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From the Villa d’Estrées, all of Paris’ principal tourist and cultural
attractions are available in record time. The most beautiful districts
and illustrious monuments of the Capital, such as St Germain and its
famous cafes, bookshops, boutiques and fashion stores; the Ile de la
Cite, the cathedral of Notre Dame; the district of Les Halles and the
Hotel de Ville with the shopping centre of the Forum or the Pompidou
Centre, are a few minutes away by foot. Within 15 minutes you will find
the Louvre and D’Orsay museums, the gardens of the Tuilleries or
Luxembourg, the Eiffel tower and the Champs Elysees. |
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NOTRE DAME AND THE LOUVRE |
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The most famous
cathedral is obviously Notre Dame, and the Gothic style is fitting
for a place of worship since it evokes a feeling of inferiority and
strives to reach as high as it can into a limitless sky. |
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The
Louvre is the world's largest palace and museum. As
a palace, it leaves us cold, except for the Cour
Carrée. As a museum, it's one of the greatest art
collections ever. To enter, pass through I. M. Pei's
controversial 21m (69-ft.) glass pyramid -- a
startling though effective contrast of ultramodern
against the palace's classical lines. Commissioned
by the late president François Mitterrand and
completed in 1989, it allows sunlight to shine on an
underground reception area with a complex of shops
and restaurants. Ticket machines relieve the long
lines of yesteryear. |
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