In fact Châtelet Métro is less than 500 feet away (or 35 seconds)!

Directions from Hotel Britannique’s to Châtelet Métro:

-> walk out of the Hotel Britannique and go left
-> take a left at the corner
-> Châtelet metro is down the block on your left

Where can you go from here?  Everywhere!

First, learn the metro.  You can figure it out in seconds, too (see how convenient this hotel is!).  In fact, Paris is so easy to get around via the metro that once you figure it out, you’ll never turn back.

     Tips for understanding the metro:

1. The lines are color coded.  You look to where you are and to where you want to go.  Follow that colored line to the end.  That is the direction in which you will want to go.  For instance, when you travel Chatelet to most tourist spots, you’ll be traveling Line 1 in the direction of  La Defense.  You disembark along the way (and, yes, there are color coded signs above every metro door to tell you how many stops before you get off).  Remember that when you’re returning to Hotel Britannique, you head back the opposite direction (Chateau de Vincennes).

NOW… for the GOOD PART!  Hotel Britannique is 35 seconds from Chatelet which is on metro line 1.  It’s the major metro line in Paris, as it goes from west to east.  And every major must-do is either directly off this metro line, or off a connecting one!

Metro Line 1 Monuments and Museums:

• The Louvre – Metro: Line 1 (exit at Palais Royal Musee du Louvre) – 2 stops from Chatelet.
  (Unless you want to do the junky souvenir walk along Rue Rivoli, in which case, you only have 1 stop at exit Louvre Rivoli).
• Tuileries Gardens (Jardin de Tuileries – where kids sail little boats in the fountains) – Metro: Line 1 (exit Tuileries) – 3 stops from Chatelet.
• Place de la Concorde - Metro : Line 1 (exit at Concorde) – 4 stops from Chatelet.
• Champs Elysees (beginning)  - Metro : Line 1 (exit at Champs Elysees Clemenceau) – 5 stops from Chatelet.
• Champs Elysees (middle)  - Metro : Line 1 (exit at Franklin D. Roosevelt) – 6 stops from Chatelet.
• Champs Elysees (middle-to-end / technically, the part you care about will it end at Arc de Triomphe, the next exit)  - Metro : Line 1 (exit at George V) – 7 stops from Chatelet.
• Arc de Triomphe – Metro : Line 1  (exit at Charles de Gaulle Etoile) – 8 stops from Chatelet.

Wait!  But how to get to the Eiffel Tower from Chatelet Metro, from Notre Dame, from Hotel DeVille, the Louvre, etc. — Take Chatelet (or anywhere on Line 1 ) to Line 4 (direction – Porte d’Orleans) and exit St-Michel to the RER (don’t worry, it’s still a metro – direction of Versailles-Rive Gauche/ Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines) and get off at Champ de Mars, unless you want to get off at Pont de l’Alma to see the Princess Diana tribute.  Unless you are staying near the Eiffel Tower, it might very well be the most difficult spot in Paris to get to unless you go by taxi… and you don’t want to stay near the Eiffel Tower because most of the area is just plain boring!

Read about the Five Hot Paris Must-Do’s Where you can walk to within 5 minutes or less directly from this Paris hotel!

Top 5 Paris Must-Do’s Near The Hotel Britannique:

1. Hotel Britannique is exactly 10 minutes from Notre Dame Cathedral and Point Zero (also known as Kilometre Zero – all highways are measured from this point; all of Paris is measured from this point… this is the very inner point of the « snail-shape » of Paris).
   (Click here to find events,  services, hours for Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris)
2. Hotel Britannique is exactly 5 minutes from Hotel de Ville, which is Paris’ City Hall.
   (Click here to find events and hours at Hôtel de Ville)
3. Hotel Britannique is less than seven blocks (less than a ten minute walk) from the Louvre – actually closer if you take another entrance besides the touristy I.M. Pei Louvre Pyramid.
   (Click here to find events, special exhibits, hours, cost, etc., for the Louvre Museum.)
4.  Hotel Britannique is 3 blocks (less than six minutes) from Pont Neuf – where lovers are seen kissing along the Seine!
5. Hotel Britannique is 3 blocks (less than six minutes) from the major department store, B.H.V., which has a hardware store in the basement (to drop off the husbands who are addicted to Home Depot), and French lingerie, clothing and household goods on the top floors.  In fact, if you love to shop, this is really the perfect hotel-close-to-department-store situation for you.

