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Paris facts

Some Paris facts, tourism information, most visited museums, monuments in Paris. Best time to visit Paris. Famous Paris events cannot be missed. 

Main Paris airports, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Orly Airport. The Metro of Paris has over 300 metro stations. Two main opera houses in Paris, the Palais Garnier and the Opera Bastille.

Best events in Paris, July 14th or Bastille Day, Tour de France famous bike ride arrival on Paris Champs-Elysees (July). Other Paris popular events, Agricultural show (February, March), Paris Marathon (April), Music Festival (June 21).

The beginning starts in the Gallo-Roman era (300 BC), a tribe named the Parisii settle on the Ile de la Cite (place where you find Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sainte-Chapelle). It means working people or craftmen.

Paris is the Capital of France and the largest city in Europe. Paris population is over 2.2 million, and the metropolitan area over 12.4 million.  

Paris is separated in two banks, the Left Bank (Rive Gauche), Boulevard St-Germain, and the Right Bank (Rive Droite), avenue Champs-Elysees. Between both banks, the Ile de la Cite is where you find the Cathedral Notre-Dame and the Ile St-Louis.

Paris is divided in 20 Arrondissements. The first numbers (1st arrondissement, 2nd arrondissement, 3rd arrondissement...) start in the center of Paris. Paris main highway, the Peripherique is about 35km length. Paris Heavy traffic is between 6 am to 9 am, 5 pm to 9 pm. The peripherique speed limit is 70km/h. 

The Seine River is also the major river in France, 776km long (486 miles). La Seine separates Paris in 2 banks. There are 37 bridges. Joan of Arc was burned in 1431 and her ashes were thrown into the Seine. Napoleon wishes was to be buried along the Seine. The Bateaux-Mouches on the Seine offer great sightseeing tours.

Interesting facts about Paris

The list of historical monuments is quite long. The most visited are

•  Eiffel Tower
• Arc de Triomphe
• Notre-Dame Cathedral
• Sainte Chapelle
•  Pantheon

Free monuments and museums in Paris: Balzac House, Victor Hugo House, Musée de la Vie romantique, Henri Cernuschi.

Most famous museums in Paris are the Louvre Museum, Museum d'Orsay, Musee Rodin. Free museums in Paris: Carnavalet Museum (story of Paris), Atelier Brancusi Pompidou Centre.

Most visited churches in Paris are the Cathedral Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle church, the Sacre-Coeur Montmartre, Saint-Eustache church (Les Halles).

There are restaurants, cafes in Paris cannot be missed. They have been the favourite place for writers, philosophs, painters, politicians. Ones of them are:

• The Procope
• Au Pied de Cochon
• Bofinger
• Chez Chartier
• Cafe de la Paix

Paris facts. Many famous composers, artists, painters, singers have chosen to live in Paris. Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Renoir all have lived in Montmartre. Famous addresses in Paris:

• Le Lapin Agile famous place in Paris where Picasso, Modigliani, Appolinaire and many others spent time together. Now it's a cabaret.
• Le Bateau Lavoir was the residence for artists, Braque, Matisse, Picasso painted The Young Ladies of Avignon.
• Dalida House, Marcel Ayme square.

FREE entry to 60+ Paris attractions plus

• Visit the Louvre Free with The Paris Pass
  
• Unlimited travel in central Paris
  
• Free 1 Day Hop on Hop off Bus Tour Ticket

Fun facts

France produce six billion baguettes per year. The French people eats half baguette per day.

Grand Prix de la Baguette 2017: the best baguette in Paris is for Sami Bouattour at the Boulangerie Brun, 193 rue de Tolbiac, 13th arrondissement.

The French eat the most cheese in the world. A person eats over 25kg of cheese per year. There are over 1200 kinds of cheese produced in France.

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