flamenco, the mystery of the Alhambra, the magic of Gaudí’s architecture, and the blending of various cultures that keep you moving. And neighboring France, with the romance of Paris and the artistic treasures of the Louvre, will haunt your dreams.

We were very fortunate on this trip to get a 30-day Spanish Schengen visa.

Where did we go in 30 days?

1. Madrid and nearby Segovia and Toledo (7 days)

2. Andalusia: Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, Ronda, Granada (10 days)

3. Barcelona (5 days)

4. Paris (9 days)

Due to the length, I’ve broken down our travel anecdotes into four parts by the regions above.

In Paris, visiting museums is a must. We pre-purchased the 144-hour Paris Museum Pass online; the total cost for two people was €196.66.

1. The Paris Museum Pass includes over 50 museums and sites, with 48-hour, 96-hour, and 144-hour options, and available as e-cards or physical cards. After purchasing online, you’ll receive a PDF by email—print it or save it on your phone. The pass is activated upon entry to the first site and starts counting (validity is by the hour). Each site can only be visited once, and dates cannot be changed or refunded, so purchase carefully. After buying the pass online, click through to each museum’s official website to reserve a specific visit time.

Important sites included: central Paris (2024 ticket prices). The following prices are for individual tickets.

Louvre (€22, reservation required)

Arc de Triomphe (€16)

Notre-Dame de Paris (temporarily closed)

Musée d’Orsay (€16)

Centre Pompidou (€15)

Musée de l’Orangerie (€12.5, reservation required)

Les Invalides (€15)

Panthéon (€13)

Conciergerie (€13, reservation required)

Sainte-Chapelle (€13, reservation required)

Musée Rodin (€14)

Musée Picasso (€16)

Palace of Versailles (€32, reservation required)

Château de Fontainebleau (€14)

Not included: Eiffel Tower, Opéra Garnier, Tour Montparnasse

2. Accommodation was booked online in advance.

3. Flights from Barcelona to Paris on Vueling Airlines were booked online beforehand.

4. Paris public transport is complicated, with zones and numerous ticket types. We bought a weekly pass in Paris. The weekly pass is purchased at the ticket counter in metro stations; you need to show your passport. The Navigo card itself costs €5, and the weekly pass costs €30.75. Important note: The weekly pass is valid from Monday to Sunday, not for any seven-day period (meaning no matter what day you activate it, it expires at midnight on Sunday). You can buy the current week’s pass before midnight on Thursday; on Friday, you can only buy the pass for the following week. The weekly pass can be used for Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport, Disneyland Paris, Versailles, and Fontainebleau. It cannot be shared with travel companions. The card is valid for 10 years, so you can use it again when you return to Paris; if lost, it cannot be replaced.

In AD 358, the Romans began building a palace here, a year regarded as the founding of Paris. The Romans initially named the city Lutetia, and in the 4th century renamed it Paris. Today, Paris is one of the world’s most important political and cultural centers, exerting major influence in education, entertainment, fashion, science, media, art, finance, politics, and more.

On the afternoon of May 27, we flew from Barcelona to Paris, France.

Paris Orly Airport has signs in Chinese. We arrived at Orly too late to buy a weekly pass, so we took a taxi.

A taxi from Orly to the Left Bank costs €33, or €44 to the Right Bank. Our accommodation was just across the Seine on the Right Bank. It was only 50 meters from the Louvre—we could see the Louvre from the hotel entrance.

The buildings around the Louvre are all over a hundred years old, in the Haussmann style, and originally had no elevators. This hotel had installed an elevator during renovation, fitting two people, which was very convenient.

The Conciergerie is located on the western part of Île de la Cité. From the 10th to 14th centuries, it was the palace of the medieval kings of France. In 1358, the royal residence moved to the Louvre, and this palace began to serve administrative functions. In 1391, it became a prison. During the French Revolution, 2,780 prisoners, including Marie Antoinette, were imprisoned, tried, and sentenced here before being sent to various locations for execution by guillotine. It is now a national monument and museum.

The Conciergerie preserves three medieval towers: the Tour Bonbec is a round tower with battlements and a conical slate roof, at the western end of the Conciergerie next to the Palais de Justice. It is the oldest, built in the 13th century under Louis IX. Originally one storey shorter, it was raised to its current height and shape under Napoleon III in the 19th century. The Tour de César and Tour d’Argent were built by Philip IV in the early 14th century. The Tour de César is named after the Roman emperor; the Tour d’Argent once held part of the royal treasury.

The Chapelle Expiatoire, built on the site of Marie Antoinette’s cell, features black marble with teardrop motifs and a memorial image of Marie Antoinette.

The Women’s Courtyard has barely changed since the 18th century.

Sainte-Chapelle is a Gothic chapel built on the orders of Louis IX between 1243 and 1248 to house relics of Christ’s Passion. The stained-glass windows tell the story of Jesus and how the relics came to France. Although damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century, it boasts one of the world’s finest collections of 13th-century stained glass. Moreover, the chapel’s vaulted ceiling is stunning.

The chapel features 15 enormous stained-glass windows and one huge rose window, a breathtaking sight.

