Today the green spaces in Paris are the equal of those in any European city. Many once-run-down industrial sites have been converted into parks and there is a wealth of more traditional parks that were constructed in 18th and 19th centuries.

Parc André Citroën, Paris, France by FaceMePLS

Parc André Citroën on the banks of the Seine was once occupied by the Citroën car factory. It covers 35 acres laid out in a modern style and in the centre is a concrete plateau surrounded by water jets which are computer controlled.

The Parc des Buttes Chaumont was once a quarry though it was converted into a park in the 1860s. The designer was Baron Haussman who was also responsible for much of the design of central Paris. There are lakes and waterfalls, sculptured hills and grottoes, and woodland from where you can enjoy great views of the city.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Paris, France by Ahmad Tarek

Two parks flank the city. These are the Bois de Boulogne to the west and the Bois de Vincennes to the east. In the former you will find vistas over the rolling countryside and you can enjoy activities such as cycling, horse-riding and boating on the various lakes, and the latter contains the Parc Zoologique de Paris, the beautiful Parc Floral de Paris and the Château de Vincennes which dates back to medieval times.

Bois de Boulogne, Paris, France by Olaf2

The Jardin du Luxembourg is one of the most elegant of Paris parks. It combines attractive paths with green lawns, beautiful flowerbeds, and trees which surround the Luxembourg palace which was built in the 17th century. The Jardin des Tuileries with its tree-lined paths and ponds lies between the Place de la Concorde and the Louvre is similarly elegant.

Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris, France by Anna Fox

And finally, as evening falls, enjoy the fading light by taking a stroll along Canal Saint Martin and head to the Parc de la Villette where you can watch for free an outdoor movie projected onto a huge inflatable screen. Both English and French movies are shown and most people bring along a blanket or chair and basket with some cheese, bread and wine and share a communal picnic.

Walking is the best way to get round Paris, but to get so some of the more outlying regions you might prefer to travel by bus; busses in Paris are frequent and inexpensive.  And when it’s time to return from Paris to London you can reflect on all that time that you spent in the great outdoors

Byline: This is a guest post by Claire Chat a new Londoner, travel passionate and animal lover. She blogs about Pets and Travelling in Europe. If you want Claire to write you specific content, you can find email her here or contact her on Twitter (Claire_Chat).

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Christmas market, Paris, France by Evan Bench

Once you’ve arrived in Paris, there are many markets to explore, and during the holiday season you’ll find that stalls pop up throughout the city. Little groups of wooden chalets offer a wide variety of delicacies and gifts from all over France, and they have become a traditional part of the Parisian Christmas season. Whether you’re on a family outing or are indulging in a wintery romantic break, the markets are an ideal place to find a few Christmas gifts and keepsakes. From homemade treats, including sausages, gingerbread and mulled wine, to handcrafted toys and gift ideas, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

The Christmas markets of Paris are found scattered throughout the city, and one of the largest takes place on the Avenue des Champs- Elysées. In 2012, it opens on November 19th and stretches between the Place de la Concorde and the famed Champs- Elysées roundabout. Elsewhere, if you’re looking for a festive market ensconced in modern architecture, visiting La Défense is ideal. Here, you’ll find 350 stands in a vibrant and Christmassy atmosphere, all offering mouth watering foods and gifts to tempt you.

If you’re travelling with children, then Paris offers some ideal festive markets that are aimed towards keeping youngsters amused too. The Trocadero’s Christmas Market and Ice Rink has over 120 stands, but also offers snow villages and an ice-skating rink to enjoy. Meanwhile, Santa’s Village at Saint-Germain-des- Prés won’t fail to keep the family entertained.

Christmas Market on the Champs, Paris, France by Evan Bench

With Paris being so simple to get too, it’s easy to make a day trip to the French capital. A channel crossing is ideal if you want to really feel like you’re going abroad, allowing the British coastline to fade away, and the thrill of nearing a new nation to cause excitement. For families, such a route is ideal, allowing children to have space to stretch their legs and indulge in the adventure. Meanwhile, sailing across beautiful seas with the spray below and blue skies above will truly get any romantic trip well underway.

