Nights in La Ville Lumiere

Like the rest of the world, I was saddened and angered by the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. So as a big middle finger to those who resort to violence and fear in an effort to cloister Parisians and tourists alike, I’d like to highlight some of the famous (and not-so-famous) Parisian landmarks.

The Louvre (pictured above)
As one of the largest museums in the world, the Louvre boasts more than 35,000 pieces of art covering a space of 35 acres.

But it’s not just the place to see the Mona Lisa, as visitors can explore the remnants of a 13th-century fortress. The foundation of the palace which surrounds the familiar glass pyramid was once part of a citadel built by Philip II in the early 1200s.

The royal palace we see today was once home to Napoleon I and Napoleon III before the royal family moved to Versailles. The glass pyramid was finished in 1989, juxtaposing modernity with 16th century architecture.

Notre Dame

Construction of this Gothic architectural masterpiece began in 1163, taking 182 years to finish with its completion in 1345.

In December of 1431, King Henry VI was crowned King of France in Notre Dame, and the cathedral was once used as a food warehouse during the French Revolution.

Located on the Île de la Cité in the middle of the Seine River, this 800-year-old landmark is pretty much mandatory for any Paris visit.

The Catacombs

Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la mort (Halt! This is the realm of Death) reads a sign just before you enter the ossuary in the catacombs 20 meters beneath the City of Light.

Here you can walk among the dead, an estimated 6 million bodies, whose bones line the walls of these ancient limestone caverns which run an estimated 300 kilometers under the city.

Louis XVI began transferring bodies into these caves in 1786 as the Parisian graveyards were becoming overcrowded. The ossuary has also been used for Catholic mass and even concerts during the 1800s.

Musée Fragonard d’Alfort

This small museum is housed in a veterinarian campus and displays écorchés (flayed figures) prepared by Honoré Fragonard, a French anatomist who was eventually branded a madman for his creations.

The museum also features various animal anatomical anomalies including Siamese lambs connected at the chest, a horse with a cyclops eye, and a sheep with 10 (yes, 10) legs.

Located in Maisons-Alfort (a suburb of Pairs) with no signage, it takes a little planning to visit this eccentric museum, but it’s well worth it.

Eiffel Tower

Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without visiting the iconic Eiffel Tower, built in 1889 for the World’s Fair. It was the tallest man-made structure at the time, reaching 324 meters (1,063 feet).

In 1944 as the Allies were close to taking back Paris, Hitler ordered the Eiffel Tower and other Paris landmarks to be razed. But the German military governor General Dietrich von Choltitz ignored the order, earning the nickname, savior of Paris.

With more than 7 million visitors a year, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited locations in France.