Destination: Paris | |||||||||||||||||||||||
What To See Paris Paris + Exploring Paris Sights * Pont Alexandre III * Arc de Triomphe * Art Moderne de La Ville de Paris, Musée d' * Arts Asiatiques-Guimet, Musée national des * Arts Décoratifs, Musée des * Arts et Métiers-Techniques, Musée national des * Assemblée Nationale Palais-Bourbon * Baccarat, Musée * Balzac, Maison de * Bastille * Bibliothèque Nationale De France * Carnavalet, Musée * Cernuschi, Musée * Chaillot, Palais de * Cognacq-Jay, Musée * La Conciergerie * Concorde, Place de la * Eugène Delacroix, Musée National * Faubourg Saint-Germain * Faubourg St-Honoré * Fragonard, Musée * Gobelins, Manufacture nationale des * Grand Palais * Grands Boulevards * Les Halles * Hôtel De Ville * Institut De France * Institut du Monde Arabe * Jacquemart-André, Musée * Jeu de Paume, Galerie nationale du * Madeleine, Eglise de la * Maillol, Musée * Le Marais * Marmottan, Musée * Mode et du Costume, Musée de la * Montmartre * Montparnasse * Moyen-Age, Musée National du * Musique, Musée de la * Nissim de Camondo, Musée * Opéra Garnier * Orangerie, Musée National de l' * Palais-Royal * Panthéon * Père-Lachaise, Cimetière du * Petit Palais, Musée du * Picasso, Musée * Plantes, Jardin des * Rodin, Musée * Sacré Coeur, Basilique du * St-Germain-des-Prés * Saint-Louis, Ile * St-Sulpice, église * Sainte-Chapelle * Tuileries, Jardin des * Vendôme, Place * Vosges, place des Vicinity + Vicinity Walk/Drive Food&Drink In The Know Did You Know? |
Grands Boulevards
( Worth Seeing ) These busy arteries, stretching from the place de la République to the Madeleine and lined with cinemas, theatres, cafés and shops, have today fallen victim to their long tradition of popular entertainment, choked by traffic jams and disfigured by aggressive neon signs, cheap snack bars and general neglect. The 'boulevards' were laid out as a tree-lined promenade in the 17th century, when some of the city's medieval fortifications were demolished; two ceremonial arches, the Porte St-Martin and the Porte St-Denis, replaced the town gates. The popularity of the boulevards peaked during the 19th century, with popular attractions in the east (theatre, dancing, circus and busking) and a more refined choice of entertainment in the west, especially after the building of the opera house. Several shopping arcades were also opened, including the Passage des Panoramas in boulevard Montmartre, opposite Musée Grévin, the famous waxworks museum, and at the end of the century, one of the first cinemas was inaugurated in boulevard St-Denis by the Lumière brothers. Today, the boulevards still attract crowds of cinema- and theatre-goers but their general shabby appearance also encourages a rowdy element, particularly between the Porte St-Martin and the rue de Richelieu. Fortunately, complete renovation is underway. Grands Boulevards Address: From east to west: boulevards St-Martin, St-Denis, de Bonne Nouvelle, Poissonnière, Montmartre, des Italiens, des Capucines and de la MadeleineMetro: République, Strasbourg-St-Denis, Bonne Nouvelle, Rue Montmartre, Richelieu-Drouot, Opéra, Madeleine Musée Grévin Address: 10 boulevard Montmartre, 75009 ParisPhone: 01 47 70 87 99 Open: 1-7; school hols 10-7 Restaurant: Near by along the boulevards (Inexpensive-Moderately priced) Bus: 20, 48, 74, 85 Metro: Rue Montmartre Accessible: None Admission: Expensive Practical: Shop |
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