Christmas is a great time of year to take a holiday, and though most people try to spend December 25th with close family and friends, enjoying a few days off earlier in the month is a great way to get into the festive spirit. The Parisian markets are a wonderful place to browse and shop whilst letting the Christmassy ambiance thrill you. And, if you’re looking for the perfect wintery day trip this year, heading to see the Paris markets will give you an entirely new take on this beautiful European city.

A-087262, a freelance writer, provided this article for P&O Ferries. The opinions expressed are those of the author and any data provided does not originate from P&O Ferries. The following is a link to the P&O homepage - https://www.poferries.com/

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The name itself suggests an indulgent escape from reality. No place on earth is more romantic than Paris. One of the things that spring to mind is the sultry intrigue of this alluring city and the way it weaves its magic. The Moulin Rouge conjures up pictures of high-kicking girls dancing to the Galop from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld, as depicted on the famous posters by Toulouse Lautrec. Not much has changed, the girls have got more glamorous, the routines more breath-taking and complex, but the exhilaration and the Ooh la la naughtiness of the leggy glamorous ladies in fantastic costume can-canning their way through the night is still the same.

Moulin Rouge, Paris, France by Saroj Regmi

Paris by Night

Paris has got a sparkling magical quality at night. There is nothing more exhilarating than taking an evening tour around Paris and recognising all the landmarks so etched in our consciousness. Covered in a blanket of night and sparkling so dazzlingly, Paris is a priceless gem.  Dress up in Paris style chic to feel part of it and experience the magic. The evening starts off with the Paris Illuminations tour. You will see Paris all lit up, driving along the Boulevards in an air-conditioned coach, taking in lots of illuminated attractions like the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde. The Eiffel Tower is mesmerising and spellbinding in its splendid coat of many dazzling lights and colours. You will also see the Paris Opera in all its charismatic splendour. There is a recorded audio commentary in 11 languages to enlighten you with all the fascinating details.

Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France by Guillaume Cattiaux

The Féerie Show

The tour ends up in the Montmartre area, at the famous Moulin Rouge show with its breath-taking exterior. The opportunity to watch the Féerie Show and take in the dazzling Paris nightlife will enchant and delight. It is like being on a movie set. The show itself is enthralling with its gorgeous dancers in their exotic costumes putting on a glitzy cabaret. Forget Las Vegas, with its copy-cat ways. This is the real deal. Every other show is just an imitation. The Moulin Rouge has put on spectacular shows since 1889. The place is steeped in tradition. Sip a glass of champagne while you watch the fascinating show with countless routines with fantastic costume changes, from girls (and boys) doing the splits, miniature ponies, to dancers wrestling snakes in a big water tank. You will be thoroughly entertained for two hours and after the show you will be taken back to the vicinity of your hotel, still tingling with the excitement of having watched the world’s top cabaret show.

Package

This package is made even more attractive by the fact that you will get the tour and the show for the price of a normal Moulin Rouge ticket alone.  This special evening will be not soon forgotten, its magic will stay with you for a long time. It is not called the city of romance for nothing.

Thomas Edwards has been an international traveller since the early ‘80s and has widely covered Europe, the USA and as far afield as Thailand, Hong Kong and China. He has written as both a business, individual and family traveller and a language or two has given him the opportunity to engage with people to a greater degree.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Olivier Bruchez

This 50 meters high and 45 meters wide arch was built by Napoleon Bonaparte as a sign of his power and victory of the Great Army – Grande Armée in many battles. Its designer was the French architect Jean-François-Thérèse Chalgrin. The construction started in 1806 and lasts the entire 30 years. Last update was completed in the year 1836, during the reign of Louis Philippe d’Orléans.

