French Museum of Freemasonry in Paris

13 July 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  4 minutes

Hôtel du Grand Orient de France, the location of the Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie © Declic/cc-by-sa-3.0

Hôtel du Grand Orient de France, the location of the Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie © Declic/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Musée de la Franc-Maçonnerie (French Museum of Freemasonry) is a museum of Freemasonry located in the 9th arrondissement at 16, rue Cadet, Paris, France. It is open daily except Sundays and Mondays; an admission fee is charged. The closest métro station is Cadet.   read more…

Place Dauphine in Paris

17 June 2022 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  12 minutes

© Chabe01/cc-by-sa-4.0

© Chabe01/cc-by-sa-4.0

The Place Dauphine is a public square located near the western end of the Île de la Cité in the first arrondissement of Paris. It was initiated by Henry IV in 1607, the second of his projects for public squares in Paris, the first being the Place Royale (now the Place des Vosges). He named it for his son, the Dauphin of France and future Louis XIII, who had been born in 1601. From the “square”, actually triangular in shape, one can access the middle of the Pont Neuf, a bridge which connects the left and right banks of the Seine by passing over the Île de la Cité. A street called, since 1948, Rue Henri-Robert, forty metres long, connects the Place Dauphine and the bridge. Where they meet, there are two other named places, the Place du Pont-Neuf and the Square du Vert-Galant.   read more…

Paris Observatory

1 November 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, House of the Month, Paris / Île-de-France, Universities, Colleges, Academies Reading Time:  8 minutes

© flickr.com - Fred Romero/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Fred Romero/cc-by-2.0

The Paris Observatory (French: Observatoire de Paris), a research institution of the Paris Sciences et Lettres University, is the foremost astronomical observatory of France, and one of the largest astronomical centers in the world. Its historic building is on the Left Bank of the Seine in central Paris, but most of the staff work on a satellite campus in Meudon, a suburb southwest of Paris. The Paris Observatory was founded in 1667. Construction was completed by the early 1670s and coincided with a major push for increased science, and the founding of the Royal Academy of Sciences. King Louis XIV’s minister of finance organized a “scientific powerhouse” to increase understanding of astronomy, maritime navigation, and science in general. Through the centuries the Paris Observatory has continued in support of astronomical activities, and in the 21st century connects multiple sites and organizations, supporting astronomy and science, past and present.   read more…

Tuileries Garden in Paris

11 August 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  13 minutes

© Uploadalt/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Uploadalt/cc-by-sa-3.0

The Tuileries Garden is a public garden located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France. Created by Catherine de’ Medici as the garden of the Tuileries Palace in 1564, it was eventually opened to the public in 1667 and became a public park after the French Revolution. In the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, it was a place where Parisians celebrated, met, strolled and relaxed.   read more…

Moulin Rouge in Paris

16 July 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - Christine Zenino/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – Christine Zenino/cc-by-2.0

Moulin Rouge (French: lit. “Red Mill”) is a cabaret in Paris, France. The original house, which burned down in 1915, was co-founded in 1889 by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Paris Olympia. Close to Montmartre in the Paris district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy in the 18th arrondissement, it is marked by the red windmill on its roof. The closest métro station is Blanche.   read more…

Opéra Bastille in Paris

26 January 2021 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Opera Houses, Theaters, Libraries, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  10 minutes

© flickr.com - besopha/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – besopha/cc-by-2.0

The Opéra Bastille (“Bastille Opera House”) is a modern opera house in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, France. Inaugurated in 1989 as part of President François Mitterrand‘s Grands Travaux, it became the main facility of the Paris National Opera, France’s principal opera company, alongside the older Palais Garnier; most opera performances are shown at the Bastille along with some ballet performances and symphony concerts, while Palais Garnier presents a mix of opera and ballet performances. Designed by Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott, it is located on Place de la Bastille. It may seat 2,723 people in total, with a main theatre, concert hall and studio theatre.   read more…

Printemps Paris Haussmann

24 December 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France, Shopping Reading Time:  7 minutes

© flickr.com - OliBac/cc-by-2.0

© flickr.com – OliBac/cc-by-2.0

Printemps is a French department store chain (French: grand magasin, literally “big store”). The Printemps stores focus on beauty, lifestyle, fashion, accessories, and men’s wear. The flagship Printemps store is located on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, along with other well-known department stores like Galeries Lafayette. There are other Printemps stores in Paris and throughout France. The company has opened branches outside France in locations including Andorra, the Ginza shopping district in Tokyo, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Shanghai.   read more…

Sèvres in the Île-de-France region

9 November 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  5 minutes

Town hall © Benjism89/cc-by-sa-3.0

Town hall © Benjism89/cc-by-sa-3.0

Sèvres is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9.9 kilometres (6.2 miles) from the centre of Paris and is in the department of Hauts-de-Seine in the region of Île-de-France. The commune is known for its famous porcelain production at the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, which was also where the abortive Treaty of Sèvres was signed.   read more…

Boulogne-Billancourt in the Île-de-France region

27 October 2020 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  8 minutes

Auditorium of 'La Seine Musicale' © GraphyArchy/cc-by-sa-4.0

Auditorium of ‘La Seine Musicale’ © GraphyArchy/cc-by-sa-4.0

Boulogne-Billancourt, often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine) is a commune in the western suburbs, and 8 km (5 mi) from the centre, of the French capital Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a subprefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt. With an average household income in 2013 of €47,592, nearly twice the French average of €25,548, Boulogne-Billancourt is one of the wealthiest cities in France. Boulogne-Billancourt is the most populous suburb of Paris and one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe. Formerly an important industrial site, it has successfully reconverted into business services and is now home to major communication companies headquartered in the Val de Seine business district.   read more…

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