And an added plus…. the Hotel Britannique is six blocks from the Igor Stravinsky Fountain next to the Centre Pompidou, which houses the Modern Museum of Art in Paris.

To celebrate Christmas a special programme has been organised for the general public until 2 February, combining celebrations, mangers, vigils and concerts.

Unmissable services for all the faithful, the messes are at the heart of the Notre Dame’s programme for this Christmas.

On 24 and 25 December, there will be many celebrations under the cathedral’s nave: international mess, Christmas vigil, Midnight mass, evensong… contemplation and prayers will blend with the musical emotions produced in turn by the great organs and the choirs. Several musical events will be organised. Concerts, recitals, choir singing, enhanced by the exceptional setting, promise music lovers some wonderful moments of enchantment.

The cathedral’s manger, like the Christmas tree on the forecourt, will both be in place until 2 February, inviting visitors to contemplate or even meditate.

From Masses to concerts, with the choirs breaking out into song, just as with the silent communions, Christmas will be religious.

Notre-Dame’s Christmas programme in Paris, until 2 February 2012:

• Further information :
  • Notre-Dame de Paris
• Notre-Dame de Paris : 6 parvis Notre-Dame – Place Jean Paul II – Paris 4ème
• Access :
  • Metro :
    • Line 4, Cité or Saint-Michel Stations
    • Lines 1 and 11, Hôtel de Ville Station
    • Line 10, Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny La Sorbonne Stations
    • Lines 7, 11 and 14, Châtelet Station
  • RER: Lines B and C, Saint Michel – Notre-Dame Station

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If you come to Paris, visiting the Eiffel Tower is a must! This beautiful iron lady is the most visited monument of our great capital, and you will experience a special moment.

Designed for the Universal Exhibition of 1889, it was built in two years by Gustave Eiffel who managed then a real architectural and technical performance as never before engineers had tackled such constraints of height and elevator loads. The Eiffel Tower was the highest building in the world until 1929, when the Chrysler Building in New York topped it at 319 metres.

Throughout his rise, you will have a direct view of the impressive architecture of the tower.

If you have enough energy, instead of using the elevators, you can climb the metallic stairs that lead to the first and second levels, respectively 345 steps and 359 more… Only the elevators can reach the top.

You can visit the tower regardless of the weather, however, we advise you to do it on a clear and unobstructed day. You will have amazing views over Paris and its surroundings. The Arc de Triomphe, the Invalides, the Pantheon, Montmartre … you will definitely not be disappointed. On sunny days, you will also see the surroundings of Paris over 60 km.

So that this moment becomes even more festive and unforgettable at the top of the tower , you could taste a glass of champagne at the Champagne counter open every afternoon from noon.

At each level, you can discover the history of the Eiffel Tower. Various exhibitions will present its construction. At the top you can view the restored office of Gustave Eiffel.

Another way to enjoy the Eiffel Tower is to see it illuminated every night until 1am. It twinkle of thousands of lights during the first 5 minutes of each hour, while its lighthouse shines on Paris.

The Eiffel Tower, did you know…

At the beginning the Eiffel Tower was meant to last 20 years. Eiffel knew that the Tower’s service to science alone could extend its life span. Therefore he spelled out the uses he had in mind: meteorological and astronomical observation, a strategic observation post, a communications base for signalling, etc. In fact from 1889 onward, the Eiffel Tower was used as a laboratory for scientific measurements and experiments. Much scientific equipment was installed. From experience to experience, Eiffel succeeded in saving the tower by promoting the first radio transmissions and telecommunications. The Eiffel Tower is still a transmitter for television and radio programs.

