86 Interesting Facts About Paris, France
Paris is the capital of France, and one of the most visited city in the world.
But did you know there are 53 other places in the world called Paris? Or that Parisians used to drink the Seine river’s water until the 1920s?
Discover the City of Lights with these 86 interesting facts about Paris! 🚀
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Facts on Paris to Learn All About It
- The Best Paris Facts
- Fun Paris Facts
- Paris Facts for Kids
- Paris Catacombs Facts
- Facts About The Eiffel Tower in Paris
- Interesting Facts About Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
- The Pantheon Paris Facts
- General Facts of Paris France
- Paris Flag
- More Facts!
- The Full List of 86 Paris Facts
Facts on Paris to Learn All About It
Ready to learn all about Paris?
Facts are one of the best ways to learn more about something, and I personally love to read them! I’ve put together for you quite a bit of interesting Paris facts; I’ve split them in 8 categories:
- The best Paris facts
- Fun Paris Facts
- Paris Facts for Kids
- Paris Catacombs Facts
- Facts About The Eiffel Tower in Paris
- Interesting Facts About Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
- The Pantheon Paris Facts
- General Facts of Paris France
Let’s dive in straight away with our first category! 🔥
The Best Paris Facts
In this first part, you will find all the general facts about the majestic and historical city of Paris, France.
1. Paris is home to the most popular museum on the planet: the Louvre
Paris is very well known for its museums, especially the Louvre. As a matter of fact, it is the most popular museum in the world, with around 9 million visitors each year.
You can easily understand why though, as some of the best masterpieces of all time are displayed there, like the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo.
2. Until the 1920s, Parisians were both swimming and drinking in the River Seine
If you have ever been to Paris, you should be shocked by this. The River Seine looks terrible nowadays, it is very muddy, and both brown and green.
However, up until the 1920s, Parisians used it to swim… and to drink! This ended when scientists tested the water though.
The Seine river in Paris
3. There is a Paris Syndrome, a true illness affecting visitors from all around the world
You might have heard of the Paris Syndrome, but it is a true illness that people can suffer from after visiting Paris.
Because the city has such an amazing reputation all around the globe, some people are so disappointed by the city that they suffer from dizziness, anxiety and even hallucinations!
4. The numbers you can see on the sidewalks represent a date of construction
If you walk around Paris, you will probably see some numbers on the sidewalks.
In case you were wondering, these are not random. Those numbers represent the date of construction of each part of the sidewalk.
5. There are around 10 movies or advertising filming… every day!
Yes, Paris is romantic. Yes, Paris is unique and charming.
And yes, there are tons of movies, and advertising, filmed in Paris. In fact, there are so many of them that an approximate 10 movies/advertising filming take place in the French capital… every day!
Emily in Paris is filmed in Paris
6. Every single tree in Paris is referenced and measured
There are 470,000 trees in Paris, and yes that’s a lot. What is most surprising though is that every single one of them is referenced and measured.
To put that into perspective, it would take you approximately a whole uninterrupted year to do that by yourself.
Jardin des Tuileries in Paris
7. Until 2013, it was illegal for women to wear pants
Obviously, nowadays women wear pants in Paris. However, technically, it was illegal for them to do so up until 2013.
That is because on November 17th, 1800, the French government added a law forbidding women to wear pants without an authorization given by the police, and it was not officially removed until 2013!
8. Paris hosts the biggest number of libraries in the whole world
Book readers will be happy to go to Paris. Historically, the city hosted some of the most famous authors in the world, and today it has the biggest number of libraries on the planet.
With 830 libraries, there is one of them for 2,900 inhabitants!
9. The shortest street in Paris is only 5.75 m / 16 ft long
In Paris, you can find 6,100 streets. Some of them are extremely famous and very large, like the Champs-Élysées.
Some others, like “Rue des Degrés”, are the opposite. This one is the shortest street of the whole city, it is only a staircase, and is 5.75 m / 16 ft long.
10. There is an underground lake beneath the famous “Opéra Garnier”
The Opéra Garnier was built in 1862 by Charles Garnier, and is one of the most famous operas in the world.
What is very surprising is that there is a lake beneath it, inaccessible to the public, that Paris firemen use for their training.
