Filthy Cities – Paris

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010fhhk

Features about Paris usually champion the culture, style and cosmopolitan life associated with the city, however, the recent BBC series Filthy Cities focussed on the filthy conditions that Parisians endured two hundred years ago.

Paris was the most disgusting city imaginable, explains the historian Dan Snow in the second programme in the series.

Although Paris is still heralded as the most glamorous, sophisticated and cultural centre of Europe with grand palaces, boulevards and magnificent gardens, just two hundred years ago Paris was famously one of the most rank and unwholesome places in the whole of  Europe.

A wealth of serious history oozes beneath Dan Snow’s vivid evocation of revolutionary Paris, where incredibly, conditions sounded worse than those examined in the first episode of the series that featured medieval London.

The River Seine in Paris was an open sewer, where mudbanks of excrement met the detritus of abattoirs and butchers, and the air was so noxious that citizens developed ulcerated throats.

Dan Snow retches his way through the programme: experiencing the process of tanning leather by skinning an animal hide and soaking it in urine and faeces, showing off the workings of the gruesome guillotine, finding out what a mass grave would look (and smell) like and sporting “smallpox” pustules on his arm.

But Dan also shows how this squalor led to a Declaration of the Rights of Man and ultimately, to the creation of one of the cleanest and most beautiful cities in the world.

Pong de Paris

As part of the scratch and sniff experience the clip below allows viewers to follow their noses through  the  narrow streets of Châtelet, described by one observer as ‘the worst smelling place in the world’,  in central Paris during the infamous steamy summer of 1788. The city is festering, the tension mounting. You are travelling through, what is effectively, an open sewer and rubbish dump. Tread carefully or you may find yourself dodging a bowl of kitchen waste, or worse a chamber pot from an upstairs window!

Oh la la!

Be Romantic for a Day in Paris

Paris is a dream come true. It is chic, romantic, cosmopolitan and it is guaranteed to enchant you. Getting to the French capital is easy as there are three main airports which serve the city: Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly and Paris Beauvais. The most important airport is Charles de Gaulle and easyJet low cost airline offers flights to and from this airport. Paris Beauvais is around 50 miles north of Paris. Despite the distance, it is well connected with the city centre of Paris by bus.

A day in Paris should start off by a good breakfast, either in your hotel or in a typical Parisian bistro. Then you should set off to discover the city.

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is usually busy all day, but getting there early is a good idea if you want to visit other tourist attractions in the afternoon. There are two restaurants located on the first and second levels of the tower…perhaps the perfect venue for a romantic lunch. Having visited the Eiffel Tower, why not take a walk around Champs de Mars Park. Here you can relax and take artistic photographs of the Eiffel Tower from another perspective.

Other Attractions in Paris

Visit other attractions such as the Sacré Coeur, Champs Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe during the day. Enjoy a romantic Seine dinner cruise by night or evening entertainment at the Moulin Rouge. Sample the romantic lifestyle during your stay in romantic Paris – the French capital.

Visit Paris – A Short Guide

The French capital is one of the world’s most alluring travel destinations, probably because it satisfies our appetite for many of the things that motivate us to travel. It promises great architecture, beautiful people, quaint cafés, leafy parks, grand boulevards, upmarket restaurants, endless cultural pursuits and a gripping history. And while many cities would struggle under the weight of such heavy expectation, Paris rarely seems to disappoint the 45 million tourists that visit each year. It’s easy to see why proud Parisians believe they live in the greatest city in the world.

Flights to Paris

Flights from the UK to Paris take about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Most flights to Paris from the UK fly to Charles de Gaulle airport, the city’s largest, 14 miles northeast of the city – but many flights are also available to two other airports: Orly, which is only 9 miles south of the city, and therefore very convenient; and Beauvais-Tillé, which is about 60 miles north of Paris, and rather inconvenient – despite some low-cost airlines advertising it as ‘serving Paris’.

Some international airlines offering flights to France include Air France, KLM, Etihad and British Airways, often from London airports. In addition, budget airlines such as easyJet, Ryanair and Flybe offer budget flights from various regional UK airports such as Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Top sights

The iconic Eiffel Tower is a good place to start your exploration of the city, because from the top you enjoy a panoramic view of Paris which can help you to get your bearings and decide which sights you most want to visit. If you use the Métro system you can get around Paris very quickly and easily, but if you’re only there for a weekend’s sightseeing it’s better to focus on a few of the city’s 22 arrondissements (districts) rather than stretching yourself and packing in too much.