Triumphal Arch became almost immediately an important place for great national celebrations and funerals. Also, the deceased Emperor Napoleon was in 1840 transferred through the Arc to Les Invalides during the funeral ceremony. In the 19th century, Baron Haussmann decided to transform the image of the city and Arc de Triomphe became the center of Paris. Today, the Arc is a cross of 12 wide boulevards. The site is known as the Charles-de-Gaulle-Etoile and is bordered by the main transport arteries, which actually form the first organized roundabout in the world.

The main facade of the arch is decorated with four massive statues showing a victorious battles of the French Revolution in 1789 and the First French Empire. Along the top edges are shields engraved with the names of battles of the Great Army. Following the model of Roman arch, the Arc de Triomphe is amended with The National Anthem of France also known as the Marseillaise, made by the sculptor Francois Rude.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Paul

If you want to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of Paris, take the elevator to the observation terrace on the upper floor. From a height you can see the Louvre, Place de la Concorde – the largest square in Paris and the modern district La Defense. You will appreciate the pleasant atmosphere in the local museum, or watch short films about the Arc.

The arch serves as a national monument to all Frenchmen, fallen in many wars that took place and still take place anywhere in the world.

Under the Arc are also the remains of a major French poet, writer and author of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo. Currently, the Arc de Triomphe serves as the end of Tour de France.

Paris offers lots of holiday apartments for rent, camping sites or luxurious hotel rooms so it should not be a problem to choose the right accommodation for you.

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Once you will be in Paris, you should visit the following top sights in Paris.

1.) The Eiffel tower

The Eiffel tower (French: La Tour Eiffel) is a symbol of Paris and a global icon of France. It is steel tower located on the Champ de Mars, in the walking distance from the river Seine.

The Eiffel tower was built between 1887 and 1889, it is 324 meters high (and its weight is approximately 10,000 tonnes). The tower was built to celebrate the French Revolution. Architect of the tower was Alexandre Gustave Eiffel – a French structural engineer who was also responsible for the design of the armature for the Statue of Liberty. The Eiffel Tower is, with about 6 million visitors per year, the world’s most visited attraction (2nd one is Empire State Building with more than 3.6 million visitors and the Tokyo Tower with 3 million. The tower was the highest structure in the world until Chrysler Building (319m) was completed in New York City. However, due to the addition in 1957 of the antenna, the tower is now taller than the Chrysler Building.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by joel kabahit

2.) Arc de Triomphe

At the end of Champs-Élysées there is Arc de Triomphe – one of the most famous monuments in Paris, which is in the middle of large road junction Place Charles de Gaulle. It was built in 1806-1808 followed the model of Arch of Constantine in Rome. It honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.

There is a statue of horse at the top of the monument which is extracted from St. Marco in Venice. The names of the generals who were in charge of French forces under Napoleon, was included in the Arc. It is decorated with many reliefs which commemorate the Battle of the emperor. The best known is the product of volunteers in 1972, also known as La Marseillaise. A Number of shields are situated at the top of the monument in which the names of the successful battles of Napoleon are embossed.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Konstantinos Dafalias

3.) The Louvre

The Louvre is the largest palace complex in the world, the most important public building in Paris and one of the richest and most visited art galleries of the world. The Louvre is one of the landmarks of Paris. It is located on the right bank of the river Seine, between the street of Rivoli and the famous Place de la Concorde. The building is memorable not only for its origins and its architecture, but especially for a rare collections of art which contains. Together with other monuments on the banks of the Seine, it is under the protection of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Mariana Schwab

4.) Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world and it is also the most famous Gothic cathedral in Paris. Its construction was ordered by Bishop Maurice de Sully in 1163 and lasted for 182 years during which about 160,000 workers participated on its completion. Notre Dame Cathedral is located on the island of Ile de la Cité.

In addition to a number of valuable works of art, there is also one rare treasure. It is the organ with nearly 8000 pipes. The job as organist at Notre Dame Cathedral is considered the most prestigious job in France at all.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Oh Paris

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5.) Musée d’Orsay

One of the most beautiful and most visited museums of Paris – Musée d’Orsay, is located on the left bank of the River Seine. Every year thousands of tourists come to admire one of the most comprehensive collections of impressionist works in the world.