Versailles, located in the Yvelines department southwest of Paris, was begun by Louis XIV in 1682. This palace, both ornamental and practical, features a palette of gold, blue, and pink-orange, striving to express 'gorgeous, luxurious beauty'—a style later called Baroque. Toward the end of Louis XV’s reign and throughout Louis XVI’s, some sweeter Rococo decorations were added. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

The Royal Chapel, 40 meters high, 42 meters long, and 24 meters wide, is the fifth chapel in the palace’s history, built in 1700. Louis XIV dedicated it to Saint Louis.

The Marble Court is the front entrance of Versailles, situated on the axis of the parade ground surrounded by three wings of the palace. Originally a hunting lodge for Louis XIII, it was remodeled under Louis XIV, retaining the original red brick walls and adding marble sculptures and gilded decorations. The courtyard floor is decorated with red marble. Mansard roofs have circular attic windows; the ground floor fronting the courtyard housed Marie Antoinette’s private chambers and salons, while the first floor held the king’s apartments.

Built in 1700, the chapel is not on the palace’s main axis. The altar inside the Royal Chapel was also the site of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI’s wedding.

The Salon d’Hercule: Under Louis XIV, this room served as a royal chapel before being replaced by the Royal Chapel. From Louis XV’s time, since the rooms of the King’s Apartments felt cramped for large audiences, this room was converted into a state reception hall. The ceiling depicts Hercules receiving blessings from the gods led by Zeus, symbolizing Louis XIV’s divine right to rule.

The Salon d’Hercule features 'The Feast in the House of Simon' by Paolo Veronese.

The Salon de Vénus was originally an antechamber to the Salon de Diane, not part of the original seven-planet suite. During the third expansion of Versailles, the garden-side vestibule of the King’s Apartments, the old Venus Salon, was demolished, and its decorations and ceiling paintings were moved to this room of similar size, making it the main entrance hall alongside the Salon de Diane.

The Sun King in the Salon de Vénus

Its walls are decorated with exquisite porcelain, and the ceiling depicts scenes from the life of the goddess Diana. During Louis XIV’s time, it was converted into a billiard room.

The bust of Louis XIV is very lifelike, carved by the renowned Bernini.

The Salon de la Guerre: Originally the council chamber 'Jupiter Room' in the King’s Apartments, it was converted during the third expansion into a connecting hall between the King’s Apartments and the Hall of Mirrors. The decorations, by Mansart and Le Brun, feature paintings reflecting Louis XIV’s conquests of Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, etc. Above the gilded fireplace is a relief of Louis XIV on horseback.

The Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) is 76 meters long, 13 meters high, and 10.5 meters wide. One side has 17 huge arched windows overlooking the gardens, while the opposite side features 17 matching mirror-arcades composed of over 400 mirrors, totaling 34 grand panels. This proclaimed the great economic achievements of France under Louis XIV’s 34-year reign and 17 years of personal rule by 1678, when the gallery was begun. The floor is inlaid wood, the walls clad in lilac and white marble, and the columns are green marble. Capitals, bases, and wainscoting are gilded bronze, with the winged sun motif honoring Louis XIV. The ceiling boasts 24 massive Bohemian crystal chandeliers and paintings celebrating the Sun King’s deeds. At the center of the east wall are four doors leading to the King’s Bedchamber. In Louis XIV’s day, the gallery’s furniture and potted plants were all made of solid silver.

The Salon de la Paix is a square room, remodeled from the original fifth room of the Queen’s Apartments. Its decor resembles the Salon de la Guerre, but the painting over the fireplace depicts 'Louis XV Creating Peace.' The room is adorned with Roman emperors’ busts, lions, and coats of arms of France and Navarre. During grand ceremonies, courtiers entered the Hall of Mirrors from the Salon de la Guerre on the north and proceeded to the throne near the Salon de la Paix to pay homage, symbolizing how the Sun King’s military prowess led France and Europe to lasting peace.

The Queen’s Apartments include, from east to west: the Queen’s Guardroom, the Grand Banquet Hall, the Antechamber (or Nobles’ Salon), and the Queen’s Bedchamber, with the Salon de la Paix to the west. In Le Vau’s original design, the Queen’s Grand Apartment comprised seven rooms, mirroring the King’s seven-planet suite, but after several renovations only the first four rooms remain, with greatly altered functions and decor. The present layout is restored to the time of Marie Antoinette.

Because of preparations for the Olympic Games, the Gardens of Versailles were under renovation, and the fountains were not operating. It was also raining, so we missed visiting the gardens—such a pity.

The Centre Pompidou is a complex housing the Musée National d'Art Moderne (mainly on floors 4 and 5), one of Paris’s most important art museums. It holds works by masters like Duchamp, Chagall, Mondrian, Klein, Kandinsky, Frida Kahlo, etc.

The Stravinsky Fountain outside the Centre Pompidou

The building was proposed in 1969 by French President Georges Pompidou and completed in 1977. It completely defies traditional architecture, placing all pipes, ducts, and escalators on the outside.

Frida Kahlo self-portrait 'The Frame' (1938).

Yves Klein, 'Tree, Large Blue Sponge'

1962, sculpture.

Mondrian, 'New York City' (1942), oil on canvas

The Musée de l'Orangerie is a gallery of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, most famous for its permanent display of eight large Water Lilies murals by Claude Monet.