La Tour Eiffel – Practical Information

The Eiffel Tower can be visited every day of the year:

• From 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. from 29 August to 16 June,
• From 9 a.m. to midnight from 17 June to 28 August.

You can buy your tickets directly at the foot of the tower, but you can also save time by buying them online.

Access:

• Metro: Line 6, Station Bir-Hakeim or Line 9, Station Trocadéro
• RER : Line C, Station Champs de Mars-Tour Eiffel

Further information: Tour Eiffel

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Last week, we presented you a brief history of the Opera Garnier. Today, let’s all visit it!

Called Opéra de Paris until the opening of the new Opera Bastille in 1989, the Palais Garnier is really a masterpiece of architecture. With its 172 meters long, 101 meters wide, 79 meters high and a surface area of 11237 sq.m., it is one of the greatest opera houses in the world!

Alongside Charles Garnier, 73 sculptors and 14 painters have participated in the completion of this building. The main facade is monumental, with numerous sculptures, columns, lanterns, candelabra, statues streetlights, and its access ramp to the west wing (Rue Scribe) which was intended to accommodate the carriage of the emperor who could not take advantage of it, because he abdicated five years before the opening of the opera house…

Designed as a luxurious temple of entertainment dedicated to opera and ballet, the Palais Garnier is magnificent. The auditorium, the public areas with the large foyer, the rotunda and the lounges are sumptuous. The Palais also houses a library-museum, several repetition studios and workshops.

• The Grand Staircase

Built in marble of various colours, the Grand Staircase is an extraordinary place where stands the famous double staircase illuminated by candelabra, leading to the Grand Foyer and various floors of the auditorium.

Different allegories of music are painted on the ceiling. In this incredible décor, it is easy to imagine the Grand Staircase itself as a theatre, where, in years gone by, the crinolines of fashionable society ladies would brush…

• The Foyers

Upstairs are the large open foyers where spectators crowd before the show and during intermission.

From the balconies you can have a splendid view of the nave.

The Grand Foyer is richly decorated with a large gallery in sparkling colours and gold. Mirrors and large windows accentuate its vast dimensions. Here again the themes of Music, Comedy and Tragedy are beautifully declined.

At the center of the foyer is a bust of Charles Garnier, near one of the windows that look down the Avenue de l’Opera towards the Louvre.

• The Auditorium

The Italian-style horseshoe-shaped auditorium has three tiers of boxes under a dome supported by eight columns and pilasters of colossal size. Lit by a huge crystal chandelier (weighing 8 tons), this auditorium in shades of purple and gold can accommodate nearly 2,000 spectators.

Redecorated in 1964 by Marc Chagall, the ceiling is adorned with beautiful paintings reminiscent of musical works. The stage curtain imitates beautifully a drapery with tassels and braids.

At the back of the stage are hidden the huge machinery of the theatre, and behind again, another lounge, the Foyer de la Danse, rehearsal space reserved for the ballet. But before the 1930s, some aristocrats and wealthy bourgeois could access that foyer to meet the dancers, and a gallery above with hidden oculus in the luxurious scenery of the ceiling to admire them in all discretion and as much as desired. The decors of this foyer recalls this time when certain wealthy took in their protection a ballerina of humble origins…

• The Salon du Glacier

Completed after the opening of the opera house, the Salon du Glacier has very distinct decors reminiscent of the 1900s. This rotunda with its fresh and bright Bacchanalia painted by Clairin, is located at the end of the bar gallery.

• The Library-Museum

The library-museum of the Palais Garnier is located in the Rotunda of the Emperor.

The museum houses various collections that reflect the history of the Opera for three centuries. Rotating exhibitions are regularly organized.

The library is a department of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and has 80,000 volumes and prints relating to the arts of theater, song and dance.

