Paris, Banks of the Seine
Paris on the banks of the Seine stretches from Saint-Chapelle and the Notre Dame in the east to the Eiffel Tower in the west. Along this kilometers long route one can find many of the main treasures of the French capital.
The Notre Dame is one of the eldest monuments: it's construction dates from the 12th century. Nearby Saint-Chapelle has the same age. Both are on the Ile de la Cité. This little island is linked with the rest of the city via many bridges, of which the Pont Neuf is the most famous.
In the middle of the route there are the two major museums: the Louvre and the Gare d'Orsay (a former train station). This is also the part where the spacious Place de la Concorde and the Egyptian Obelisk are situated.
The Eiffel Tower is at the end of the route. Built for the 1897 world fair, it still stands strong as the number one symbol for Paris.
Visit February 2002
I started my visit to Paris at the Notre Dame Cathedral. A real surprise when you pop your head up from underground, having used the subway to get to de Ile de la Cité. So this is Paris. I think I'm going to like it here!
To enter nearby Saint-Chapelle I had to queue for about 20 minutes. It's a lovely small chapel, but if it's worth the EUR 5,49 entrance fee and all the waiting?
In the afternoon I took a boat trip on the Seine. In the timespan of an hour you get to see several of the city's highlights from the water, for example the Pont Neuf, Gare d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower. It was a cold experience (sitting on deck while it's nearly freezing), but not too be missed.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
michelle (u.k):
just came back .. Notre Dame is a real eye opener how did they buil it?? also the spire on St Chappelle is a feat of architecture. and the footbridge next to point neuf is worth a visit on friday night if you like to socialise..bring your own wine!! |
| Date posted: June 2008 |
():
I have visited Paris twice and will be returning again in May'07. Two years ago I visited the Opera Garnier for the first time ~ What a splendid surprise!! We had just seen Buckingham Palace two days before and felt that the Opera rivaled it in beauty and majesty! The Eiffel, of course, is a must ~ as is the Louvre ~ but the Opera Garnier needs to be added to your 'to do' list ~ especially if you're a "Phantom" fan!! |
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():
I mostly enjoyed the Seine river banks when i was there in summer 2004. the banks are full of life in the summer – i most enjoyed the tango dancing on Quai St Bernard, the stroll on Quai Montebello and the area beneath Ile de la Cite. The river cruises are enjoyable both during the day and at night. The Notre Dame look majestic from the river, especially when you reach the back with its intricate flying buttresses!
We had taken the Bateau Parisien, but one can take other boats such as the Vedettes from the Pont Neuf.
Enjoy your stay in Paris! |
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Emilia Bautista King (U.S.A.):
From the time I was 8, I had read so much about Paris that it became the number 1 place I wanted to visit. I got my wish at 14 and the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, it took my breath away. My parents, my sister, and I all purchased Sorbonne sweatshirts and we all wore them for a family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower (so cheesy, I know, but it was a proud moment for me then)! I remember taking the boat tour on the River Seine and just taking in the sites. I'd love to visit again as an adult but then again, there are 800 other WHS to see! |
| Date posted: February 2006 |
Ian Cade (England):
 I have now visited Paris twice and almost by accident I have indulged in two clichés, the first time I visited I stumbled in on Bastille Day and was treated to an amazing firework display whilst standing on the banks of the Seine. The second time I took my girlfriend there for Valentines Day and had the most fantastic time strolling along the river from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. There is so much to do that I would have no problems having another trip here.
There are many points of interest along the river banks, and it is two of Paris most famous sights that captivated me most, it can some times be disappointing to see ‘world class’ attractions however the Eiffel Tower and Musée du Louvre were just enchanting. Having now visited many of the great grand museums of the Western World (Pergamon, British, Smithsonian etc.) I feel that the Louvre has the distinction of, in my humble opinion, being the best of the bunch. The exhibits are world class and the way they are displayed is sensational, it manages to combine both a classical Palace setting with fine contemporary architecture and in a way that is hard to beat, and I only see about a 5th of the collection.
However the highlight of the city for me has to be the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to not like it, I wanted to be unimpressed but I just couldn’t, it is massive and an exceptional feat of engineering worth of being one of the worlds most famous sights.
This is added to by a great architectural heritage, it is one of the great cities for art nouveau (iif you are a fan it is well worth hunting out the house at No. 29 Avanue Rapp near the Eiffel tower!), there are exceptional modern buildings, especially Institut du Monde Arabe, and the plasticy wedding cake like concoction that is Sacré Cour. Added to this are great cafes and restaurants (Quartier Latin and Montmatre) and heaps of other sites too numerous to list, including the exceptionally ugly UNESCO headquarters.
