The Louvre
Sainte Chapelle
The construction of Sainte Chapelle began in 1239. This church has one of the most extensive collections of 13th-century stain glass in the world. Two stories of colored windows surround the entire chapel with only the thinnest buttresses of stone to hold them up, making the walls almost entirely glass. It is truly an other-worldly sight. It is hard to imagine the level of work and dedication that went into constructing this amazing structure.
The Louvre
A few hours is not enough time to really see all that is hidden within the walls of the Louvre. With over 38,000 artifacts, statues, and works of art in 782,910 square feet you would need months. But, if you know what you really want to see and have a game plan ahead of time, you can hit the highlights in a few hours. Also, as a previous palatial residence of the French Monarchy, the Louvre is a sight in itself.
Mont-Saint-Michel
This picturesque tidal island located one kilometer off the coast of Normandy is surrounded by the waters of the English Channel. During low tide the water recedes and leaves behind a salty marsh for grazing sheep. In 966 the first church on the island was constructed and around it sprang a village to accommodate the pilgrims that made the dangerous trek to the sanctuary. Today, the crossing is made easy by a raised walkway and is well worth the four-hour drive from Paris to Normandy. This is definitely a spot that I highly recommend if you have enough time to spare.
Blois
If you're spending the day pondering a life of luxury in the Loire Valley at chateaus such as Chenonceau and Chambord then be sure to stop by the town of Blois for a light lunch. With chateaus of its own and many timber-framed houses, you will be transported back to the Renaissance. Also, don't miss the Denis-Papin staircase. It's a surreal modern gem in the heart of this very medieval city.
Chenonceau Castle
Chenonceau was the highlight of the Loire Valley. Drinking wine in Catherine de Medici's wine cellar is a must, as is strolling the grounds. Each room of the chateau is decorated with beautiful bouquets of flowers from the grounds. There are many interesting outbuildings, including an apothecary where Catherine might have cooked up some of the deadly poisons for killing adversaries.
Chambord
This royal hunting lodge is actually the largest chateau in the Loire Valley. The castle has 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 84 staircases, including an open double spiral staircase in the center of the chateau that was designed by Leonardo da Vinci. After all the time and money the monarchy poured into its construction, the king spent less than 50 days at his hunting lodge.
Montmarte Cemetery
In the 1780s, Paris placed a ban on burying the dead within city limits due to rising unsanitary conditions. Around this time, new cemeteries were built on the outskirts of the city, including the picturesque Montmartre cemetery. Montmartre is so large that you can purchase a graveyard street map to locate the famous names buried within the cemetery, including the artist Edgar Degas and the writer Alexandre Dumas. My mother and I chose to aimlessly wander the streets of the cemetery, stopping constantly as we found interesting or noteworthy crypts. Both my mother and I agreed that the two or three hours we spent meandering the cemetery was one of the top highlights of our trip to Paris.
Versailles
Of course, no trip to Paris is complete without a trip to Versailles. But, hands-down, my favorite spot on the estate was a fantasy-like village that served as the Queen’s private retreat. The “Queen’s Hamlet” is a meticulously designed peasant village made up of small timber framed, thatched roof cottages with perfectly planned vegetable gardens and vine covered archways. Here the French aristocracy could play at peasant life, though I don’t see many peasants having the luxury of a billiards table. The hamlet has an idyllic little farm where milk and eggs were produced for the queen.
My next favorite spot on the estate was the Grand Trianon, but that was likely due to the excessive use of pink marble. This chateau also served as another getaway for the queen. You know, when you need to get away from your exceedingly extravagant chateau you go to the second, less extravagant chateau you had built in your backyard.
Paris Catacombs
In 1786, Paris decided to use the existing tunnel network under the city for storing human remains.This move was prompted by spreading diseases caused by a thousand years of corpses being improperly handled. After about fifteen months, over 6 million human remains were moved into what was once limestone mines for the Romans. Around this time, it became illegal to bury people within the city limits resulting in the creation of large cemeteries outside the streets of Paris. Today you can tour an 800-meter stretch of the catacombs which only covers roughly .5% of the existing underground cemetery.