Facade of the Opera Garnier
11. The Louvre collection is the biggest one in the world, and you can only see a tiny portion of it
I have started this list of facts with the Louvre Museum, but there is something else that you need to know.
Its collection is the largest one on the planet, with 460,000 works, and yet only 35,000 of them can be seen in the museum!
Exhibition room in the Louvre Museum
12. In 2007, “renovator elves” repaired the clock of the Pantheon
On a morning, in 2007, Parisians woke up to a repaired clock in the Pantheon, perfectly working.
This was made by a clandestine group called “Urban eXpirement” (UX), and they were nicknamed the “renovator elves”. They often break in places they want to renovate.
13. A crocodile was found in the Catacombs of Paris, in 1984
The Catacombs of Paris are so unique, mysterious and creepy that lots of legends circulate about them. One of them is about a monster living beneath the city.
In 1984, this became a reality, when a crocodile was found in the sewer. It was then taken by firemen and now lives in Brittany, in the West of France.
14. Policemen are familiarly called “chicken” in France, and this name originated in Paris
While in most English-speaking countries, policemen are very familiarly called pigs, in France they are called “poulets”, which means chicken.
This name came from 1871 Paris, when the police headquarters were moved to where the poultry market used to stand, because of vandalism.
15. The French Resistance made sure Adolf Hitler could not get on top of the Eiffel Tower
A very famous picture of Adolf Hitler is when he walks through Paris, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, after having conquered the French capital in 1940.
While he admired the city for its architecture, he never got to get on top of the Eiffel Tower, because the French Resistance cut the lift wires the night before!
16. There were some very unusual deaths in the history of Paris, even famous people
Several famous people had some very unusual deaths in Paris. For instance, Jean-Baptiste Lully, music composer of King Louis XIV, died from gangrene after hitting himself on the toe.
Pierre Curie, a Nobel Prize, died after being run over by a carriage after slipping on the muddy ground.
17. The French Army is the only one in Europe that still has carrier pigeons
Among all European armies, the French one is, to this day, the only one still having carrier pigeons.
It is in fact considered necessary by the general staff, as an emergency alternative in case of a technological breakdown.
18. Paris is named the “City of Light”, but that does not have to do anything with actual light
While Paris has many nicknames, the most famous one is definitely the “City of Light”. And though it was one of the first cities in the world to install street lights, this name comes from the large number of intellectuals and philosophers that lived in the city.
19. Parisians love dogs, more than in most big cities
Who does not love dogs right? But still, Parisians love dogs more than usual.
Whatever the time of the day, you will probably run into a few of them, they are everywhere! There are over 300,000 dogs in Paris, which translates to 1 dog for 7 Parisians.
20. The Bloody Mary, a famous cocktail, is said to be created in Paris, and served to Ernest Hemingway
It is quite rare that famous dishes and beverages have precise origins. For the famous Bloody Mary cocktail, the legend says that it was created by a French bartender named Fernand Petiot.
On top of that, it was first asked by Ernest Hemingway, who wanted a drink that did not smell like alcohol!
21. An unfortunate initial mistake made people think the Louvre Pyramid was… diabolical
The Louvre Pyramid is a magnificent addition to the already majestic and enormous museum.
However, in 1980, the official brochure announced that it was made of 666 pieces, leading to a whole bunch of conspiracy theories. After recounting, it turned out there are 673 of them.
22. There are 173 museums and 1,803 monuments around Paris for you to visit
If you are coming from far away, you should plan to stay there for days, or maybe weeks: there is so much to do!
If you like museums, there are 173 of them. For general monuments, you can find 1,803. And there are even more important places like Disneyland and Moulin Rouge that you should definitely see.
Discover the most famous landmarks in Paris here.
23. Taxis are very expensive in Paris, for both drivers and passengers
There are less taxis in Paris than in most major cities. Why, will you ask you? Well, quite simply because it is extremely expensive… for everyone!
As a passenger, well it is a taxi so it is always going to be expensive. But as a driver, you have to pay 200,000€ ($241,000) for a permit! Plus, everyone uses the metro anyway.
24. There is one famous Paris, but 53 places are called this way around the world!
Everyone knows Paris, France, maybe Paris, Texas… but there are way more of them than you probably think.
53 places around the globe are called Paris, with 23 of them being in the United States. There is even another Paris in France!
