Private Tours PARIS PARIS
PARIS
Paris: who has not dreamed of visiting and spending time wandering around Paris, the “City of Love”, walk its little streets and grand boulevards, and see the monuments that make Paris famous the world over. Paris offers, more than any other city, a rich mixture of history, art, culture, architecture and variety in a single city. Leaving behind you the Arc de Triomphe, built by the Emperor Napoleon the First, head down the Champs Elysees and have a look at the shops and boutiques that make up this street, as well as the small and large Palaces built by aristocrats, who were executed during the French revolution. At the end of the Champs Elysees you will come to the Place de la Concorde with its huge granite Obelisk taken from the Temple of Luxor in Egypt. Another place to note is the Place Vendome, where there is an original statue of the Emperor Napoleon the First. This spot is ringed by the most luxurious and expensive shops in Paris as well as the best hotel, the original “Ritz”. At the end of one of the nicest streets in Paris the “Rue de la Paix”, you will see in front of you another marvel of the 19th century, The Paris Opera House, the largest in the world. Far more than a museum, the Louvre is a living encyclopaedia showing everything from Ancient Egyptian art to classical art. Mixing the old and the new, its architectural structure of the Louvre is remarkable, as you cannot fail to notice while you make your way through the hundreds of rooms seeing things on your way such as the “Venus de Milo” and “Mona Lisa”. Complementing the collection in the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay displays the art of a different era, in this case the second half of the 19th century up to the start of the cubist era. Go into the very heart of Paris onto the “Ile de la Cite”, the island in the River Seine where the Cathedral Notre Dame stands. This building is renowned worldwide as one of the most magnificent examples of Gothic architecture anywhere. It was this that inspired Victor Hugo to write his novel, “Notre Dame de Paris”. On the other side of the bank of the river you will find the “Conciergerie”, the last stop before execution for people such as Marie Antoinette or Charlotte Corday. Also, stop by the last resting place of the ashes of Napoleon at Les Invalides and have a look at his mausoleum. When you come out you will be able to get a good view of the winning entry for the 1889 Paris Exposition, and what has become one of the symbols of France, the Eiffel Tower. If you choose to visit the Eiffel Tower you can eat at one of the restaurants on the tower which offer an unprecedented view of the city of Paris.
Back to Private toursCHATEAU de VERSAILLES :
When first built under the orders of Louis XIII the chateau was simply a Royal hunting lodge, but was extensively enlarged and rebuilt by Louis XIV. Today, while its beauty and splendour can be seen on the exterior of the house, it is when the inside is viewed, with each room having its own unique style and design, that the opulence and excesses of the time can be appreciated. The unique richness in style found in the Chateau de Versailles is equalled only by the gardens of the chateau, designed by the celebrated French architect, LeNotre.
LA ROCHE GUYON :
Situated between the rivers Seine and Epte, this spot has been, since the 12th century, a place of strong military presence and fortification. The castle, built into the mountain rock, was the place of the headquarters of Field Marshal Rommel, in command of all German troops in Normandy from the start of 1944 onwards. The German Army strongly reinforced the defences already present as well as constructing new additional concrete pillboxes and bunkers.
ROUEN :
Complete your day by a visit to this town, much loved by Monet. The town of Rouen is quite simply a work of art in itself, with its medieval half timbered houses, religious architecture, the massive Town Clock and the famous who have lived and died here, such as Flaubert, Corneille and Joan of Arc.
COMPIÈGNE :
Here you can see the spot where the armistice of 1918, which ended the fighting of World War One, was signed. It was here that Hitler decided to make the French sign their surrender after the fall of France in 1940. He ordered the same railway carriage that had been used in 1918 to be put in place for the French surrender. It can be hard to believe, standing in this calm and peaceful forest clearing, the momentous historical events that took place here.
GIVERNY :
Visit the house of Claude Monet, the 19th century French impressionist painter, and discover his two other passions in life, Japanese prints and his garden, which gave him the inspiration for many of his paintings. Giverny will give the impressionist art lover everything they are looking for into the life and works of the famous painter. Also in Giverny is the American Art Museum, founded here when American artists started to come to Giverny to visit Monet.
LA SOMME :
Visit the site of the most ferocious battle of World War One. Commencing with an artillery barrage that lasted a week and could be heard in England, the Allied troops went “Over the Top” to charge the German lines on July 1st 1916. In the first hour of the battle, they suffered most of the 60,000 casualties that they took on that single day. The battle lasted until the end of November 1916 by which stage the French and British had advanced less than 6 miles at a cost of more than 420,000 allied casualties. The sites to be viewed on the Somme are many, from the original trench lines, pillboxes and cratered battlefields to museums, memorials and where the famous “Red Baron” was killed. But there are sites of American battles also found here, such as Cantigny, the first American action of World War One. This is where the 1st Infantry Division, who landed on Omaha beach 26 years later, went into action for the first time on French soil.