Monet’s long canvas series 'Water Lilies' comprises eight paintings, each nearly 2 meters high, with a total length of 91 meters—truly spectacular.

'Water Lilies – Clouds,' 1920–1926, Claude Monet.

The museum also holds works by Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Alfred Sisley, Chaïm Soutine, Maurice Utrillo, and others.

The Musée d'Orsay is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay railway station on the Seine. Approved for demolition in 1970, it was converted into a museum. The museum mainly collects French painting, sculpture, furniture, and photography from 1848 to 1914, with over 4,700 modern artworks. It holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, with artists including Berthe Morisot, Claude Monet, Édouard Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.

Paul Gauguin, 'Self-Portrait'

Paul Gauguin, 'The White Horse'

Van Gogh, 'Self-Portrait' (1889).

'Portrait of Dr. Gachet,' one of Van Gogh’s most famous works, painted in 1890 when he was in the asylum treated by Dr. Paul Gachet. There are two versions.

The first version was acquired by the Städel Museum in Frankfurt in 1911, later confiscated and sold by Nazi leader Hermann Göring.

The second version was owned by Dr. Gachet and later bequeathed by his heirs to the French government; it now hangs in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

'Bedroom in Arles' is the title of three similar paintings by Van Gogh, created between November 1888 and summer 1889. They are now displayed at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.

All three depict Van Gogh’s bedroom, where he lived with his friend Gauguin for nine weeks from late October 1888.

Van Gogh, 'Noon: Rest from Work,' 1889–1890.

'The Church at Auvers,' an oil painting by Van Gogh from June 1890, recalls his Nuenen period (1883–1886) and expresses a nostalgia for the northern Netherlands.

Cézanne, 'The Card Players,' 1894–1895.

Monet, 'Impression, Sunrise,' 1872.

Monet, 'Poppy Field Walk,' featuring the woman Monet loved deeply, his wife Camille.

Monet, 'Blue Water Lilies,' where Monet captured time on canvas.

Monet, 'The Gare Saint-Lazare'

Monet, 'Boats at Giverny'

Monet, 'Outdoor Figure Study: Woman with a Parasol'

These two studies were done before the final 'Woman with a Parasol,' which is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington; the woman is Monet’s first wife, Camille.

Renoir, 'Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette' (1876). It depicts a typical Sunday afternoon at the original Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre, Paris. This painting is a classic Impressionist snapshot of real life, showing rich forms, fluid brushstrokes, and a shimmering, dappled sunlight.

Renoir, 'The Theater Box' (1874).

Renoir, 'Country Dance' (1883).

Manet, 'Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe' (March 1862). Manet shocked the French public with this painting. The careful use of color aims for vividness, seen in the contrasting hues of foreground clothing, the nude’s skin, and the men’s attire. Moreover, the interplay of light and shadow clearly shows an attention to light, making it a precursor to Impressionism.

'Olympia' is an 1863 oil by realist painter Édouard Manet, influenced by Giorgione’s 'Sleeping Venus,' Titian’s 'Venus of Urbino,' and Goya’s 'The Naked Maja.'

'The Gleaners,' Millet (1857). It depicts three peasant women gleaning stray stalks of wheat in a golden field. The painting’s sense of melancholy and quiet human dignity established Millet as a leading figure of the French Naturalist school.

Millet, 'The Angelus,' 1857–1859.

Franz Xaver Winterhalter, a German academic classical master, painted 'Portrait of Madame Rimsky-Korsakov' in 1864. With relaxed, flowing brushwork, he captures the elegant portrait of the wife of late 19th-century Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov. She wears a magnificent blue-and-white striped gown, her long, loose hair falling over her chest, seated gracefully with an air of nobility and romantic character.

Edgar Degas, 'The Ballet Class' (1871–1874). Degas captures the dancers’ grace like no other.

Edgar Degas, 'Blue Dancers.'

Rosa Bonheur, 'Ploughing in the Nivernais' (1849).

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, French sculptor and designer of New York's famous Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France to the United States after America broke free from British rule.

Antoine Bourdelle, 'Hercules the Archer,' uses the Greek hero to express modern spirit and strength. In this sculpture, two huge rocks support the mythical hero; his muscles taut, eyes glaring, he draws the bow into a full moon. The piece’s rhythmic undulations heralded Bourdelle’s new style.

François Pompon, 'Polar Bear' (1921–1922), stone sculpture.

Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, 'The Dance'

The Louvre Palace was first built around 1190 and has been expanded many times in modern history. Today, it’s a huge complex of wings and pavilions, with the main parts covering over 60,600 square meters. Its permanent collections span seven categories: sculpture, painting, decorative arts, ancient Near East, ancient Egypt, and Greek and Roman antiquities, primarily housing artworks and archaeological artifacts from before 1860.

The oldest part of the Louvre, here are the foundations of the castle begun in 1204 by Philip Augustus (Philip II, r. 1180–1223).