25. Lots of different things were invented in Paris
Paris is home to some of the most amazing inventions, and it helps us in our everyday life.
The best of them, according to me, are pastries, human rights, the metric system, chemistry, photography and fashion.
26. Tom Cruise loves Paris, but the city does not
Tom Cruise, a very famous American actor, loves Paris more than any city in the world. He proposed to Katie Holmes there.
However, when asked to become an honorary citizen, the city declined. Why? Because scientology is considered a cult in France, and Cruise is known as a major figure of it.
27. Paris is the greenest city in France, and even in Europe
I have already told you about the 470,000 trees in Paris. Not only is the city beautiful and green, it is actually the greenest one in Europe.
Its oldest tree was planted in 1601 and is still standing to this day, though the upper branches were damaged during World War I!
Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris
28. The “Père Lachaise” cemetery is the most visited one in the world, and is unusually beautiful
Everything in Paris is beautiful, even the cemetery! The “Père Lachaise” cemetery is very well known for being beautiful and for having some of the most popular people in the history of France, like Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Frédéric Chopin.
It is the most visited cemetery in the world.
29. The Moulin Rouge, a world widely known cabaret, has been operating since 1899
The Moulin Rouge, the famous cabaret of Paris, has been operating since 1899.
Today, you can still enjoy a night there, with both dinner and a burlesque show. Some nights, there is even a magic show! There are 80 performers, rotating through the year.
30. The “Arc de Triomphe” is a wonderful sight in Paris, where you can see a long and clear avenue
One of the most underrated monuments of Paris is the “Arc de Triomphe”. To say that this wonderful iconic neoclassical architecture is underrated says a lot about the tons of attractions in the city.
It lies at the end of the Champs-Élysées, and you can pay your respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier there; it is visited by the President every 14th of July (National Day).
And that’s it for the most general and interesting facts in Paris!
But there is more to discover about the city, so let’s dive into the fun part. 👇
Fun Paris Facts
Every city has funny and unusual facts that you will want to learn about.
So, here are my 12 fun facts about Paris France.
31. There is only one STOP sign in the whole city of Paris!
STOP signs are found everywhere in major cities. They are useful to control traffic strictly, and are very recognizable all around the world because of their unique shape (which was created to still see it underneath the snow).
Well, it looks like Parisians do not like to say STOP, as there is only one of those signs in the whole city!
32. Pont Neuf / New Bridge is… the oldest bridge of the city
Pont Neuf, which translates to New Bridge, was one of the first stone bridges featuring pedestrian sidewalks, hence its name. It was built at the end of the 16th century.
However, all other bridges from its era are no longer today, making it the oldest standing bridge in Paris.
33. Though it is located very far from the sea, there are beaches in Paris
You probably know it, the French capital is quite far from the coast, it is in the very center of the lands.
However, its famous Seine river is a place where people like to gather. You can even find beaches in a small section of it!
34. There are several smaller versions of the Statue of Liberty in Paris
New York prides itself with the enormous and green Statue of Liberty, and for good reasons. It is one of the most majestic ways to enter a city and to claim how important freedom is in the United States.
However, there are several smaller Statues of Liberty in the world, and 6 of them are in Paris.
35. There are so much ghost metro stations that some of them are dedicated to cinema
Paris metro is very famous, both historically and architecturally. Its mythical entrance is seen everywhere around the city.
There are 400 stations under the ground, and lots of them are abandoned. Some of them, like “Porte des Lilas”, are even dedicated to cinema.
36. The huge Obelisk on “Place de la Concorde” is also a massive sundial
The magnificent Obelisk, standing in the middle of “Place de la Concorde”, can be seen from every angle, since it is placed on top of a roundabout.
But it is more than just a splendid sight, as it is a functional sundial, with numbers written on the pavements. In fact, it is the biggest sundial in the world!
37. To this day, you can visit a spot where a guillotine used to be
France is a bit infamous for its unique macabre invention, the guillotine.
While you will not see beheadings or even a whole guillotine in the middle of the streets, you can still visit a spot where one of them was located, at the corner of Roquette and La Croix-Faubin street, in front of a prison.
38. The “love-lock bridge” does not celebrate passers-by’s love anymore
Another (yes, there are a LOT of them) amazing place in Paris is the famous love-lock bridge. It is renowned because of the million locks on it, celebrating passers-by’s love.