Paris is a world class city that deserves a weekend of any ones time. |
| Date posted: February 2006 |
Marcel (Germany):
Paris, the Banks of the Seine? When I made a three days trip to Paris with friends we did lots of sight-seeing there, including many of the famous buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe and many more, but the best thing we did there was to take a boat trip on the Seine in the evening. It's such a wonderful moment to see the Eiffe Tower by night, shining because of all the small lamps on it.
Paris in general is always worth a visit, but besides all the lovely touristy places you soon will see that those great places always are very close to poverty/poor people who suffer while tourists spend 3 Euro for a glass of coke. |
| Date posted: July 2005 |
Klaus Freisinger (Austria):
It is very appropriate that Paris´ World Heritage area is called "Banks of the Seine", because few cities are so defined by the river flowing through it as Paris is (none, I would say). Almost all the major sights are located on or close to the river, and there is no better way (who cares if it´s touristy and kitschy?) to enjoy Paris than by taking a river cruise in a bateau-mouche. Attractions like the Eiffel Tower (who would believe it was so unpopular to Parisians in the beginning?) and the Louvre are world-class sights in their own right anyway, but there´s so much else to see to keep you occupied for ages - Notre-Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées (in my humble opinion the most beautiful street in the world), the Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre, to name just a few. I could be mistaken, but I believe Paris is the most visited city in the world, and it´s easy to understand why. |
| Date posted: June 2005 |
Ben Pastore (USA):
I visited Paris briefly during my honeymoon, because I couldn't call myself a world traveler and skip this Must-See location. Yes, it is all that you think, and yes, it has earned its spot on the list. |
| Date posted: June 2005 |
Ian Cade (England):
 Hmn Paris is a place I have such mixed memories of, I am sure that France wants me to hate it but I can’t bring myself to, I just love it.
When arrived I was flat broke after a tour across Europe, it was swelteringly hot, and the air conditioning on the train from Luxemburg had packed up so I did not have the best impression when arriving then all the information booths were closed and there was nowhere to store our luggage, the metro broke never went where we wanted it to, we couldn’t find a hostel and were planning to sleep rough! Paris had to do something spectacular to redeem itself!!
Finally finding a hostel at night we decided we had to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night! A touch perplexed by the large crowds we strode towards it, the lights went out and then I witness one of the greatest firework displays I had ever seen, all the hassle earlier had now made a little more sense as we had stumbled in on Bastille Day!! Paris had done something pretty spectacular to redeem itself!
The next day was spent touring the sights and wasting or last few Euros on beer! It is a truly stunning place despite the fact we didn’t have enough time or money to get the best out of the city.
I wish I could come up with some obscure part to rave about but the highlight of the city for me has to be the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to not like it, I wanted to be unimpressed but I just couldn’t, it is huge and worth being one of the most recognisable sights in the world.
I will be going back to try and get some more out of the city. |
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Graeme Ramshaw ():
 I love Paris. It's a city that I always find myself coming back to whenever I find myself on the continent for any appreciable amount of time. Whether it be a trip with friends, a romantic getaway with a girlfriend, or simply a solo fling, Paris has never failed to amuse and delight. At the heart of this marvelous city flows the Seine, along whose banks many of the premier tourist attractions and generally amazing sights lie. One can gaze at the wonders of French impressionism at the Musee d'Orsay or cross the river to stroll around the cultural heritage of thousands of years of human history and of hundreds of different cultures at the Louvre. Notre Dame and Sainte-Chappelle stand as testament to the skill and faith of the residents of medieval Paris, while the Eiffel Tower looms large over the city as a symbol of man's ingenuity and technological drive. Still other sights and experiences await along the banks of this remarkable stretch of river for those who have the stamina or the time to explore. If Paris is the embodiment of French achievements of the last two millenia, then the Banks of the Seine are surely its masterpieces. |
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Sri Ganesh (USA):
I visited Paris mid Oct 2002 on an official visit from USA and with the little time I had, I decided to explore the banks of the Seine from Eiffel Tower to Notredame. I took the metro train from my hotel to Eiffel Tower and started my stroll along Seine. Weather was perfect and the landmarks both old and new were impressive. No entry fee for the stroll but I took the ascensors up Eiffel Tower for around 7 euros. The shops along the riverbank near the Notredame cathedral adds a quaint character to the walk. |
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