'The Great Sphinx of Tanis,' Egypt, c. 2600–1900 BC. The sphinx appears in ancient Egyptian, West Asian, and Greek mythology, but originated in Egypt. This granite sphinx weighs 12 tons and was collected by King Charles X of France. Pharaohs often built sphinxes alongside their pyramids to guard their domain in the afterlife. In Egyptian culture, the lion, king of beasts, symbolized power and the all-powerful sun; rulers had their own features carved on the sphinx’s human face, sometimes adding their names in a cartouche to avoid confusion.

The Venus de Milo, also called Aphrodite of Milos or the armless Venus, is a famous ancient Greek statue created between 150 and 125 BC, depicting Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. Carved in marble, it stands 204 cm tall, noticeably larger than a real woman. Discovered in 1820 on the Greek island of Milos, it’s called the Venus de Milo. Half-naked, she is extremely dignified and natural, considered the most outstanding portrayal of female beauty.

Ancient Greek artifact (date unknown)

'Artemis the Huntress (Diana of Versailles),' Roman copy, 1st or 2nd century AD. Also known as 'Diana of Versailles,' this was the first major artifact in the French royal collection, moving with the court from 1556 onward.

'Centaur Tormented by Cupid,' 2nd century AD, a Roman copy of a 2nd-century BC Greek original. Centaurs are often associated with lust and debauchery; it’s unclear what this one did to be tied up and tormented by Eros (Cupid in Roman myth).

'Sleeping Hermaphroditus,' c. 150 BC, from the Borghese collection. Hermaphroditus is a bisexual deity, the illegitimate child of Hermes and Aphrodite, often depicted as a maiden with male genitals. The mattress was carved by Bernini (marble).

'Red-figure Volute Krater,' 410–400 BC. This red-figure vase depicts the epic battle of the Olympian gods, led by Zeus, against the Giants. Nike rides a quadriga, Artemis holds a torch, Athena wields a spear and shield; Poseidon raises his trident, Apollo carries bow and torch, and Dionysus wears a wreath and long robe. Also present are Heracles, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Demeter. The Giants are routed, and the gods triumph.

The vase’s dynamic movement, overlapping figures, expressive faces, contorted bodies, and dramatic contrasts created by flat white paint make it a masterpiece of Greek pottery.

'Niobid Krater,' 460–450 BC

This mid-5th-century Greek krater was used to mix water and wine.

'Sarcophagus of the Spouses,' c. 500 BC, Italy, Etruria, painted terracotta.

'Statue of Ebih-Il,' 2400 BC.

The ancient city of Mari, located on the middle Euphrates around 2400 BC, produced this statue of a provincial governor. His head is shaved as was customary, and his carefully styled wavy beard ends in elegant little spirals. The inlays for his eyebrows are lost, but his eyes, with lapis lazuli pupils and white shell sclerae outlined in bitumen, still look piercingly vivid. Naked above the waist, he wears a woolen skirt with finely carved tufts. On the back, the inscription 'Ebih-Il, the governor, dedicated to the temple of Ishtar' adds a religious dimension.

The Winged Victory of Samothrace is a votive monument originally found on the island of Samothrace in the northern Aegean. It is considered a masterpiece of Hellenistic art (2nd century BC). The statue represents the goddess Nike, missing her head and arms, with a base shaped like a ship’s prow.

'La Belle Ferronnière' by Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci, 'The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne' (1508).

Leonardo da Vinci, 'Virgin of the Rocks' (1483–1486).

The 'Mona Lisa' is a Renaissance portrait and masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci. It depicts a lady with a restrained, slight smile, sometimes called 'mysterious.'

So many come just to see that unique smile.

'The Wedding at Cana' is an oil painting by Italian painter Paolo Veronese, depicting the biblical story of the wedding feast. Created during the High Renaissance (1490–1527), it measures 6.77 m by 9.94 m, making it the largest painting in the Louvre (67.29 sq m). Veronese’s style here conveys unease and instability.

Thomas Gainsborough, 'Conversation in a Park' (1745).

'The Clubfoot' (or 'The Clubfooted Boy') is a 1642 oil on canvas by Jusepe de Ribera. It depicts a Neapolitan beggar boy with a deformed foot. He stands against a bright, expansive landscape, grinning widely with large teeth, wearing earth-toned clothes, and carrying a crutch over his left shoulder. The paper he holds reads in Latin: 'DA MIHI ELEMOSINAM PROPTER AMOREM DEI' ('Give me alms for the love of God').

'The Death of the Virgin' by Caravaggio

The Louvre’s rest area, where you can have a meal.

'The Raft of the Medusa,' an 1818–1819 oil by French Romantic painter Théodore Géricault (1791–1824). Painted when he was 27, it became an icon of French Romanticism. Measuring 491 cm × 716 cm, it depicts the survivors of the French naval frigate Méduse after it sank.

'Liberty Leading the People,' by French Romantic painter Eugène Delacroix, commemorates the July Revolution of 1830 in France.

'La Grande Odalisque' is an 1814 oil by French painter Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, commissioned by Napoleon’s sister Caroline Bonaparte, Queen of Naples. It shows a nude odalisque in a Turkish harem.

'Oath of the Horatii' is a 1784 work by French painter Jacques-Louis David, a Neoclassical masterpiece that brought him fame.

'The Coronation of Napoleon' is an 1807 oil by David, depicting Napoleon’s coronation.

