Paris – The city of love! French Course in Paris
Are you still wondering, where you should take your French course? Here is one idea: Paris.
Paris, one of the world’s most beautiful cities, the most visited, and probably the most romantic of the planet, lives up to its fame and it doesn´t disappoint anyone who visits it. Magical city with a special charm that is felt in every corner, every square, or just in each of its cafés. “City of Lights” because it was the first city to equip its streets and buildings with electricity. At many points in history ahead of its time which forged the rights of man and the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity. Paris is a world city and next to London and New York one of the most important metropolis of the Western world. It is the political, economical and cultural center and the biggest traffic junction of the centralised France. In addition to that, it is a great city for sightseeing and nightlife!
History
The city started as a small settlement of a Celtic tribe called Pariis. Paris was then called Lutetia and was situated on the small island nowadys called Ile de la Cité, which is therefore the oldest part of the city. When the Romans tried to conquer Pariis in the first century before Christ, the Celtic destroyed all their bridges. The Romans won but left the island to the Celtic and started themselves building a new Roman town with hot springs, forums and amphitheatres at the left side of the river Seine, from now on known as Parisia. After the Roman empire, different kings reined over Paris. The most famous one probably being Louis XIV, also called the Sun King. He and his court memebers lived in the lap of luxury while the rest of the country was starving. 1789 was the year of the French Revolution and it was the inhabitants of Paris who abolished the monarchy and fought for the first French Republic. Today the French State finds itself in the Fifth Republic which was introduced in 1958.
Paris was six times (1855, 1867, 1878, 1889, 1900 and 1937) the location for a world exhibition which pronounces its role as a leading world city.
During the Second World War, Paris was occupied by the German army, but could get out of the war without major destructions.
District
In contrast to other major European cities, Paris does not have a “center” defined around wich it expands. It is divided into 20 districts, small cities which maintain administrative independence. Louvre, Bourse, Temple, l’Hôtel de Ville, Panthéon, Luxembourg, Palais Bourbon, l’Elysée, l’Opéra, l’Entrepôt, Popincourt, Reuilly, Gobelin, l’Observatoire, Vaugirard, Passy, Batignolles-Monceaux, Buttes-Montmartre, Buttes-Chaumont and Ménilmontant.
Means of transport
Paris is the biggest traffic junction in the whole of France. You will easily get from one place to the other. You find a vast net of busses and metro-lines .
For the exact prices and schedules, visit: www.parismetro.com
And if you want to visit other French cities, there are great train connections. The most important train connections start in Paris: Paris-Lille, Paris-Rennes, Paris-Bordeaux, Paris-Lyon, Paris-Marseilles, Paris-Strasbourg are routes which are connected by TGV, the speed train line. The most important train stations in Paris are: Gare d’Austerlitz, Gare de l’Est, Gare de Lyon, Gare Montparnasse, Gare du Nord and Gare Saint-Lazare.
www.gares-en-mouvement.com
Paris provides three airports. The two most important ones are the airports “Charles de Gaulle” (CDG) and “Orly” (ORY).
www.aeroportsdeparis.fr
And an airport for cheap flights a little bit outside the city.
Paris Beauvais.
www.aeroportbeauvais.com
Climate
Paris enjoys a moderate climate. The wormest month is July with an average temperature of about 18,4 °C. The coolest month is January with an average temperature of about 3,5 °C.
Must-Dos
One thing is without doubt: You will never get bored in Paris. The city is full of museums, theatres, historical buildings, monuments, plazas, streets and parks.
Tour d´Eiffel: The tour d´Eiffel was constructed in 1889 for the world exhibition and was meant to be just temporary! But in the end it stayed and has by now become THE symbol of the city. You should not miss to climb the tower. The view from above is amazing!
Montmartre and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur: Walk up the hill, template the beautiful artwork of the painters on the Place du tertre, enjoy the music of the street musicians and be amazed by a breathtaking view over the city of Paris!
Musée du Louvre: Maybe the world´s most famous museum. It is housing artwork from the Antic until the end of the 19th century.
Avenue des Champs Elysées: This boulevard leading from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, is known to be one of the most beautiful avenues in the world.
Notre-Dame: Located in the oldest part of the city, the Île de la cité. Being built between 1163 bis 1345, it is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in France.
Cemetery Père Lachaise: This cemetery is famous because it houses the graves of famous people like Jim Morrison, Balzac, Camus, Maria Callas, Gerda Taro, Edith Piaf or Oscar Wilde.
Conclusion
Doing your French course in Paris is never a bad decision. In Paris you find all you could probably wish for. The only thing that could be missing is enough time to see and do everything!
French Course in Paris has everything you need.
We also recomend English Course in London.