The Opera House can be visited

Historic monument since 1923, it is one of the most prestigious monuments of Paris and one of the most visited.

Take time to discover it, you will enjoy it during a free visit or a guided tour! The Grand Staircase, the Foyers, the Auditorium, the museum and the temporary exhibition hall can be visited freely every day from 10:00 to 17:00 (last admission 16:30).

The guided visit includes a general tour of the theatre with a presentation detailing its history, its architecture and the different activities that take place within it.

Please note that for artistic or technical reasons, the Auditorium may not always be accessible.

For detailed information about the visits, click here: Opéra Garnier – Visits

Opéra National de Paris:

To follow all the news and the calendar of the Opera National de Paris: click here.

Currently playing at the Opera Garnier:

• Rain : Ballet from Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, until June 7, 2011
• Cosi Fan Tutte : Opéra from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, from June 16 to July 16, 2011
• Les enfants du paradis : Ballet from José Martinez, from June 29 to July 15, 2011.

Palais Garnier :

• At the corner of the Rue Scribe and the Rue Auber – Paris 9ème
• Metro: Opéra, lines n° 3, 7, 8
• RER : Auber station, line A.

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We invite you to discover the Palais Garnier which is an architectural masterpiece of the Second Empire. Today, we will tell you how the project of a new opera theatre was born.

From the Royal Academy of Dance to the Opera Garnier

The Royal Academy of Dance was founded in 1661 under the reign of Louis XIV. The choreographic art was previously reserved for the entertainment of the Court, the Royal Academy finally allowed the dance company to have a stage to perform in public. By dancing during the interludes of Operas, the Ballet gradually gained its independence.

Then in 1669, the Royal Academy of Music was also created.

It was formed by a troupe of singers, the first professional orchestra of France and the Royal Academy of Dance. The King granted it the privilege of the monopoly of “musical theatre” performance.

Also called Opera or Opera Academy, it would promote French opera in Paris and the most important cities.

Project of a new opera theatre on the Grands Boulevards

During two centuries, the Opera changed its location many times, until the construction of a new building was decided by Napoleon III, having been the victim of an assassination attempt outside the theatre Le Peletier, which then served as an opera in Paris.

The will was to build a theatre in a safer neighborhood. Already by the prefect Haussmann remodeled as part of major renovations of the capital, the Grands Boulevards district was entirely appropriate.

A wide open and international competition was organized to build an « Imperial Academy of Music and Dance« . 171 projects were received. The event was important, the officials, the press, the Parisians, all were eager to know the result.

A jury composed of Prince Walewski and a group of experts studied all these projects… On May 30, 1861, to the surprise of the major installed architects and the despair of Viollet-le-Duc, Charles Garnier, a thirty-five years old architect, unknown, was declared winner by consensus.

At once rational in its fitting, pure in its proportions and eclectic in its decor, the project has surprise and was attracting. It combined several styles harmoniously arranged. At the Empress Eugenie, who exclaimed: « …it is not a style, it is neither Greek nor Roman…”, Charles Garnier said “it’s Napoleon III, Madam!”.

Garnier surrounded himself with architect friends to assist him throughout the project. Long and difficult, the construction of the new opera lasted for fifteen years.

In 1867, the facade was presented during the Universal Exhibition. But the interior was not finished. The war in 1870, the fall of the Empire, the Commune and the lack of money led to the work stoppage. The construction restarted after the fire at the opera in the rue Le Peletier.

The Opera Garnier was finally inaugurated in January 1875 by the President MacMahon, in presence of many French and European Officials. Regarding Charles Garnier… although invited, he had to pay his place in a second box…

If you want to know more about the Palais Garnier, come back next week on this blog!

We will present you this monumental building which is one of the greatest operas in the world. You will discover its beautiful auditorium, its Grand Staircase and Foyers, its luxurious décor… Historic monument since 1923, the Palais Garnier is also one of the most visited monuments of Paris.

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