'The Turkish Bath,' an 1862 oil by Ingres, showing numerous nude women bathing in a Turkish palace bath.

'The Valpinçon Bather,' an 1862 oil by Ingres; one can see the bather’s pose is almost identical to that of the lute-playing bather in 'The Turkish Bath.'

'The Cheat with the Ace of Diamonds,' a 1635 oil by French painter Georges de La Tour, shows a young man facing three temptations: gaming, wine, and lust. The three figures on the left appear to be ganging up to cheat the innocent-looking youth on the right; the woman in the middle rolls her eyes beautifully, freezing the scene in a moment of tension.

'Gabrielle d’Estrées and One of Her Sisters' is a famous work of the School of Fontainebleau, probably from 1594, artist unknown. Gabrielle was Henry IV’s mistress. Various analyses suggest the painting alludes to her pregnancy: breasts symbolize motherhood and fertility, and a servant in the background sews baby clothes. To modern eyes, without the context, the pinching scene might be the Louvre’s cutest painting.

Quentin Matsys, 'The Money Changer and His Wife' (1514), oil on panel.

'Bathsheba at Her Bath,' a 1654 oil by Dutch painter Rembrandt, depicting an Old Testament story.

The Château de Marly was a country retreat for Louis XIV, where he loved to relax with close associates and guests. It had vast gardens dotted with fountains and groves filled with sculptures. Although the château and gardens are gone, some sculptures survived and were once displayed in various Parisian public spots. After 1986, they were brought together at the Louvre and exhibited in the Cour Marly.

'Finnish Discus Thrower' by Costas Dimitriadis (1879–1943)

'The Marly Horses,' 1743–1745, by Guillaume Coustou, 3.4 m high, 2.84 m long, 1.27 m wide. In two years, Coustou carved a single block of Carrara marble into a powerful horse and its tamer. This is a contest between an untamed, rearing stallion and a naked man. The horse’s mouth twists, nostrils flared, eyes wide with terror and fury, mane flying, muscles taut—vividly capturing its wildness, balanced by the tamer’s courage and strength. The sculpture brims with dynamic energy.

'Mercury Tying His Sandal,' by Jean-Baptiste Pigalle

'Hercules Fighting the River God,' a sculpture full of tension.

The Code of Hammurabi, a law code promulgated by the sixth Babylonian king Hammurabi around 1776 BC (middle chronology). The top of the stele shows a relief of Hammurabi receiving the rod and ring from the sun god Shamash; below, the full text is inscribed in Akkadian cuneiform. Excluding prologue and epilogue, it contains 282 articles covering litigation, damages, tenancy, debt, inheritance, punishment of slaves, etc.

Relief of Sargon II and a dignitary, from Dur-Sharrukin, Assyria, 716–713 BC

Human-headed winged bull (Lamassu), 721–705 BC.

These massive guardian deities were discovered by Frenchman Paul-Émile Botta at Khorsabad near Mosul, Iraq. Each weighs about 28 tons, carved from a single block of alabaster, with a human head, bull’s body, bull’s ears, and eagle’s wings. The Assyrians called the female lamassu and the male shedu; they were often placed at the entrances of temples or palaces as guardians. It is one of the chief Assyrian gods, its face said to be modeled on Sargon II.

Blue glazed brick panel 'Lion'

This is from the Neo-Babylonian period, under Nebuchadnezzar II (604–562 BC). The lion’s regal presence is vividly rendered, with a slightly raised tail and lively limbs full of motion.

Frieze of Archers from the Palace of Darius, Achaemenid, c. 510 BC

This is a capital from a large column in the palace built by Darius I (522–486 BC) at Susa (now Iran).

The Musée Rodin opened in 1919, mainly displaying works by French sculptor Auguste Rodin. It has two sites: the Hôtel Biron in central Paris and its grounds, and the Villa des Brillants in Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, Rodin’s former home. The museum in the Hôtel Biron features a charming French garden.

'The Thinker' is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin. It depicts a muscular naked man sitting on a rock, leaning forward, right elbow on left thigh, right hand supporting his chin in a pose of deep thought; the statue is often used to represent philosophy.

Rodin’s 'The Burghers of Calais'

'The Gates of Hell' is a sculpture by Rodin, 6 m high, 4 m wide, 1 m deep. It contains 180 figures, vividly illustrating scenes from Dante Alighieri’s 'Inferno' in the 'Divine Comedy.'

'The Three Shades,' created by Rodin in 1886 for 'The Gates of Hell.' Three identical figures huddle around a central point, heads lowered, neck and shoulders nearly horizontal. They are placed above the gates, overlooking the viewer.

'The Walking Man' (1877–1878).

Rodin’s 'The Kiss' focuses on expression and motion. The muscles and curves are finely modeled, giving a strong sense of realism and dynamism. Rodin expertly captures subtle expressions and body language, lending vivid expressiveness.

Rodin began 'Monument to Balzac' in 1891, a commission from the Société des Gens de Lettres. He emphasized Balzac’s features—head, belly, pen—and the drapery folds to shape the writer’s image. The sculpture aims to express the power, richness, and realism of Balzac’s works.

