Kentucky Christian University's Young Library Paris, France Virtual Vacation

After much preparation we are finally here.......Paris, France!  We begin in the 1st, 7th, and 8th Arrondissements.  An Arrondissement is an administrative district of certain large French cities, in particular Paris.  Paris is divided into twenty arrondissements municipaux, administrative districts.  They are arranged in a clockwise spiral that is often referred to as being like a snail shell.  Look at the map below to get an idea of the arrangement.

We will begin the day in the 1st Arrondissment.  The Louvre is located here and you can review your favorite part of the art tour under culture or take one of the self guided tours there also by clicking on the picture on the same tab.  From the Louvre we will head to the Tuileries Garden!

The Tuileries Garden is a public garden that is located between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde.  It was created by Catherine de'Medici in 1564.  It eventually became a public park after the French Revolution.  It has several different garden areas and is a place where Parisians meet and relax. Orient yourself using the map below and then  click on the walking tour of the video.  Keep your eyes open for some of these garden highlights:

• Jardin du Carrousel - The central feature is the Arc de triomphe du Carrousel, built to celebrate the victories of Napoleon, with bas-relief sculptures of his battles by Jean Joseph Espercieux
• Terrasse - The terrace is decorated by two large vases which used to be in the gardens of Versailles, and two statues by Aristide Maillol
• Moat of Charles V - Two stairways descend from the Terrasse to the moat (fr:fossés) named for Charles V of France, who rebuilt the Louvre in the 14th century. 
• Grand Carré of the Tuileries - The Grand Carré (Large Square) is the eastern, open part of the Tuilieries garden, which still follows the formal plan of the Garden à la française created by André Le Nôtre in the 17th century.
• Le Grand Couvert of the Tuileries - The Grand Couvert is the part of the garden covered with trees and also contains the two exedres, low curving walls built to display statues, which survived from the French Revolution.
• Orangerie, Jeu de Paume, and West Terrace of the Tuileries - This is located at the west end of the garden close to the Seine, was built in 1852 by the architect Firmin Bourgeois. Since 1927 it has displayed many large examples of Claude Monet's Water Lilies series. It also displays the Walter-Guillaume collection of Impressionist painting .

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the western end of the Champs-Elysees.  It honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.  The names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces.  Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is 1.2 miles long and 230 feet wide.  It is know for its theatres, cafes, and luxury shops, for the annual Bastille Day military parade and as the finish of the Tour de France cycling race.  It is considered to be one of the most recognisable avenues in the world.  Let's take a stroll!

The Alexander III bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans the Seine in Paris.  It connects the Champs-Elysees quarter with the Eiffel Tower quarter.  The bridge is considered the most ornate and extravagant bridge in the city.

The Musee d'Orsay is a museum in Paris, France on the left bank of the Seine.  This will be our last stop of the day.  It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beux-Arts railway station built between 1898 and 1900.  It holds mainly French art dating from 1848 - 1914, including paintings, sculptures, furniture and photography.  It houses the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cezanne, Seurat, Gaugin, and Van Gogh.  It is one of the largest art museums in Europe.  Relax as you take a tour and look at these paintings.