30 Top Tourist Attractions in Paris part 4

     30 Top Tourist Attractions in Paris

21. Pere Lachaise Cemetery

The world’s most visited cemetery, Pere Lachaise became a municipal cemetery in 1804 under Napoleon. It is the final resting place for many famous people, including the Doors’ Jim Morrison, author Oscar Wilde and chanteuse Edith Piaf. The cemetery contains many sculptures, as each family of the deceased tried to out-do the monuments placed by the other wealthy families. The result is many spectacular works of art that are equally as interesting as the various gravesites of famous individuals.

22. Pantheon

The Pantheon is where famous French citizens are buried. Modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, it was originally a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, and her relics. The church was rebuilt in the neoclassical style by King Louis XV to thank God for his recovery from serious illness. It was changed to a mausoleum during the French Revolution to honor revolutionary martyrs.

The architecture of the Panthéon marks a clear break from the playful Rococo of the Louis XV style and instead presents a more somber Neoclassical style. The Panthéon was the first building in Paris that sought to return to the architectural simplicity of classical antiquity. This monumental building set the standard for the period before and after Napoleon, and inspired the creation of other massive structures such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Madeleine, and the Bourse. The philosophers Voltaire and Rousseau and the writers Victor Hugo and Emile Zola are buried here.

23. Conciergerie

The Conciergerie was built in the 10th century to be the main palace for French kings who, over the centuries, enlarged it. Its Great Hall was one of the largest in Europe; another hall was where the palace’s 2,000 workers ate. Some buildings were converted into a prison in the 14th century. The palace later became a revolutionary tribunal and prison during the Reign of Terror, with famous prisoners including Marie Antoinette and Madame du Barry. Today the Conciergerie is a popular tourist attraction in Paris but also still serves as courts.

24. Moulin Rouge

The year 1889 is known as the year when France’s most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower, was constructed. It’s also the year the Moulin Rouge opened its doors as an entertainment venue. When it opened, it catered to the rich who wanted to “slum” it. Courtesans worked there and were responsible for inventing the can-can, a dance considered racy for the era. The Moulin Rouge is still considered Paris’s premier entertainment venue and has been the subject of numerous films.

25. Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges, formerly called Place Royale, This majestic building opposite the Louvre Museum is another example of royal architecture. The Palais-Royal was created as a Cardinal's Palace during the reign of King Louis XIII and later became a royal place; it was a seat of power for four centuries. Exemplifying classical French architecture, the building features a lovely central courtyard. This quiet enclosed tree-lined courtyard has the feeling of being a village in the city. Inside the courtyard is an unusual modern sculpture installation of small striped columns, which vary in height. The sculptures arouse a sense of surprise and curiosity.

It is the prototype for all residential squares in Europe. All houses were built using the same design: red brick with steep pitched blue slate roofs. Not only is it shaped like a true square, it is the first city square that was planned by a monarch (Henry IV in the early 17th century). Third, it turned the Marais into a fashionable spot for French nobility in the decades before the French Revolution.