Monet, 'Belle-Île'

Van Gogh, 'The Reaper'

Van Gogh, 'Père Tanguy'

Les Invalides was founded in 1670 by order of Louis XIV to house disabled veterans. Designed by architects Bruant and Hardouin-Mansart, it now houses the Musée de l’Armée, dedicated to French and European military history, with vast collections of ancient arms and armor, as well as a World War memorial and a historical memorial to General de Gaulle’s life and achievements.

Les Invalides comprises three parts: Napoleon’s Tomb, the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération, and a museum of architectural models.

The dome of Les Invalides is 107 meters high, adorned with 12.65 kg of gold leaf—a striking Parisian landmark.

The north portico of the complex, with a pediment depicting Louis XIV on horseback

Statue of Napoleon in the courtyard

Napoleon’s tomb lies at the center beneath the dome.

The Musée Carnavalet (or History of Paris Museum) is a municipal museum dedicated to the history of Paris, housed in a historic building. Its core is the Hôtel de Ligneris, a rare Renaissance survivor from mid-16th century Paris, built for Jacques de Ligneris, President of the Parlement of Paris. Sold in 1578 to the wife of a Breton knight known as 'Monsieur de Carnavalet,' the mansion took his name. Inside are period rooms, historical artifacts, and many paintings of Parisian life.

The Musée Picasso houses works by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), who lived in France from 1905 to 1973.

'The Goat' (1950), plaster, palm leaves, metal

'Olga in an Armchair' (1918)

'Portrait of Dora Maar' (1937), oil on canvas

The building was constructed between 1656 and 1659 for Pierre Aubert, Lord of Fontenay, a tax collector who grew rich on the salt tax. It is considered one of the finest historic mansions in Le Marais.

The Musée de Cluny (National Museum of the Middle Ages) is a museum of medieval art in Paris. Its buildings incorporate the Gallo-Roman baths, the frigidarium, and the 15th-century Hôtel de Cluny. It houses 23,000 objects, with about 2,300 on display, including the iconic 15th-century tapestry series of six pieces, 'The Lady and the Unicorn.'

The 15th-century Hôtel de Cluny

The garden was created in 1612 when Marie de’ Medici, widow of Henry IV, built the Luxembourg Palace as her new residence. Today it houses the French Senate. Occupying 23 hectares, it is known for its lawns, tree-lined promenades, tennis courts, flowerbeds, model sailboats on the octagonal Grand Bassin, and the picturesque Medici Fountain built in 1620.

The Panthéon was built in 1758 as a church commissioned by Louis XV, its façade modeled on the Roman Pantheon. It later became the burial place for illustrious French figures such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, and Marie Curie.

On the pediment, allegories of the Nation and Liberty: to the left, politicians and scholars; to the right, soldiers.

In 1851, physicist Léon Foucault constructed a 67-meter pendulum beneath the central dome to demonstrate Earth’s rotation. The original pendulum is in the Musée des Arts et Métiers; a replica hangs in the Panthéon. It has been listed as a historical monument since 1920. A similar pendulum was installed at the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, well worth seeing.

Christ Showing the Destiny of the French People to the Angel of France, mosaic by Antoine Auguste Ernest Hébert

'The National Convention' by François-Léon Sicard (1921)

Voltaire’s tomb and statue

The Centre Panthéon (not to be confused with the Panthéon itself) is the former Law Faculty of the University of Paris. Designed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot in 1760, it is part of the new Montagne Sainte-Geneviève complex. It now houses the presidency of the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.

The Church of Saint-Étienne-du-Mont, near the Panthéon, is dedicated to Saint Geneviève, patron saint of Paris. The tombs of Blaise Pascal and Jean Racine are inside, and Jean-Paul Marat is buried in the church cemetery.

The Champs-Élysées, in the 8th arrondissement, begins at the Place de la Concorde with its obelisk and extends 1,915 meters west to the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe stands at the center.

At the center of the Place de la Concorde is an ancient Egyptian obelisk decorated with hieroglyphs exalting the reign of Ramesses II. In 1829, Muhammad Ali Pasha, the Viceroy of Egypt, gave this 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk as a diplomatic gift to France.

For the Olympic Games, the entire Place de la Concorde was fenced off and temporary stands erected. We could only see the obelisk from a distance.

This LV display really draws a crowd.

The lovely Jardin de Kyiv

The Grand Palais is a historic site, exhibition hall, and museum complex on the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement. Construction began in 1897 after the demolition of the Palais de l’Industrie, in preparation for the 1900 World’s Fair.

The Petit Palais was built for the 1900 World’s Fair and now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. It faces the Grand Palais across what was Avenue Nicolas II, now Avenue Winston Churchill. Other façades overlook the Seine and the Champs-Élysées.

The Arc de Triomphe stands 49.54 m high, 44.82 m wide, and 22.21 m deep, at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle. Twelve avenues radiate from it, creating a majestic star, the most famous being the Champs-Élysées.

The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to celebrate his victory over the Russian and Austrian armies at Austerlitz in 1805. Construction halted after his fall, resumed after the Bourbon Restoration was overthrown in 1830, and finished in 1836. On its four façades are huge reliefs depicting 'Departure,' 'Victory,' 'Peace,' and 'Resistance.'

