Sunday, May 31, 2009

Backpacking in Paris: European Centre of Art and Culture


No backpacking holiday to Europe can be complete without a trip to Paris. The city is termed to be the ‘City of Light’ and it can be your Mecca if you are a lover of peace, music, fashion, jewellery, dance and much more. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a long and rich history stretching back around 1000 years, and the multi cultural society that it holds adds to cultural diversity and overall unique beauty of the city. It is considered to be of the hot and favorite tourist places to visit around the globe with its structural marvelous and ethnic beauty.

As with most budget backpacking trips, your holiday in Paris can be best enjoyed by touring the city on foot. Travelers can get the maximum enjoyment from the city with the bountiful attractive places which are so close to each other. Indeed, most of the places of interest are within a walkable distance from one another if you are fairly fit. I found even going out for a cup of coffee in one of the city’s many cafes or bars is a nice experience or the serene walk along the coast of the river in the middle of the city can be so romantic for young couples.

The famous galleries and museums are the best part of the city. Some of the much celebrated and high profile museums are The Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the Musee de Louvre, the Picasso Museum, the Rodin Museum, the Invalides. They symbolize the European art tradition as well as housing the more contemporary arts and collections.


The Eiffel tower is considered to be the embodiment of engineering and is an iconic structural monument. The skyscrapers present in the city are awesome to behold. Walking around the Eiffel tower can be a pleasure in itself. It is estimated that around 6 million people come to pay their visit here making it among the world most popular tourist attractions. Some fitter people cover the ascent by foot or you can alternatively choose to take some of the steps and then complete the rest by using the tower’s lift. The bird’s eye view of the city while climbing up the tower will take any person to paradise and is quite breathtaking.

The Pere-Lachaise cemetery, the catacombs, the Arc de Triomphe, which is a huge arch built by Napoleon to celebrate his victories speak volumes about the history of the city and country of France. The Sacre Coeur, the Sainte Chapelle, the Pompidou Center, the Panteon, the Grand Arche de la Defense are of serene beauty and are not to missed under the light covers. Notre Dame Cathedral and the Basilica of the Sacre C’ur are some of the notable and renowned churches in the city and are worth a visit even for non Disney fans! The Jardin de Luxemberg is a good place to relax and enjoy the nature at its best without having to move to the suburb.

Not to forget the fact, an artwork that many consider to be the epitome of painting is housed in the city: the Monalisa is kept in the museum here in Paris. The boulevard Champs-Elysees is considered to be the hub of high cultured society.

The city night life activities are also truly enjoyable for you party animals. The places around the Bastile prison has now been transformed into a center for night life activities. Far removed from what it must have been like in pre revolutionary France, this is now a great place to go out with a wide range of restaurants, clubs and bars all to be found here.

The city is also famous for its shopping. There are wide range of products available right from perfume, jewellery, wine, gifts and much more to keep you amused - be careful with the price tags though!

Paris is certainly unmissable when traveling around Europe and it can be a fine experience which no body will forget in their life. Paris city can be called as a dream city for many couples as well as for all tourists those who wish enjoyment and pleasure in their life.

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