However, they weighed 45 tonnes and had to be removed to not damage the bridge.
Le Pont des Arts before the locks were removed
39. There is a yearly competition in Paris, to determine the best baguette
This Paris fun fact is certainly the most cliché fact of this post!
Baguettes are probably the first stereotype that comes to mind when thinking of the French capital. But there, it is a big deal.
In fact, it is so important that there is an annual competition to crown the best baguette of the city!
40. The neighborhoods of Paris (“arrondissements”) are organized like a snail shell
If you have ever heard of something like “Paris 5” or “Paris 11” and never knew what it meant, just think of it as the number of the neighborhood.
There are 17 “arrondissements”, and they are numbered clockwise, on top of being organized as a spiral, resembling a snail shell.
Read more: Dangerous Areas in Paris to Avoid
41. The first photograph with a human being on it was captured in Paris
While the first photograph ever was also captured in France, in the region of Burgundy, the first one featuring a human being also took place there.
It was taken by Louis Daguerre, and you can see “Boulevard du Temple” with someone getting their shoes shined.
42. The Mona Lisa was stolen for two years without anyone noticing for more than a day
The Mona Lisa is Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous masterpiece. It was put on display in the Louvre in 1804.
However, what is less known is that it was stolen for two years. And no one even noticed it for more than a day! Vincenzo Peruggia stole it in 1911.
Here you go, these were my Paris funny facts.
Up next are the facts on Paris for kids, which are overall made of the most general information about the city as well as the information most suited for kids.
Paris Facts for Kids
While this list as a whole is suited for everyone, I try to dedicate a specific part to the young ones in my facts, because of their thirst for knowledge and their eternal curiosity.
For Paris, I have 12 Paris facts kids will love for sure!
43. Paris is the capital of France, and its area is by far the most populated of the country
France lies in Western Europe, and its capital is Paris.
While the capital itself is not that large nor populated, if you include the suburbs, there are 12 million people living there! Compared to the 67 million French inhabitants, that is a lot.
View of Paris and its surroundings from the Eiffel Tower
44. There are over 420 parks and gardens in Paris
Several parks are old and famous in Paris, like the Tuileries Garden and the Luxembourg Garden.
In fact, they are surrounded by 420 others throughout the whole city! This is ideal for Parisians to take a breath of fresh air, as they spend most of their summer day lying in the grass, under the sun.
45. The “Tour de France” is a yearly and very famous cycling event that ends in Paris
The “Tour de France” is a very popular cycling event, not only in France but in most of Europe as well. The best cyclists from all around the world race for a month through the whole country, on a different path every year.
Every year since 1975, the race has finished on the Champs-Élysées, in Paris.
Learn more about the Tour de France here.
46. Paris’ metro is the second busiest underground system in Europe
The metro is very popular in Paris. Almost everyone uses it daily, and there are so many people and trains that it is always very active, and you will probably see people walking very fast or even running to catch their metro.
It is so busy that, were it not for Moscow in Russia, it would be the busiest underground system in Europe.
47. Disneyland Paris… is not in Paris, but not that far away!
Sometimes what people like the most is not the Louvre Museum or the Eiffel Tower. Tons of visitors travel to Paris just for Disneyland!
It is located 32 km / 20 miles away from the city, in Marne-la-Vallée, which you can reach easily by train.
Learn more facts about Disneyland Paris here.
48. Paris is very multicultural, as 20% of its people come from outside France
After a quick walk through the French capital, you will quickly realize how multicultural it is. There are many restaurants with food from all around the world.
This is due to the fact that 20% of the inhabitants come from outside France.
49. Paris had different names throughout the centuries, and was conquered by Caesar
Now called the City of Light, Paris has gone through lots of identity crises.
In 51 BC, the “Parisii” tribe, which was Celtic, was conquered by Julius Caesar. It was then named “Lutetia Parisiorum” by the Roman, or simply Lutetia. Finally, in 212 AD, it was shortened to “Paris”.
50. Some worldwide events took place in Paris
This is probably a surprise to no one, but such an important and historical city has seen some very important events.
The most famous of them are 3 Summer Olympic Games (1900, 1924, 2024) as well as the 1998 FIFA World Cup, which France won.
