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? |
Les Halles
( Worth Seeing ) Paris's legendary food market has long gone from the centre of the capital, but the name is here to stay, tinged for many Parisians with a certain nostalgia, for when the 19th-century steel and glass 'pavillons de Baltard' were removed in 1969 and the noisy activity of the market suddenly stopped, the character of this popular district changed beyond recognition. A vast gaping hole was left between one of the most beautiful churches in Paris and a lovely Renaissance fountain. A commercial and cultural complex was built underground with a central patio surrounded by glass-roofed galleries that barely reach ground level. Above ground, a garden was laid over the remaining space, with a children's area and shaded walks and yet more graceful steel and glass structures. The underground complex, spread over several levels, comprises shops, including a group of fifty young fashion designers (Poste Berger, level -1), restaurants, an auditorium, a gymnasium and a swimming-pool, as well as a tropical greenhouse. A huge stone head leaning against a hand decorates the semicircular paved area in front of the Eglise St-Eustache. The latter was built over a period of a hundred years, in a blend of late Gothic, Renaissance and neo-classical styles. From the church, a path leads across the gardens to the square des Innocents and the beautiful Renais sance fountain, built and carved in the mid-16th century by Pierre Lescot and Jean Goujon, who also worked on the Louvre. Forum des Halles Address: Rue Pierre Lescot, rue Rambuteau, rue Berger, 75001 ParisRestaurant: In the complex (Inexpensive) Bus: 29, 38, 47 Metro: Les Halles Accessible: Lifts to all levels |
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