It is Paris that is most often called the most romantic city in the world, which the French themselves are very proud of. Despite the expansion and construction of modern buildings, it has largely retained its old-fashioned appearance, for which it is probably loved. What could be more romantic than a sunset over Paris from the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower? This is what most tourists come here for, although, of course, gourmet French cuisine and the famous Louvre also hint that this city would be nice to visit at least once in a lifetime.
Facts about Paris
- The Paris metro is considered not very safe, especially in the evening, after it gets dark.
- The population of Paris is 2.1 million people.
- Exactly Paris is the most visited city in the world by tourists. About 25 million people come here every year.
- This is a truly ancient city, it was founded about 2300 years ago by the Romans and Gauls, and was called «Parisii».
- Of all the cities in France, Paris is the most densely populated (interesting facts about France).
- Paris is home to the world’s oldest pet cemetery. It appeared at the end of the 19th century, when the authorities forbade throwing the bodies of dead pets into the street.
- In Paris, unlike many European capitals, drinking water flows from taps. An excellent water purification system is the pride of the citizens.
- One of the nicknames of the French capital is «City of Lights». It received it because it was one of the first cities in the world to have street lighting.
- The Parisian suburbs are home to about 8 million people, while the city itself has only a little over 2 million.
- Right-hand traffic is established throughout mainland Europe, including in Paris. But there is a small street named after General Lemonnier, on which the left-hand traffic.
- The area of Paris is 105.4 km².
- The Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris, was once almost demolished at the request of the townspeople, who claimed that it spoils the appearance of the city.
- There is a comical bronze statue in Paris – it depicts the famous headbutt of Z. Zidane in the chest by M. Materazzi during the final match of the World Cup in 2006.
- In the center of Paris, bee hives flaunt on the roofs of many houses – about 300 in total. It is said that metropolitan insects produce more honey than their village counterparts.
- When the Egyptian mummy of Pharaoh Ramses II was transported to Paris in 1974, mummies a passport was issued, where you can find the mark “Occupation: King (deceased)”.
- Parisians love dogs, and therefore these pets are allowed to appear in many public places, including some restaurants.
- Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris, where the famous Arc de Trimfal stands, does not have French car insurance. The reason for this is the rather chaotic circular movement of cars around the square, and without a single traffic light.
- The Paris metro is the sixth in the world in terms of the number of passengers carried. This is one of the oldest metro systems in Europe, it is second only to London, Budapest and Glasgow (interesting facts about Glasgow).
- In Paris, foreigners are surprised by transparent plastic trash boxes. They do not decorate the city, but they have replaced the standard trash cans due to the threat of terrorist attacks.
- Not far from Paris is the only «Disneyland» park in Europe.
- The “Paris syndrome” is a mental disorder caused by a mismatch between the real city and the image of the capital of France, created in films and books. Most often, it occurs among tourists from Japan, since the difference between French and Japanese cultures also plays a role here.
- The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was first discovered and studied at the Pasteur Institute in Paris in the early 1980s.
- At the beginning of the XX century. In Paris, there was a “human zoological garden”, officially called “Exposition Coloniale” – “Exhibition of the achievements of colonialism.” In this garden, the French settled people brought from their colonies from Madagascar, India, Vietnam, Sudan, Congo, Tunisia and Morocco. The garden was visited by millions of people, meanwhile, “living exhibits” from warm lands suffered from cold and humiliation. Today, the former garden is legally recognized as a national shame in France.
- The famous Louvre Museum in Paris was built in 1793, and today is in fact the most visited museum in the world – it receives more than 5 million people annually. It is here that the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci is kept (interesting facts about Leonardo da Vinci).
- For the first time in the world, a striptease was performed on the stage of the famous cabaret Moulin Rouge in Paris in 1983. A girl named Mona completely took off her clothes during a staged beauty contest, and as a result was punished with a fine of 100 francs for indecent behavior.
- Most of the most popular restaurants in the world are located in Paris.
- Here, there is only one «STOP» road sign in the whole city.
- While visiting Paris during World War II, Hitler was never able to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower as the Parisians deliberately disabled the elevator. Since then, the expression “Hitler conquered France, but could not conquer the Eiffel Tower!” has become popular.
- About a dozen films and series are filmed on the streets of Paris every day.
- During the First World War II, the French built a so-called “fake Paris” near the capital to confuse German pilots.
- The reference point for all road distances in France is kilometer zero, located in Paris on the Ile de la Cité, in the square in front of the cathedral Notre Dame, which became known to the whole world after the publication of the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo (interesting facts about Victor Hugo).
- In the Paris metro, passengers must independently open and close the doors in the cars by pressing the appropriate button.
- Paris has such an extensive metro system that from anywhere in the city the path to the nearest station will not exceed 500 meters.
- There are about 40 cities around the world called «Paris».
- There are more dogs in Paris than children.