51. The River Seine is the iconic river of Paris and divides the city into two parts
Another icon of Paris is the river that runs through it, the Seine. It is one of the five major French rivers, and its course ends into the English Channel.
It divides the city in two parts, the Left Bank and the Right Bank.
52. Paris is the center of everything in France: economy, politics and culture
Paris centralizes everything in France, starting with people. The second most populated city is Marseille, with 868 0000 people… which means 2,5 times less inhabitants than Paris.
On top of that, is the center of economy, culture, traffic and politics.
53. Potatoes were forbidden in France for quite a while
French people were introduced to potatoes in the late 16th century, by the Spaniards. Shortly after they came into the country, in 1748, the French Parliament banned the farming of potatoes because it brought leprosy to the country!
This legislation lasted up until the year 1772, 24 years later.
54. A replica city of Paris was built by the French officials in 1918
In 1918, during World War I, French officials announced they would buy a dummy city of Paris that would trick the German soldiers into dropping missiles on it!
Unfortunately, this surreal project was never really completed, because of the poor resources during wartimes. Would they have really fallen for it though?
That’s it! Now you know my 12 facts about Paris for kids.
Keep reading for my short facts, the first one being about the famous catacombs. 👇
Paris Catacombs Facts
The Catacombs are a very special… and creepy place. You might have heard of them already, but there are probably a few things that you did not know until today.
I have 8 interesting facts on Paris Catacombs right below.
55. There are over six millions remains of 18th century Parisians, right beneath your feet, in the Paris Catacombs
56. The Catacombs were actively used during World War II, for French resistants to hide and for the Nazis to build bunkers
57. Some people enjoy swimming in the dark water of the Catacombs, just for fun!
58. The bones in the Catacombs are arranged in an unsettling and decorative way
59. The Catacombs were used to grow mushrooms during the 19th century
60. There are also detailed and beautiful stone sculptures in the Catacombs, made by François Décure
61. The first bodies from the cemeteries of Paris were moved to the Catacombs because the heavy rain made them spill out of the tombs!
62. Because of that, residents were complaining about the smell of decomposing bodies; Paris was too crowded and grew too fast for the cemeteries to follow
So, here are the best Catacombs of Paris facts.
Keep reading below to discover more facts about 3 other major landmarks of Paris. 👇
Facts About The Eiffel Tower in Paris
The Eiffel Tower is what single-handedly made Paris so famous all around the globe. It is the prime symbol of the city, and is visited by millions of people.
Let’s learn more about it though.
63. Before the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest structure
Chrysler Building in New York
64. Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower, died while listening to Beethoven’s fifth symphony
65. Its construction took only a bit more than 2 years
66. The Eiffel Tower is repainted every 7 years, and it requires 60 tonnes of paint
67. The Eiffel Tower was originally built to be the entrance arch of the 1889 World Fair
68. French people planned to dismantle the Eiffel Tower 20 years after its construction, but it was kept because its location was ideal for antennas
69. In 2008, a woman married the Eiffel Tower, changing her name to “Erika La Tour Eiffel”
70. The Eiffel Tower is not the most visited monument in France… It is Notre Dame Cathedral!
You liked these facts about the Eiffel tower?
You’ll like even more the following ones about Notre Dame Cathedral!
Interesting Facts About Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris
Notre Dame Cathedral is another major place in Paris. Featured in several movies, it is historical and perfectly depicts the architecture style of the old French capital city.
There are 8 interesting facts about it.
71. During the French revolution, 28 of the kings statues in Notre Dame were brought down and decapitated
72. Both towers of Notre Dame are not twins, the northern one is a bit bigger!
73. All of Notre Dame bells, except the biggest one, were melted to make cannons during the French Revolution
The bell inside Notre Dame Cathedral
74. The Notre Dame monsters, the gargoyles and the chimeras, were added later and are relatively recent
75. Notre Dame’s organ is the largest in France, with almost 8,000 pipes, some from the 18th century
76. In France, all roads lead to Notre Dame, it is kilometer zero since 1924
77. Notre Dame Cathedral is built on a sacred location, were several churches stood before
78. In Notre Dame Cathedral, you can find the Holy Crown worn by Jesus, as well as a piece of the Cross and one of its nails
The Pantheon Paris Facts
Finally, probably less known, the Pantheon is yet another magical place that you should definitely visit, should you travel to Paris.
