Top 5 fun facts about Paris


 

Top 5 fun facts about Paris

Everyone knows Paris! The City of Lights is the most visited city in the world. But it is also a very complicated city! History, society, and the people have deeply changed Paris through time. And even if you think you know everything about the City of Love, here is a list of our top 5 fun facts about Paris!

1. Jim Hayes, Anyone’s Guest in Paris

A man in Paris, called Jim Haynes, invites complete strangers into his house each Sunday evening to have dinner. He has been doing this for more than thirty years, and often organizes exhibitions at his art gallery. You can get in touch with him on his website. Send Jim a message to make a reservation, and tell him the names of all who wish to attend, and wait until Sunday afternoon to get an answer. Then, get to his house in the fourteenth arrondissement and enjoy the party!

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2. Paris during the occupation of France

La Grande Mosque

In 1940, France was occupied by the Nazi army. But a lot of French and Parisians rose up against the occupying forces. There were several kinds of “resistance”. For example, in 1941, French rebels cut the elevator cables of the Eiffel Tower to keep Hitler from visiting it during his visit to Paris. When he faced the prospect of climbing more than 1500 stairs, he decided not to go up the tower. Also, it is known in France that the Great Mosque of Paris (you can see it on the picture above) sheltered Jews during these times, and supplied them with Muslim identity.

>> Read more about Paris during World War II

>> Everything you need to know about the Eiffel Tower

3. The largest French speaking city in the world is not Paris

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With only 2.8 million inhabitants, it is usually said that Paris is not the largest French-speaking city in the world, but that it is Montreal, Quebec, Canada. However, this is wrong! The largest French-speaking city in the world is Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in Africa, with a population of more than 10 million French-speaking people.

4. There is a Statue of Liberty in Paris

liberty-paris

The fact that there is a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Paris is not a secret. Not more than the fact that the one in New York is a present from France to the United States. But what is more interesting is that Paris’ statue is facing New York’s, symbolizing the French-American friendship!

5. The secret repairers group

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There is a group in Paris called “Les UX”, that stands for “Urban eXperiment“. They spend most of their time breaking into historical sites and monuments to secretly repair them, but also building (literally) underground cinemas, and staging clandestine artistic events. This organization works to improve hidden corners of Paris! For example, they restored the Pantheon clock and they also created a complete bar and restaurant underneath the Trocadéro. The group’s membership is kept secret!

You now know our top 5 fun facts about Paris! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article! Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need further information about anything. These are just a few of the fun facts you will get to find out about while in Paris! Paris is full of surprises. It is really a fun and inspiring city to discover! See you soon in Paris!

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


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Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
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Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.

Also check this
Discover the Best Tours in Paris with Local Guides. Check Paris Walking Tours
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