A favorite post from our 2009 Paris, France vacation series.

There may be only a few foundation stones left today, but the Place de la Bastille is still one of the most evocative sites in Paris, luring millions of visitors who want to see the fabled spot for themselves. Every year on Bastille Day (July 14), the French celebrate the attack on the medieval fortress in the Marais district as the start of the Revolution in 1789, which despite its violent excess is still remembered as a moment of glory.

At the time, the Bastille was the most notorious of royal prisons, where the king could send subjects for years without appeal. It had gained a grim reputation in the Middle Ages as a place of torture and misery, but by the 1700s a sentence there was barely an unpleasant experience – at least if you had some cash in the family. Aristocrats were allowed to bring a small personal serving staff and decorate their prison cells as they wished, with their own feather beds, wall paintings and personal libraries. They could even order delicacies from the best Parisian kitchens. The food delivery records of the Marquis de Sade, who was here for five years, reveal his specific taste for fresh roast chicken, local pate, oysters, seasonal vegetables, fine wine and cognac.

Despite this luxury, in the popular mind the Bastille remained a symbol of the injustices of the Old Regime. When the Parisian mob chose to attack the hated fortress in 1789, there was nothing heroic in the act. The governor of the prison was guaranteed safe passage along with his men, but they were instantly set upon by the crowd and massacred – a drunken chef cut off the governor’s head with his pen-knife and it was paraded around Paris on a pike.

The rioters were then surprised to find only seven inmates in the entire prison, none of whom were very worthy of liberation: two lunatics, four forgers and a young gent charged with incest. Still, it remained a symbolic moment of victory. During the Revolution, tour guides led visitors around the Bastille, showing off fake manacles with exaggerated tales of the prison’s horrors, until it was finally dismantled.

There may be only a few foundation stones left today, but the Place de la Bastille is still one of the most evocative sites in Paris, luring millions of visitors who want to see the fabled spot for themselves. Every year on Bastille Day (July 14), the French celebrate the attack on the medieval fortress in the Marais district as the start of the Revolution in 1789, which despite its violent excess is still remembered as a moment of glory.

At the time, the Bastille was the most notorious of royal prisons, where the king could send subjects for years without appeal. It had gained a grim reputation in the Middle Ages as a place of torture and misery, but by the 1700s a sentence there was barely an unpleasant experience – at least if you had some cash in the family. Aristocrats were allowed to bring a small personal serving staff and decorate their prison cells as they wished, with their own feather beds, wall paintings and personal libraries. They could even order delicacies from the best Parisian kitchens. The food delivery records of the Marquis de Sade, who was here for five years, reveal his specific taste for fresh roast chicken, local pate, oysters, seasonal vegetables, fine wine and cognac.

Despite this luxury, in the popular mind the Bastille remained a symbol of the injustices of the Old Regime. When the Parisian mob chose to attack the hated fortress in 1789, there was nothing heroic in the act. The governor of the prison was guaranteed safe passage along with his men, but they were instantly set upon by the crowd and massacred – a drunken chef cut off the governor’s head with his pen-knife and it was paraded around Paris on a pike.

The rioters were then surprised to find only seven inmates in the entire prison, none of whom were very worthy of liberation: two lunatics, four forgers and a young gent charged with incest. Still, it remained a symbolic moment of victory. During the Revolution, tour guides led visitors around the Bastille, showing off fake manacles with exaggerated tales of the prison’s horrors, until it was finally dismantled.

Celebrate the “joie de vivre,” joy of life, when you vacation in Paris. Tour the Arc de Triomphe and take in the magnificent views of Paris.