My last 8 Paris France facts are dedicated to it.
79. It took 34 years to build the Pantheon, from 1757 to 1791
80. The Pantheon is inspired by the Roman architecture style, contrasting with Paris’ one
81. The Pantheon is a mausoleum, and is very popular among tourists
82. The experiment that proved the Earth was round, by Léon Foucault, took place in the Pantheon
83. The Pantheon is a masterpiece, from its facade to its wonderfully decorated interior
84. No women were buried in the Pantheon until 1995, the first of them being Marie Curie
85. There is a very famous inscription on the Pantheon’s facade, which translates to “to great men, the grateful homeland”
86. The most famous French public figures are buried in the Pantheon, like Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Simone Veil
So there you have them, these are all my 86 interesting facts about Paris France! I hope you enjoyed them, and that you learned something new today.
In case you want to learn more about France, feel free to keep reading, I still have lots of things to tell you about, starting with general information about the city.
General Facts of Paris France
You’ll find below a few general facts on Paris France, to learn more about this city:
- Name: Paris
- Province: Paris
- Region: Île-de-France
- Land area: 105.4 km² / 40.7 sq mi
- Population: 2,175,000
- Name of inhabitants: Parisian(s) (English) / Parisien, Parisienne (French)
- Website: Paris
Paris Flag
More Facts!
Loved these Paris fun facts?
Well, I have more facts about France, I’m sure you’ll love reading them!
Here is the main guide of the best France facts 👉 The 60 Best Facts about France
Check out these France facts by city:
- Facts about Marseille
- Facts about Lyon
- Facts about Nice
- Facts about Toulouse
- Facts about Strasbourg
- Facts about Bordeaux
- Facts about Cannes
Or these French facts by region:
- Facts about Brittany
- Facts about Corsica
- Facts about Normandy
- Facts about Guadeloupe
- Facts about French Guiana
- Facts about Martinique
You can also check these French facts by topic:
- Facts about French food
- Facts about French people
- Facts about the Tour de France
- Facts about Christmas in France
- Facts about the French language
- Facts about French schools
- Facts about French cheese
- Facts about fashion in France
- Facts about Easter in France
- Facts about the French Alps
- Facts about Disneyland Paris
Or click here to see ALL the facts up on the blog! Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of them.
The Full List of 86 Paris Facts
- Paris is home to the most popular museum on the planet: the Louvre
- Until the 1920s, Parisians were both swimming and drinking in the River Seine
- There is a Paris Syndrome, a true illness affecting visitors from all around the world
- The numbers you can see on the sidewalks represent a date of construction
- There are around 10 movies or advertising filming… every day!
- Every single tree in Paris is referenced and measured
- Until 2013, it was illegal for women to wear pants
- Paris hosts the biggest number of libraries in the whole world
- The shortest street in Paris is only 5.75 m / 16 ft long
- There is an underground lake beneath the famous “Opéra Garnier”
- The Louvre collection is the biggest one in the world, and you can only see a tiny portion of it
- In 2007, “renovator elves” repaired the clock of the Pantheon
- A crocodile was found in the Catacombs of Paris, in 1984
- Policemen are familiarly called “chicken” in France, and this name originated in Paris
- The French Resistance made sure Adolf Hitler could not get on top of the Eiffel Tower
- There were some very unusual deaths in the history of Paris, even famous people
- The French Army is the only one in Europe that still has carrier pigeons
- Paris is named the “City of Light”, but that does not have to do anything with actual light
- Parisians love dogs, more than in most big cities
- The Bloody Mary, a famous cocktail, is said to be created in Paris, and served to Ernest Hemingway
- An unfortunate initial mistake made people think the Louvre Pyramid was… diabolical
- There are 173 museums and 1,803 monuments around Paris for you to visit
- Taxis are very expensive in Paris, for both drivers and passengers
- There is one famous Paris, but 53 places are called this way around the world!
- Lots of different things were invented in Paris
- Tom Cruise loves Paris, but the city does not
- Paris is the greenest city in France, and even in Europe
- The “Père Lachaise” cemetery is the most visited one in the world, and is unusually beautiful
- The Moulin Rouge, a world widely known cabaret, has been operating since 1899
- The “Arc de Triomphe” is a wonderful sight in Paris, where you can see a long and clear avenue
- There is only one STOP sign in the whole city of Paris!
