From The Eiffel Tower To The Arc De Triomphe

The Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel, lords over southwest Paris, and form nearly wherever you are on this walk you can see its jutting needle. For years many Parisians felt it was an iron eyesore and called it Giant Asparagus, a vegetable that weighed 15 million pounds and grew 1,000 feet high. But gradually the tower became part of the Parisian landscape, entering the hearts and souls of Parisians and visitors alike Thanks to its stunning nighttime illumination, topped by four 6,000-watt projectors creating a lighthouse beacon visible for 80 km around, it continues to make Paris live up to its moniker La Ville Lumiere – the City of Lights. Water is th second highlight here; fountains playing beneath Place du Trocadero and boat tours along the Seine on a Bateau Mouche. Museums are the third; the area around Trocadero is full of them. Style is the fourth, and not just because the buildings here are overwhelmingly elegant – but because this is also the center of haute couture, with the top names in fashion all congregated around Avenue Montaiigne, only a brief walk from the Champs-Elysees, to the north.

The 2.1 km Champs-Elysees was originally laid out in the 1660s by landscape gardener Andre Le Notre as parkland sweeping away from the Tuilerries. Site of most French national celebrations, the Champs-Elysees is the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race, on the third or fourth Sunday in July.

 EIFFEL TOWER – If the Statue of Liberty is emblematic of New York, Big Ben is London, Toronto is CN Tower, then the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. French Engineer Gustave Eiffel – already famous for building viaducts and bridges – spent two years working to erect this monument for the World Exhibition of 1889. And after it was built, many Parisians felt it was an iron eyesore and called it the Giant Asparagus, agreeing with designer Willaim Morris, who, explaining why he had been spending so much time at the tower, said " Why on earth have I come here? Because it's the only place I can't see it from. Gradually, though, the Tour Eiffel became part of the Parisian landscape, entering the hearts and souls of Parisians and visitors alike. Opens June to late August 9am to midnight; late Aug to May 9am to 11pm. Admission: 2^nd floor 4.20 euros, 3^rd floor 7.70 euros, 4^th floor 11 euros. Metro Station: Bir-Hakeim, Trocadero, Ecole Militaire.

 ARC DE TRIOMPHE – Set on Place Charles de Gaulle the colossal, 164-foot Arc De Triomphe was planned by Napoleon but not finished until 1836, 20 years after the end of his rule. A small museum halfway up the arch is devoted to its history. France's unknown soldier is buried beneath the archway; the flame is rekindled every evening at 6:30 pm. Opens daily 10am to 11pm. Admission: 8 euros. Metro Station: Etoile.

  FONDATION PIERRE BERGE – YVES SAINT LAURENT – With his business partner, Pierre Berge, iconic fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) reopened his former atelier in 2004 – thjs time as a gallery and archive of his work. Temporary exhibits, some fashion-related, rotate roughly every six months. The first, a show of Saint Laurent's art-inspired clothing, including his Mondrian dress, was a knockout; a more recent exhibit was devoted to theater artist Robert Wilson. Opens Tuesday-Sunday 11am to 6pm. Admission: 5 euros. Metro Station: Alma-Marceau.

 PALAIS DE CHAILLOT – This honey-colour, art Deco culture center facing the Seine, perched atop tumbling gardens with sculpture and fountains, was built in the 1930s and houses 3 museums. The palace terrace, flanked by gilded statuettes (and often invaded by roller skaters and skateboarders) offers a wonderful picture-postcard view of the Eiffel Tower and is a favourite spot for a fashion photographers. Opens daily (except Tuesday) 10 am -6pm. Admission: 6.50 euros. Metro Station: Trocadero

  MUSEE d'ART MODERNE de la VILLE de PARIS – The City Museum of Modern Art shows temporary exhibits of painting, sculpture, installation and video art, plus a permanent collection of top-tier 20^th century works from around the world. The building reopened in 2006 and its vast, white-walled galleries are an ideal backdrop for the bold statements of 20^th century art. Opens daily (except Monday) 10am – 6:45pm. Admission: 7 euros. Metro Station: Iena