Most tourists will confirm that Paris is the most romantic city in the world. What do you think of when you think of Paris? The typical stereotype of Paris is the people walking around the Eiffel Tower taking their coffee and croissants, but it is also the cultural capital of the world.
1. In ancient times, Paris was originally a Celtic settlement, which at one time was conquered by the Romans and was called Lutetia.
2. Paris is often called Ville Lumiere, which translates as “City of Light”. The name has nothing to do with Eiffel Tower lighting and city lights, though Paris was one of the first cities in the world to feature street lighting. In this case, the light symbolizes the intelligentsia, because a great number of writers, artists and scientists have always lived here.
3. The oldest bridge in Paris is called Pont Neuf, which translates as “New Bridge”.
4. During World War II, when Hitler visited Paris, upon his arrival in the city, the lift cables of the Eiffel Tower were cut by the French, so that Hitler had to go up the stairs if he wanted to climb to the top of the tower.
5. The Mosque of Paris during the Nazi occupation of World War II helped to rescue Jews by the provided sanctuary, certificates of Muslim identity.
6. The Eiffel Tower does not always been the symbol of the city. When the construction was over, most Parisians hated it! The French writer Guy de Maupassant, the composer Charles Gounod, Alexandre Dumas’ son, the poets François Coppée and even Charles Garnier, the architect of the Opera and many others the tower distorted Paris.
7. Initially, the Eiffel Tower was installed only for the Exposition Universelle, which took place in Paris in 1889. It was the main symbol of the exhibition and served as the entrance arch. The Eiffel Tower was to be removed after 20 years, but the tourists liked it so much, that the city government allowed to remain it.
8. Paris also has its own Statue of Liberty, that was given to the French people by the American community. This statue is 1/3 from the original and was made as a symbol of friendship between two countries. the French Statue of Liberty stands on an island in the Seine where it looks down the river toward the Atlantic Ocean and New York.
