Notre Dame

Notre Dame de Paris opened in 1345.  It is one of the first buildings of the world to use the flying buttress that is associated with Gothic architecture.  Notre Dame is a cathedral located in the fourth district of Paris on the eastern side of the Ile de la Cite.  Inside the cathedral visitors can explore its history by admiring the beautiful stain glass windows and the wooden pews and beams.  The church is still used, mostly for visiting purposes, but visitors are permitted to light candles inside to honor a loved one.  The front of the cathedral (looking at it straight on) is divided into two symmetrical sides.  The back of the cathedral is different in the sense that it has an iron tower with a cross and allows you to see the structure from a different vantage point.  At the top of the cathedral there are bell towers (they are the two symmetric sides) that are still rung today for Parisians and such to enjoy and keep time.  This structure like the Eiffel Tower, is lit up at night.  After the Eiffel Tower, this is probably the most visited landmark in Paris.

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The Eiffel Tower

Most people associate Paris with the Eiffel Tower.  Gustave Eiffel was the brilliant architect behind the Eiffel Tower construction in 1889. Contrary to peoples' love and respect of the Eiffel Tower today, it was detested when it was first introduced to the city of Paris.  People thought that it was an ugly iron fixture that was disrupting the beauty of Paris.  Obviously peoples' opinions changed because the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most recognized and visited places.  Each year the Eiffel Tower receives millions of visitors from all over the world.  The tower is 324 meters (equivalent to an 81-storey building) and has three different levels.  The first and second levels  can be accessed by stairs and contain gift stores and a restaurant is housed on the second level.  The third level is strictly for viewing purposes only and is only accessible by elevator for the public (it does have stairs, but the public is not allowed to use them).  Visiting the Eiffel Tower and being on it is something you don't want to miss if ever visiting Paris.  The views are breathtaking and it's something you have never seen before.  Paris is geometrically set up and is symmetrical.  Looking down from the Eiffel Tower out into the city of Paris you can see how the city is laid out.  A fun fact about the Eiffel Tower is that it is the tallest structure in Paris.  There is a law stating that no other structure can be taller than the tower.  Such a law exists in order to  preserve the beauty of Paris itself.  At night the tower does a "light show".  It glistens and sparkles and changes color.  Paris is truly the city of lights.