Like the famous Eiffel Tower, the building which now houses a museum, was built during the World Exhibition in Paris in 1890. The expected high attendance was a good excuse for the emergence of a new station, which was at that time the very first electrified railway station in the world. In the Musée d’Orsay there are primarily works from the 19th century.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Carles Tomás Martí

6.) The Sorbonne and the Latin Quarter

Sorbonne is a monumental complex in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It is a part of the University of Paris which is France’s oldest university established around the year of 1160. It is therefore one of the first universities in Europe.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Rudi Riet

7.) Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris is located at the summit of the highest point in the city – Montmartre, so this snow-white building is practically visible from almost any place in Paris. Similar to Notre Dame it is the combination of two different styles, the Romanesque and Byzantine.

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8.) Père Lachaise Cemetery

Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris, located in the eastern part of the city. It is also one of the world’s most famous and most-visited cemeteries. The name originated from the name of Father François d’Aix de Lachaise, who lived in the Jesuit house rebuilt in 1682 on the site of the chapel. The cemetery was declared a national monument on 26 June 1993. There are about 70,000 graves, and includes around 5300 trees.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Olivier Bruchez

9.) Champs-Elysées

Champs-Élysées, also known as the Avenue of the Elysian Fields, is one of the most famous boulevards in Paris. It is sometimes referred as the most famous avenue in the world. It is flanked by prestige and luxury shops. Champs-Élysées is probably the most photogenic part of Paris, and one of the most expensive in the world – for the shop with an area 100m2 you would pay approximately $ 1,500,000 per year.

The street is surrounded with the best Paris hotels (such as the Hôtel de Crillon), restaurants (Fouquet’s), or shops.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Cayetano

10.) Place de la Concorde

Place de la Concorde is the largest square and also the heart of Paris. It belongs to the most beautiful squares in the world. In the middle of the square there is a huge obelisk, which is decorated with several fountains and statues symbolizing big French cities. Place de la Concorde was built in honor of King Louis XV. designed by the architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel. Its construction began in 1754 and was completed in 1763.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by ChrisYunker

11.) Jardin du Luxembourg

Luxembourg Gardens are the second largest (after Le Bois de Boulogne park) and probably the most popular public park in Paris. Luxembourg Palace, which is located here, is a home to the French Senate. There are lots of chairs available for visitors to sit and relax. Some parts of the grass are directly reserved for the rest, so you can spread the blanket here or just lie down. You can listen to the live music here as well. If you are looking for the perfect place to relax after many kilometers walking through Paris, the Jardin du Luxembourg is the right place.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Anna Fox

12.) Panthéon

Pantheon (Panthéon de Paris) is a historic building in Paris’ Latin Quarter. In the underground crypt are retained major French artists, thinkers and scholars such as Alexandre Dumas senior, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Pierre Curie and Marie Curie-Sklodowska as the only woman.

The building stands on the site of the basilica, that was built in the 6th century and dedicated to the saint patron of the city – St. Genevieve. The church was during the French Revolution transformed into a sanctuary and in 1806 back to the church. In 1885 the museum was founded here.

Pantheon is considered one of the most important architectural achievements of its time and the first great neoclassical monument

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13.) Jardin des Tuileries

Jardin des Tuileries is one of the most popular and oldest public gardens in Paris. The biggest mall of Paris covers an area of ​​approximately 28 hectares. It is an ideal place to relax in the city center and ideal place to escape after sightseeing.

Jardin des Tuileries is located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Edwin Lee

14.) Pont Neuf

Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge in Paris. It is situated in the historic centre, on the River Seine. Its construction began in 1578 and was completed in the 1607. Thus it became the first bridge in Paris that connected the two shores of the island Cité. Its name Pont Neuf, which means “New Bridge”, was derived from the fact that it was the first stone bridge in the city. There were also constructed walkways on the bridge, the first ever in Paris. Since 1889, the bridge is a national historic monument. A major reconstruction of the bridge was completed in 2007.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jean-François Gornet

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