Look out for the Musée Carnavalet. the Hôtel de Sully, and Place des Vosges, where you will find the Maison de Victor Hugo. Explore the quaint district of Montmartre, an arty and bohemian area of art studios, stalls selling paintings, and street artists sketching portraits and funny caricatures. You can also enjoy some people-watching from one of the many cosy cafés, then trek uphill to visit the great Basilique du Sacré-Cœur.

Of course Paris is a city for lovers – associated with romance and passion – so what better place to shop for special gifts from France – perfumes, pottery and of course fashion.  The shops offer haute couture from leading designers along with stylish lingerie and accessories.

If modern art and architecture is more your thing, however, take the Metro to la Défense where you’re surrounded by imposing modern buildings. Take a ride in the lift at the Grande Arche de la Défense for an amazing view of the city.

Paris also has scores of museums to suit just about every taste – from internationally-renowned collections such as those at the Louvre, to bizarre exhibits such as those at the Musée des Arts Forains, which showcases some colourful fairground memorabilia.

No trip to Paris is complete without a trip on the River Seine, either, whether you choose a daytime trip or an evening dinner cruise. Other eating options include the lively Quartier Latin, a great place to eat and hang out, with a studenty atmosphere and plenty of fairly inexpensive bistros thanks to the various educational establishments in the area.

Paris Va Va Voom

Eiffel Tower clinches, candlelit bistros and scantily clad showgirls – Paris was made for lovers. Time to unleash your inner va-va-voom

Cobbles and rose bushes frame the grand Musée Rodin (79 Rue de Varenne) www.musee-rodin.fr housing the sculptor’s works. The Kiss is here but La Porte de L’enfer (The Gates of Hell) is the one that will leave you breathless – the intricately carved doors feature lots of nudity and groping.

This beautiful poem titled Kiss is worth a visit on the Tate website
After shopping in the streets of Le Marais, retreat to elegant tea house Mariage Frères (35 Rue du Bourg-Tibourg; www.mariagefreres.com). Waiters in white jackets serve myriad tea varieties (try Rooibos tea flavoured with candied chestnuts) alongside plates of scallops and perfect madeleines. Feel the passion brewing.

Paris’s oldest market, Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, on Rue de Bretagne (closed Mondays), is filled with tempting treats. L’Estaminet (00 33 1 4272 3485), in what used to be the market storeroom, serves food from the producers – pop in for a platter of oysters (six oysters and a glass of wine £10).

The 18th-century Lapérouse, (00 33 1 4326 6804, www.laperouse.fr) was a former favourite of politicians and their mistresses (the little private dining rooms upstairs used to lock from the inside). Go for roasted Brittany lobster and pâté-soft steak.

Next morning, climb the steps to La Promenade Plantée. This 4.5km-long, elevated railway track is now a pretty lavender-, shrub- and bamboo-lined pathway. Start your walk at the access point near Bastille, find a bench and watch passers-by on the streets fanning off below – only the odd jogger will disturb the pleasure.

Sure it’s soppy, but you have to be photographed in front of the ‘Je t’aime’ wall in Montmartre’s Place d’Abbesses. The blue tiles are covered in ‘I Love Yous’ scrawled in more than 300 languages. With any luck, the pretty busker in the red duffle coat will be singing Edith Piaf’s Hymne à l’amour.

Getting to Paris from UK

Eurostar (0870 518 6186, www.eurostar.com) has returns from London St Pancras and many regional airports offer convenient scheduled flights to Paris for low fares if booked well in advance.

Where to Stay

A sultry colour scheme and macaroons await you at Hôtel des Académies et des Arts (00 33 1 4326 6644, www.hotel-des-academies.com) in the arty heart of the city. Or, slightly out of the way but with a fabulous cocktail bar and eccentric decor, is Mama Shelter (00 33 1 4348 4848, www.mamashelter.com).

Ideas for Valentine’s Day breaks

One of the most exciting ways to spend Valentine’s Day is somewhere foreign and romantic, so consider whisking your loved one away for a weekend. Whether you look online, in newspapers or in travel agents, you’ll find a whole host of special Valentine’s travel deals right now. Most combine romantic destinations with luxury accommodation, a gourmet meal, Valentine flowers and perhaps some other activities.