There’s more than one way to conquer the world.  The flabby, charismatic “Sun King,” Louis XIV, knew that he could impress the French people with his insanely lavish royal lifestyle, but he also wanted to make his mark on Europe.  Throughout his 55 year rule in the 17th Century, he campaigned vigorously to establish Paris as the continent’s capital of style, promoting its gourmet food and wine, haute couture, cutting-edge  perfumes, opulent furnishings and exquisite jewelry.  Every new innovation required Louis’ personal imprimatur, making him the world’s first fashion dictator.  Author Joan DeJean claimed in “The Essence of Style” that Louis’ devotion to elegance has shaped the culture of indulgence today – “Without the Sun King’s program for defining France as the land of luxury in glamour, there would never have been a Stork Club, a Bergdorf Goodman, a Chez Panisse or a Christophe of Beverly Hills.”  The 700-room Palace of Versailles, which Louis built 10 miles from Paris, became the command center for this unique fashion experiment – a prototype for the Playboy Mansion, where courtiers could exist in a netherworld of art and pleasure (all at considerable expense, of course).  While France slowly descended into bankruptcy, Louis played hide and seek with mistresses, frolicked in tree houses and held resplendent soirees in the Hall of Mirrors, lit with thousands of candles.  And his every taste became law – it was Louis’ passion for diamonds, for example, that first privileged them above all other gems.  The flip side of all this was that Louis became corrupted by flattery.  According to one disgruntled noble, crowds of admirers would gather around the king to help him bathe and dress, even vying for the honor of assisting with royal grooming tasks.  Versailles became a byword for shameless excess in the face of poverty.  For one famous ball in 1696, the boutiques of Paris were stripped bare by invitees; socialites spent 10,000 livres on gowns (roughly $500,000 today) and one couple kidnapped a famous couturiere so he could not design for other guests.  In short, Versailles represented everything that French revolutionaries would soon come to hate about the monarchy.

As you stroll down the exhilarating Boulevard Saint Germain on the Left Bank in Paris, make sure to pay your respects to the three sacred “temples” of Parisian café society near the church of Saint-German-des-Près: the Café des Deux Magots, the Café de Flor (next door) and the Brasserie Lipp (across the road).  In the 1930s, this trio of charismatic establishments became the bohemian crossroads of Europe, when successful artists like Picasso, André Breton, Salvador Dali and Marcel Duchamp descended on them, bringing an entourage of writers, celebrities and fashionistas in their wake.

Under German occupation, the intellectual power couple Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir set up shop in the Flore, having been driven out of their old haunts by Nazi officers on r-and-r.  Since the couple was living in a cheap hotel at the time, they preferred to spend all day in the café.  Sartre later recorded their rigid daily working routine – writing from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m.; lunch until 2 p.m.; chatting with friends until 4 p.m.; more writing until 8 p.m.; dinner until 10 p.m.; then late night business meetings in the cafe.  “It may seem strange, all this,” Sartre wrote, “but the Flore was like home to us…even when the air-raid alarm sounded, we would merely pretend to leave and then climb up to the first floor and go on working…”

Today, these famous cafes are still great places to do a little philosophizing as you watch the world go by.  At the Deux Magots, guests don’t sit at tables so much as antique wooden writing desks, and the menu suggests that this is the “rendez-vous of the intellectual elite.” The small square in front is now called the Place Sartres-Beauvoir, in honor of the passionate couple.

One of the prettiest spots in Paris today was also once the bloodiest.  The elegant Place de Concorde now has an uplifting view across peaceful parkland to the broad Champs Elysée and the gracefully curving River Seine.  But during the French Revolution, this was where the dreaded guillotine was erected – specifically, on a spot halfway between the Egyptian obelisk and the Tuilleries Gardens (which then contained a royal palace).

Every day, wagons filled with unlucky victims would rattle along the Rue St. Honoré from the Conciergerie Prison (which survives as a museum on the Île de la Cité) to this notorious plaza, which had been renamed the Place de la Revolution.  Bleachers were erected to allow the Parisian mob a better view of the executions, with a carnival atmosphere prevailing and food vendors working the crowd.  But while low-lifes and tourists filled the audience, many more sensitive Parisians simply turned their backs on the bloodshed.

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Continuing our post from Wednesday, here are 6 more French hot spots to make your Paris, France vacation more memorable.

Les Égouts de Paris
Deep in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower is another historic feat of engineering. The 1,304 miles of underground canals form a “city beneath the city” that handles the proper flow of everything the Parisians prefer to keep below the surface.

Sacré-Coeur
This pristine, white-stone church was proposed as a memorial to the soldiers killed in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, but was not completed until the end of World War I. The church features one of the world’s largest mosaics, which depicts Christ with outstretched arms, and a massive 19-ton church bell.

Paradis Latin
Le PARADIS LATIN, designed by Gustave Eiffel and one of the city’s oldest theatres, is located on the Left Bank. Enjoy dinner, wine, champagne, and a very French revue.

Moulin Rouge
An exciting evening at the world-renowned Parisian cabaret. Dinner with half a bottle of wine is served during the show. A glass of champagne completes your evening in style.

