Hotel Brighton * * * *

The Madeleine Church offers a pretty view of the Place de la Concorde, just down the Rue Royale. Beyond that, across the Seine, you can see the Palais Bourbon, in perfect harmony with the Madeleine's Greek temple-like facade. The construction of the church was not without its problems, however; the original plans, designed by Constant d'Ivry in 1764 under Louis the 15th, echoed the Church of the Invalids, with a dome surmounting a cross-shaped building. However, work on the church stopped nearly as soon as it began. Couture restarted work on the project in 1777 but was interrupted during the Revolution. Finally, in 1806 Napoleon entrusted Vignon to transform it into a "Temple of Glory".

The Louvre Museum is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. The building, a former royal palace, lies in the centre of Paris, between the Seine river and the Rue de Rivoli. Its central courtyard, now occupied by the Louvre glass pyramid, lies in the axis of the Champs-Élysées, and thus forms the nucleus from which the Axe historique springs. Part of the royal Palace of the Louvre was first opened to the public as a museum on November 8, 1793, during the French Revolution.

The city is blessed with a wide range of squares: Place de la Concorde, Place de la Bastille, Place des Vosges... and offer visitors endless sightseeing opportunities.

Place de la Concorde:
Built by Gabriel, architect to Louis XV, between 1755 and 1775, it is octagonal in shape. It was the scene of a number of key historical events, including the execution of Louis XVI.With its Egyptian obelisk - presented to Charles X by the Viceroy of Egypt - in the centre, its statues and its majestic dimensions, Place de la Concorde is one of the most beautiful squares in Paris. The rostrum columns in the square were renovated in 1995. Don't miss the magnificent views it affords of the triumphal route towards the Arc de Triomphe and the Défense, and towards the Louvre.