At the cheaper end of the scale, for example, Eurostar is offering a two night valentine’s break to Paris including Eurostar travel, a 3 star central hotel, and breakfast – from £189 each. Usually you can get good value from regional low cost arlines to fly to France but for a special Valentine treat consider booking scheduled flights to Paris and trying to upgrade your seats.

If you’re out to impress, you could celebrate Valentine’s Day in Champagne over a glass or two of the vintage stuff. Grape Escapes is offering a Valentine’s gift package in Reims where you’ll enjoy a bottle of Champagne on arrival, and a candlelit four-course gourmet dinner at a local restaurant. The package doesn’t come cheap, costing from £365 each, but this also includes return Dover-Calais ferry crossing for a car and two people, (scheduled flights to France and pre-booked car hire in France can be arranged but will cost more) two nights’ accommodation in Reims, a full day coach tour of Champagne houses with tastings, and a four-course lunch at a top local restaurant with Champagnes and wines.

If you’d rather stay in the UK, Macdonald Hotels Compleat Angler Hotel are offering a package beside the Thames at Marlow in Buckinghamshire, including two nights dinner, B&B, champagne, flowers, chocolates and strawberries. Prices start from £449 for the two of you. The hotel’s gorgeous river views, candlelit dining and four-poster beds promise a weekend of romance.

Europe > Car Hire France > Paris to Reims

Paris is a great destination for a holiday, but if you hire a car while you are in Paris, you can explore more of France. In this article, we look at some of the things that you can see and do in the city of Reims, in the country’s Champagne region.

Hire a car in Paris

Visit Reims – Notre-Dame Cathedral and Champagne Region

It will only take you about an hour and a half to drive to Reims in your Paris rental car, but there is so much to see and do there that it’s worth spending several days there and turning your trip into a two-destination holiday.

To get to Reims from Paris by car, simply head out of Paris on L’Autoroute de L’Est partial toll road and continue straight on along the A4 partial toll road. Leave the A4 at exit 23 and follow the signs into the centre of Reims.

Reims Attractions – Historic Buildings & Monuments

Notre-Dame Cathedral

Reims is full of beautiful historic buildings, with one of its most significant being Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is one of four sites in the city to have UNESCO World Heritage status. It took more than 200 years to complete the Cathedral, which was constructed on the site of the cit

y’s old cathedral, which burned to the ground in 1210.

24 French monarchs have been crowned in Notre-Dame Cathedral, which is adorned with more than 2,300 sculptures, including the famous “Smiling Angel”, which has now become the city’s emblem.

The other UNESCO World Heritage sites in Reims are: the Saint-Remi Abbey Museum; the Romanesque-style Saint-Remi Basilica, which houses Saint-Remi’s tomb; and Tau Palace, the palace of the former Reims’ archbishops.

Reims also has a number of important monuments, including the Porte Mars (a Roman arch dating from the 3rd Century), the Statue of Joan of Arc (which was sculpted by Paul Dubois) and the Fontaine Subé (which is situated in Erlon Square).

Reims Attractions – Other Attractions

Reims’ museums include the Reims-Champagne Automobile Museum, which houses a collection of more than 200 vehicles, together with other items, such as pedal cars, toy cars and signs. You can also visit Le Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur, where you can see a number of works of art including engravings by Albrecht Dürer, and the Museum of Surrender (Musée de la Reddition) to see the Signing Room where the Third Reich signed the document which ended World War II.

Other attractions in Reims include the Planetarium, the Grand Theatre and the Carnegie Library. There are also a number of parks and gardens in the city, including Le Parc de Champagne, the Pierre Schneiter Horticultural Garden and The Colbert Square which holds an amazing array of flowers and shrubs all year round.

You can also use your hire car in Paris to visit some of the attractions that lie just outside of the city of Reims, such as the Pompelle Fort Museum (Musée du Fort de la Pompelle) or follow the Champagne tourist route to see the region’s famous vineyards and Champagne houses.

Car Hire in France – Hiring a Car in Paris

You can book a hire car in advance and get a good deal online with low-cost, specialist car rental firms. Find airport car hire in locations around the world, including Paris, and you can choose from a range of vehicles.