- Pont Neuf / New Bridge is… the oldest bridge of the city
- Though it is located very far from the sea, there are beaches in Paris
- There are several smaller versions of the Statue of Liberty in Paris
- There are so much ghost metro stations that some of them are dedicated to cinema
- The huge Obelisk on “Place de la Concorde” is also a massive sundial
- To this day, you can visit a spot where a guillotine used to be
- The “love-lock bridge” does not celebrate passers-by’s love anymore
- There is a yearly competition in Paris, to determine the best baguette
- The neighbourhoods of Paris (“arrondissements”) are organized like a snail shell
- The first photograph with a human being on it was captured in Paris
- The Mona Lisa was stolen for two years without anyone noticing for more than a day
- Paris is the capital of France, and its area is by far the most populated of the country
- There are over 420 parks and gardens in Paris
- The “Tour de France” is a yearly and very famous cycling event that ends in Paris
- Paris’ metro is the second busiest underground system in Europe
- Disneyland Paris… is not in Paris, but not that far away!
- Paris is very multicultural, as 20% of its people come from outside France
- Paris had different names throughout the centuries, and was conquered by Caesar
- Some worldwide events took place in Paris
- The River Seine is the iconic river of Paris and divides the city into two parts
- Paris is the center of everything in France: economy, politics and culture
- Potatoes were forbidden in France for quite a while
- A replica city of Paris was built by the French officials in 1918
- There are over six millions remains of 18th century Parisians, right beneath your feet, in the Paris Catacombs
- The Catacombs were actively used during World War II, for French resistants to hide and for the Nazis to build bunkers
- Some people enjoy swimming in the dark water of the Catacombs, just for fun!
- The bones in the Catacombs are arranged in an unsettling and decorative way
- The Catacombs were used to grow mushrooms during the 19th century
- There are also detailed and beautiful stone sculptures in the Catacombs, made by François Décure
- The first bodies from the cemeteries of Paris were moved to the Catacombs because the heavy rain made them spill out of the tombs!
- Because of that, residents were complaining about the smell of decomposing bodies; Paris was too crowded and grew too fast for the cemeteries to follow
- Before the completion of the Chrysler Building in New York, the Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest structure
- Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower, died while listening to Beethoven’s fifth symphony
- Its construction took only a bit more than 2 years
- The Eiffel Tower is repainted every 7 years, and it requires 60 tonnes of paint
- The Eiffel Tower was originally built to be the entrance arch of the 1889 World Fair
- French people planned to dismantle the Eiffel Tower 20 years after its construction, but it was kept because its location was ideal for antennas
- In 2008, a woman married the Eiffel Tower, changing her name to “Erika La Tour Eiffel”
- The Eiffel Tower is not the most visited monument in France… It is Notre Dame Cathedral!
- During the French revolution, 28 of the kings statues in Notre Dame were brought down and decapitated
- Both towers of Notre Dame are not twins, the northern one is a bit bigger!
- All of Notre Dame bells, except the biggest one, were melted to make cannons during the French Revolution
- The Notre Dame monsters, the gargoyles and the chimeras, were added later and are relatively recent
- Notre Dame’s organ is the largest in France, with almost 8,000 pipes, some from the 18th century
- In France, all roads lead to Notre Dame, it is kilometer zero since 1924
- Notre Dame Cathedral is built on a sacred location, were several churches stood before
- In Notre Dame Cathedral, you can find the Holy Crown worn by Jesus, as well as a piece of the Cross and one of its nails
- It took 34 years to build the Pantheon, from 1757 to 1791
- The Pantheon is inspired by the Roman architecture style, contrasting with Paris’ one
- The Pantheon is a mausoleum and is very popular among tourists
- The experiment that proved the Earth was round, by Léon Foucault, took place in the Pantheon
- The Pantheon is a masterpiece, from its facade to its wonderfully decorated interior
- No women were buried in the Pantheon until 1995, the first of them being Marie Curie
- There is a very famous inscription on the Pantheon’s facade, which translates to “to great men, the grateful homeland”
- The most famous French public figures are buried in the Pantheon, like Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Simone Veil
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