A city famous for its beauty and charm, it's Paris

“CITY OF LIGHTS”

Paris, a city famous for its beauty and charm, is the capital and largest city of France. Called by its dwellers the City of Lights, Paris is located in the île-de-France region, on the Seine River, 370 km upstream from the river’s outlet on the English Channel, in north central France.

Paris is the home of the Louvre, one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. It was formerly a fortress and  a palace where the kings of France lived periodically from 1363-1682. The Louvre became a public museum in 1793. Standing to the west of the Louvre is the public park Jardins des Tuileries, the original formal garden of the Palace of the Tuileries, which was burned down in 1871. Located on the west side of the garden is the Palace de la Concorde, Paris’ most spacious square, in the center of which stands the Luxor Obelisk, a gift from the viceroy of Egypt Muhammad Ali to King Charles X in 1829. The Obelisk, which originally stood in the ancient city of Thebes, dates from the thirteenth century B.C., making it the oldest monument in Paris. The most spectacular thoroughfare of Paris is Champs-Êlysêes, running west from the Place de la Concorde to the Place Charles de Gaulle- Êtoile. All major civic celebrations have taken place along this broad avenue, including the Bastille Day military parade on July 14. Elegant gardens lining the first few blocks of the Champs-Êlysêes. To the north of the gardens lies the one-time aristocratic Fauborg Saint-Honorê neighborhood. Its most famous building is the Êlysêes Palaces, the residence of the President of France.

Paris’ beauty attracts many tourists each year. People from around the world flock to the city to view its impressive array of monuments and museums, while savoring its cuisine and relaxing in its sidewalk cafes and nightclubs.

Adapted from http://encarta.msn.com