Departure: Liberty draws her sword and leads the people forward, commemorating the 'August 10th Insurrection,' a milestone of the French Revolution that led to the monarchy’s fall. This relief is also known as 'La Marseillaise,' guiding the French people’s fight for freedom.

Victory: Depicts Napoleon’s triumphant return, crowned with laurels by a winged Victory, with celebratory music and his great achievements.

'Peace' and 'Resistance': These reliefs commemorate the Sixth Coalition’s defeat and the French people’s indomitable resistance.

Inside the arch are inscribed the names of 386 generals who served under Napoleon and 96 of his victories.

Beneath the arch lies the Unknown Soldier from World War I, representing the 1.5 million French soldiers who died; an eternal flame burns at his tomb.

A ceremony honoring World War II veterans was taking place in front of the arch.

The Great War monument: the hall walls are covered with bronze palms commemorating the fallen.

View of the Eiffel Tower from the Arc de Triomphe

View of the Champs-Élysées from the Arc

At sunset, the view is boundless; the distant skyscrapers are La Défense.

Avenue de la Grande-Armée, formerly Avenue de la Porte-Maillot, part of Route Nationale 13, was renamed in 1864 to honor Napoleon’s Grande Armée. It starts at Place Charles de Gaulle and ends at the junction of Avenue de Malakoff and Boulevard Pereire.

At 10 p.m., the Eiffel Tower lights up—this is the poetry and far horizons of travel.

The Opéra Garnier, built 1861–1875, is a masterpiece of Neo-Baroque architecture, designed by Charles Garnier. It inspired 'The Phantom of the Opera,' and a highlight is the ceiling painted by Marc Chagall.

The exterior is richly sculpted, from white façades, arches, and columns to the green dome and gilded Baroque statues at either end—utterly magnificent.

Galeries Lafayette, Paris’s most famous department store, has a superb rooftop terrace with views over the Opéra Garnier and the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

The Seine, mother river of this cultural capital, stretches 780 km with a basin of 78,000 sq km. The Parisian banks of the Seine were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991. The 2024 Olympic opening ceremony floats will parade along the Seine.

The Palais Bourbon is the meeting place of the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament. The original palace was begun in 1722 for Louise Françoise de Bourbon, legitimated daughter of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan.

The Pont Alexandre III was inaugurated for the 1900 World’s Fair, linking the Champs-Élysées, Les Invalides, and the Eiffel Tower. It is widely regarded as Paris’s most ornate, luxurious bridge, adorned with Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs, and winged horses at each end. Named after Tsar Alexander III, it commemorates the 1892 Franco-Russian Alliance, and its style matches the Grand Palais.

Temporary Olympic stands have been erected on the Pont Alexandre III.

Four gilded bronze statues of winged horses crown the bridge on massive 17-meter masonry pylons, providing counterweight, each topped with a Fama.

The Pont d’Iéna was built by order of Napoleon I in 1807 and named after his 1806 victory at Jena.

The Pont d’Iéna is one of the best spots to photograph the Eiffel Tower.

For the Olympics, the areas around the Eiffel Tower and Pont Alexandre III, as well as the Jardins du Trocadéro and Champ de Mars, are being turned into venues, all fenced off for temporary construction.

View of the Musée d'Orsay from the Pont du Carrousel

The Pont des Arts is a nine-arched metal footbridge across the Seine, linking the Institut de France and the Cour Carrée of the Louvre.

The Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge across the Seine in Paris. It stands at the western tip of Île de la Cité. The island, in the middle of the Seine, was the birthplace of Paris around 250–225 BC, then called Lutetia, and was the city’s center in the Middle Ages.

The bridge has two separate spans: one with five arches linking the Left Bank to the island, the other with seven arches connecting the island to the Right Bank.

The Hôtel de Ville, Paris’s city hall: its south wing was begun by Francis I in 1535 and finished in 1551; the north wing was built by Henry IV and Louis XIII between 1605 and 1628. In May 1871, the Paris Commune burned it down along with all municipal archives during Semaine Sanglante. It was rebuilt from 1874 to 1882 to the original design but enlarged, with a greatly modified interior. Since 1357, it has been the seat of Paris city government.

The equestrian statue of Henry IV on Île de la Cité (1618, destroyed in 1792, replaced 1818)

Notre-Dame de Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.

The April 2019 fire destroyed the spire, and restoration is still underway.

The Institut de France, founded in 1635, is a scholarly institution, one of the five academies of the Institut de France, and the oldest and most prestigious. Election as a member is a supreme honor.

Children on Île de la Cité

The quays of Île de la Cité are perfect for a stroll.

View of bridges on the Seine from Île de la Cité.

View of the Pont Neuf and Île de la Cité from the Pont des Arts

On the Pont du Carrousel.

View of the Grand Palais from the Pont Royal.

The Jardin des Tuileries was created in 1564 as the garden of the Tuileries Palace, opened to the public in 1667, and became a public park after the French Revolution—a classic French formal garden.

The Tuileries Palace (or Palais des Tuileries) and Garden

The Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois is a medieval Roman Catholic church named after Saint Germanus of Auxerre. The present church was built in the 13th century, with major modifications in the 15th and 16th centuries. From 1608 to 1806, it was the parish church of the Louvre’s residents. During Notre-Dame’s post-fire reconstruction, regular cathedral services have been transferred here.