Versailles
A short journey from Paris with your local guide to the lavish 17th-century baroque palace built by Sun King Louis XIV, with its magnificent STATE APARTMENTS, Hall of Mirrors, and the Royal Chapel. Time to stroll through parts of the elegant 250-acre GARDENS. Note: This excursion is not available on Mondays and public holidays.

Claude Monet’s Giverny
Drive along the Seine Valley to the HOME OF CLAUDE MONET, leader of the Impressionist School. Admire the collection of Japanese engravings and stroll through the garden, a famous source of inspiration for many celebrated artists.

We hope that these Paris must-see sights will help you get more vacation from your vacation.  Make your trip even more unique and use our travel planning resources to help get your dream vacation underway.

Sipping coffee at a Parisian cafe or taking in the masterpieces at the Louvre are French experiences that can’t be missed.  While traveling in Paris take some time to get off the beaten path by visiting this must-see sites on your Paris vacation.

Canal Saint Martin
Should the mood strike for a romantic stroll, make your way to this little-touristed canal. Its shaded towpaths are dappled with sunlight that filters through the plane trees. Enjoy.

Maison Prunier
For exquisite seafood dishes, give this venerable dining room a try. The fare is traditional French. The atmosphere, Art Deco.

Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
In the Roaring 20s, this quirky bookstore in the bohemian Left Bank was the meeting place for some of literature’s greats-Hemingway, Fitzgerald and Joyce to name a few. It still serves as a refuge for struggling writers and visitors alike.

Rue Cler
This bustling pedestrian street is teeming with edible objets d’art-from the rainbow of fresh fruit, to the soft palette of French baguettes and the colossal wheels of cheese. And when you’re ready for dessert, specialty stores abound-from tarts and pastries to crêpes and, of course, chocolate. Bon Appétit!

Sainte-Chapelle
One look at the upstairs chapel, and you’ll understand how Paris earned the moniker “City of Light.” Fifteen intricately designed panels of stained glass, commissioned by Louis IX, depict 1100 story-telling scenes.

Sephora
The importance of a delicate nose in French society is apparent at this aromatic wonderland. Follow your nose to the store’s “wheel of scents,” which are arranged from fresh scents like sea breeze to stronger ones like leather, chocolate and even civette-eau de cow pie.

Check back on Friday for Part #2 of our Paris, France not-to-be-missed sights.  Start planning your France vacation today!

A day spent sightseeing in Paris is filled with artworks, fresh baked treats and colorful markets.  When the sun goes down, Paris magically transforms into the “City of Light.”

On your vacation in Paris, see the Eiffel Tower illuminate the sky while you dine on French cuisine and enjoy a fine glass of wine.  France is filled with beauty and romance.

No trip to Paris, France is complete without a tour of the Louvre to see the famous Mona Lisa.

Today, a thick pane of bullet-proof security glass keeps artlovers a safe distance from the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Portrait of Lisa Gherardini, Wife of Francesco Giacondo,” known in French as “La Joconde” and English as the “Mona Lisa.”  But back in 1911, it was simply hung on the walls of the Musée du Louvre like any other canvas.  That was until a former museum employee named Vincenzo Perrugia strolled into the gallery before opening hours on August 21, noticed the room was empty, took down the Mona Lisa and walked out of the Louvre with it under a painting smock.

When the loss was finally noticed, the police were mystified. For two years, the whereabouts of the masterpiece was unknown, while French detectives made various wild guesses.  (It had been stolen by the Germans.  By anarchists.  By evil geniuses.  By lunatics.)  They actually arrested the country’s top art critic, Guillame Apollinaire, then let him free.

Then, out of the blue in 1913, an Italian art dealer in Florence was contacted by a man calling himself “Leonardo” who claimed to have the Mona Lisa and wanted to see it hang in the Uffizi, Italy’s top art museum.  Although he found it hard to believe that the thief could be so reckless, the dealer tipped off the police and agreed to meet the strange Leonardo in a Milan hotel room.  There, the nondescript fellow opened his suitcase, emptied out his socks and underwear, opened up a false bottom in the case to reveal the Mona Lisa – and was immediately arrested.

It turned out that Perrugia was no criminal mastermind trying to make a fortune but a sentimental Italian nationalist who had stolen the canvas on impulse and merely wanted to see it returned to its land of origin.  (The Mona Lisa was purchased by France’s King Francis I in the 1530s.)  The recovery was greeted with exultation in France, and the famed canvas safely shipped to its home in the Louvre.  Back in Italy, however, the thief Peruggia was hailed as a patriotic hero in Italy and served only a short prison sentence.