World Heritage #0600 – Paris

Last modified 17.12.2022 | Published 04.08.1991France, North and Central Europe, World Heritage Sites

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There is an enormous amount of sights in Paris, on the banks of the Seine. The central parts of the French capital is a world heritage.

The UNESCO World Heritage List includes more than a thousand properties with outstanding universal value. They are all part of the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

 

Official facts

  • Full name of site: Paris, Banks of the Seine
  • Country: France
  • Date of Inscription: 1991
  • Category: Cultural site

UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre’s short description of site no. 600:

“From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from the River Seine. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces while Haussmann’s wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.”

 

My visit

Paris has it all and you really have to do a lot of walking. Among other things I wrote this about my 1991 visit:

“Notre Dame de Paris, the world’s most famous “Our Lady” church, was large. Despite this it disappointed me. The exterior was not as powerful as other churches I have seen. The interior, with an ongoing service, was not as rich as many other churches. The best was after all the spiral staircase in stone up to the towers. They offered a splendid view of the city. After waiting in another line we were let in to see the bell. It is really big. Including all the weight was 15 tons. But the fool who showed us around was not particularly successful. Unfortunately we did not see the bell man in Notre Dame, he with the hunchback!”

Read more about my visits in 1991 and 2003

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