The Church of Saint-Augustin is a Catholic church built between 1860 and 1871 by chief city architect Victor Baltard. It was the first church in Paris to combine a cast-iron frame (entirely transparent) with stone construction. It stands as a landmark at the junction of two new boulevards created during Haussmann’s renovation of Paris under Napoleon III.

Place de la Bastille is a key site of the French Revolution, where the Bastille prison once stood. It was completely demolished between July 14, 1789, and July 14, 1790, leaving no trace. The main landmark is the July Column.

Place des Vosges, originally Place Royale, was built by Henry IV between 1605 and 1612. It’s a true square (140 m × 140 m). The building at the southeast corner is the Maison de Victor Hugo.

Place Vendôme, its square layout designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, has angled corners making it octagonal. At its center, the Vendôme Column was erected by Napoleon I to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz.

The Fontaine Saint-Michel is a monumental fountain in Place Saint-Michel in the 6th arrondissement. It was built by architect Gabriel Davioud between 1858 and 1860 during the Second Empire.

Shakespeare and Company first opened in the early 20th century, closed during the Nazi occupation, and reopened near Notre-Dame in 1951. Hemingway, Joyce, Fitzgerald, and other famous writers frequented it. It’s appeared in films like 'Before Sunset' and 'Midnight in Paris.' There were long queues to get in, so I didn’t join them.

Strolling through Paris, you’ll see many things resembling Chinese mailboxes—they’re not letter boxes but Morris columns for advertisements.

This shop near the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées has a restaurant on the ground floor.

The French cuisine at this restaurant was excellent.

Beef tartare with caviar, and the roast beef was superb.

When in Paris, you must try authentic macarons. These were large, about the size of mooncakes.

We had roast duck leg in the Jewish Quarter—just okay.

This Chinese restaurant was near our hotel. We ate the most here in Paris—hand-pulled noodles made on the spot. After being away so long, we craved the taste of home.

This restaurant was lavishly decorated, with a strong artistic flair.

We ordered roast beef—how did we end up with a beef burger?

Discount clearance sale

Along the Seine banks, there are many small shops selling or consigning artworks.

The seafood in France is really fresh—just look at their happiness index.

A wide variety of fruits.

On the afternoon of June 4, we ended our 9-day trip to Paris and set off for home.

The RER B platform at Châtelet station. The airport line has two different termini, so be careful when boarding.

The screen shows expected arrivals for the airport-line trains in both directions.

1. Paris museums are very crowded. Especially for the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Musée de l'Orangerie, Sainte-Chapelle, etc., you must buy tickets and reserve in advance. We didn’t reserve for Sainte-Chapelle and waited three hours in line. We arrived too late to buy tickets for the Opéra Garnier.

2. The Musée de Cluny (National Museum of the Middle Ages) is not covered by the Paris Museum Pass; buy tickets separately.

3. This time we didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower; instead, we climbed the Arc de Triomphe for the view. Personally, going up the Eiffel Tower is like being on the mountain and not seeing its true shape; the Arc de Triomphe didn’t disappoint.

4. If you stay in Paris more than 5-6 days, I recommend buying a weekly pass. Travel should be convenient and efficient. The weekly pass is sold only at staffed metro station counters during work hours—don’t forget your passport. When we arrived at 8 p.m., the counters were already closed.

5. Around the Louvre and Seine there are many Roma people with clipboards, maps, or pictures trying to strike up conversations on various pretexts—ignore them.

Paris was the last stop of this trip. After nine days, we still felt there was so much more. The priceless treasures of the Louvre and Musée d'Orsay, the splendor of Versailles, the romantic French atmosphere along the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe—all left a deep impression. Parisians are very friendly: the young woman at Orly Airport who guided us, young people we asked for directions on the street, the ticket agent at the metro station, the woman who helped us find the gate on the screen at Charles de Gaulle Airport... I’m grateful to them all. Although preparations for the Olympics meant we couldn’t fully visit some sites, it didn’t affect the trip much. Our Paris journey was incredibly rewarding—a truly worthwhile experience.

Travelogue Directory: 1. Overview 2. First Glimpse 3. Preface 4. Paris 5. Conciergerie 6. Sainte-Chapelle 7. Palace of Versailles 8. Centre Pompidou 9. Musée de l'Orangerie 10. Musée d'Orsay 11. Louvre 12. Musée Rodin 13. Les Invalides 14. Musée Carnavalet 15. Musée Picasso 16. Musée de Cluny 17. Luxembourg Gardens 18. Panthéon 19. Champs-Élysées 20. Arc de Triomphe 21. Opéra Garnier 22. Galeries Lafayette 23. Seine 24. Paris Miscellany 25. Cuisine 26. Paris Glimpses 27. Charles de Gaulle Airport 28. Afterword Travel Info Hotel Index Guide Index Flight Index Website Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Join and Cooperate Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Cards Purchase Insurance Agent Cooperation Hotel Joining Destination and Scenic Spot Cooperation More Cooperations About Ctrip About Ctrip Ctrip Hot Topics Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure