The most important information about Paris. General information about the city. Metropolitan in Paris

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Who among us has not dreamed of going to Paris? Who hasn't dreamed of walking along the Champs Elysees or being at the very top of the Eiffel Tower? Where the whole city is visible, as if in the palm of your hand. One of the most famous cities in the world, Paris captivates guests from the first minute, at a glance. The turbulent past of the French capital captures and carries on its waves, revealing secrets and beckoning with something unknown.

When you arrive in the city, it doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night, the first thing you’ll see is the Eiffel Tower, which, like a guardian, has been proudly towering over the city for many years. Standing on the banks of the famous Seine, the tower is a truly mesmerizing sight. In sunny weather, its observation decks offer stunning and unique views of the entire city. If the weather is cloudy, then, having climbed to the top, you seem to find yourself in another, “transcendental” world. At night, the tower seems to be shrouded in radiance from millions of glowing bulbs.

Population of the city of Paris.

What time zone is Paris located in?

Paris telephone code

Official website of the city of Paris.

Flag of the city of Paris.

Coat of arms of the city of Paris.

Metropolitan in the city of Paris.

The passenger flow of the Paris metro (Paris metro congestion) is 1,527.00 million people per year.

The number of metro lines in the city of Paris is 16 lines. The total number of metro stations in Paris is 303. The length of metro lines or the length of metro tracks is: 219.90 km.

Natural conditions

The French capital occupies a geographically central position in the Paris Basin, crossed from southeast to northwest by the Seine River - its main tributaries, the Marne and Oise, and numerous large bends. In the center of Paris is the Ile de la Cité, formed by a forked river bed. Low outlier hills (up to 100-150 m) with steep slopes surround the city center. The most famous is the Montmartre hill located on the right bank of Paris, rising up to 1000 m above sea level. The variety of relief enlivens the landscape and makes the city picturesque. Around Paris are the Bois de Boulogne in the west and the Bois de Vincennes in the southeast. The Paris region is also surrounded by the forested areas of Saint-Germain, Rambouillet, Meudon, Separd, Notre-Dame and Montmorency, which have historically been favorite holiday destinations for Parisians. The fauna of Parisian forests is typical both for the whole of France and for Western Europe as a whole. The capital's climate is soft, temperate and humid. In winter, the temperature drops below 0° C, its average value in January is -3.4° C, and in July - about +20° C. There are no more than 50 cold days a year. The average annual precipitation is 645 mm, which falls mainly in the form of rain. It snows extremely rarely in Paris.

Population, language, religion

More than 2 million people live within the borders of Paris, which were established in the mid-19th century, and about 10 million people live in Greater Paris. The Ile-de-France department is the most densely populated area. Despite the fact that the territory of Paris makes up only 2% of the entire territory of France, 17% of the country's population is concentrated in it.

Paris has attracted foreigners throughout its existence. Until the middle of the 20th century. Millionaires, artists, writers and political emigrants moved to the capital of France for permanent residence. From 1945 to 1970, the population of Paris grew rapidly, mainly due to the migration of residents from other parts of the country and the high birth rate in the families of young immigrants. In the 1970s, a balance emerged between the influx of young people and the outflow of middle-aged people, which is typical for almost all capitals of Western Europe.

By the early 1980s, there was a decline in the population of the city, in which mostly elderly people and foreigners remained to live. Other areas of Greater Paris have also experienced outmigration or declining population growth, and a predominance of unskilled labor among immigrants. During this period, the number of immigrants from Algeria, Spain and former French colonies in West Africa amounted to 25% of the population of Paris and 14% of the agglomeration. Due to the influx of immigrants, housing problems have worsened in some areas of Greater Paris and slums have begun to appear inhabited by the poor.

Currently, native French people make up only 60% of the population of Greater Paris, and its expansion has led to the increased development of so-called pendulum migrations. About 1.5 million people cross departmental borders twice a day, about 900 thousand of whom go to Paris to work or study, and the rest are Parisians working in the suburbs.

In terms of religion, the population of Paris is divided into Catholics (about 90%), Muslims (6%), Protestants (2%), Jews (1%), Orthodox Christians (0.5%), etc.

The Parisians themselves speak French, which is the state language, but on the streets of the capital you can hear a wide variety of speech.

History of development

The first mention of Paris is found in the Notes on the Gallic War by Gaius Julius Caesar, where he reports a settlement on an island on the Seine River, inhabited by the Gallic tribe of Parisians. In 52 BC. e. The Romans captured the city, giving it the name Lutetia and defining the first stage of prosperity, due to its convenient geographical position on a navigable river, the ability to build roads on flat plains, as well as the fertility of the soil.

In the II century. n. e. Lutetia outgrew the island, spreading to the left bank of the Seine. The Baths of Cluny and the Arena of Lutetia, which have become the oldest architectural monuments, have been preserved from the times of Roman rule. With the departure of the Romans, the city received the new name Parisia, and from the 3rd to the 5th centuries. was constantly subject to raids by barbarian tribes of the Germans and Normans, which is why the residents had to leave the destroyed settlement on the left bank and confine themselves to the island territory. At the end of the 5th century. Genevieve, who was later canonized, managed to organize the defense of the city from the Huns. In memory of her, a hill on the left bank was named Saint-Genevieve.

The Franks captured the city in 497, and their king Clovis moved his capital there in 508, giving it its final name Paris. Childebert, who succeeded Clovis in 511, founded the first suburb of Paris, Saint-Germain, which received its name from the fact that it was formed around an abbey, which was built on the advice of the Bishop of Saint-Germain, canonized after his death in 576 The ruins of this abbey and Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest Parisian church, are now located in the central part of the capital.

For a long time, Paris did not stand out among other cities in France, remaining the capital of a small county ruled by the Carolingians. But since 987, when the Count of Paris Hugo Capet became the king of all France, Paris was declared the capital of the state and its rapid development began.

By the 11th century. Paris expanded on both banks of the Seine, occupying territories that were inhabited during the Roman era. The left bank and the Saint-Germain hill were occupied by educational institutions, and a shopping area grew on the right bank. The capital of France by the 12th century. acquired the basis of its spatial structure, which has survived to this day: authorities were located on the island; cultural and educational institutions - on the left bank; business and shopping districts - on the right.

At the end of the 11th - beginning of the 12th century. the life of the capital underwent many changes associated with the strengthening and expansion of the monarchy. During the reign of Philip Augustus (1180-1223), abbeys were created, churches, hospitals, schools and warehouses were built. The central streets were also paved, the city was surrounded by a fortified rampart, outside of which the powerful Louvre fortress was erected, protecting the city from possible attacks from the west. The Left Bank educational institutions, which were in conflict with the archbishop, were united into a university, which first received the possibility of self-government, then in 1200 - royal privileges, and in 1215 - a carta from Pope Innocent III.

By the end of the 13th century. The University of Paris became one of the main centers of education in Europe, with about 20 thousand students living in a campus called the Latin Quarter.

The Right Bank was governed by a mayor who was elected by the Community of Merchants. The City Hall was subsequently erected on the site of the mayor's office.

In the XII-XIII centuries. Paris acquired new suburbs and architectural structures, which include Notre-Dame de Paris - a majestic cathedral in the style of “flaming Gothic”, built on the site of a pagan temple, and a chapel for storing holy relics, erected next to the castle of Saint-Chapelle by the decision of the returnee from the Crusades of Louis IX.

Mid-14th century in Paris was marked by a revolt against the weakened royal power. In 1356, Etienne Marcel, an elder of the Parisian merchants, led a rebellion that began after the defeat of the French army in the battle with the British at Poitiers, when King John II was captured. A city government was established in the Dauphin's mansion, which ended in 1357, after the assassination of Marcel and the Dauphin's restoration of his power over Paris. After becoming King Charles V, the Dauphin moved the royal residence to the Louvre, which was rebuilt and expanded. Under this king, the territory of Paris continued to grow and new fortifications were built, in particular the Bastille fortress.

First half of the 15th century was not favorable for the capital of France, since constant wars and epidemics claimed too many lives and interfered with the development of the city. In 1419, Paris was captured by British troops, who enjoyed the support of large French landowners. But the rule of the British was short-lived: Henry VI, enthroned in Notre Dame in 1431, was overthrown in 1436, and Paris again became the residence of the French kings.

The Renaissance began for Paris during the reign of Francis I (1515-1547), when the Louvre was reconstructed from a defensive fortress into a luxurious palace. Construction in the capital was carried out according to complex and sophisticated projects. But religious wars throughout the 16th century. disrupted the calm flow of life in Paris. Due to the fact that the French capital was a raft of Catholicism, there were massive persecutions of Protestants, the worst of which was St. Bartholomew's Night (August 23, 1572), when thousands of Huguenots were killed. Until 1588, the struggle between Catholics and Huguenots continued, the end of which was put by the Catholic League led by the Duke of Guise, which restored power in Paris and forced King Henry III to flee. The subsequent siege of the capital by the king's troops claimed the lives of 13 thousand inhabitants. The war ended in 1594 with the coronation of Henry IV, who established the Bourbon dynasty, and in 1598 the Edict of Nantes ended religious strife.

The Bourbon dynasty contributed to the prosperity of Paris and the entire country. For two hundred years, the French capital was one of the largest cities in Europe and the main cultural center. The city developed, was decorated with new buildings and monuments, and its prosperity grew. The banks of the Seine were connected by stone bridges. Each king considered it his duty to expand the Louvre, connecting it with other palaces, as happened with the Tuileries Palace, built for Catherine de Medici. On the left bank of the Seine palaces were built for Marie de Medici (Luxembourg) and for Anne of Austria (Val de Grae). The Left Bank was built up with monasteries and abbeys, and under Cardinal Mazarin, a building was built that now houses the French Academy.

Louis XI (1643-1715) moved his residence to Versailles, as he did not trust the Parisians who supported the Fronde (1648-1653). But Paris remained the capital of France and began to play a leading role in the state's economy. At this time, the slums in the vicinity of the Louvre were eliminated, and in their place the Tuileries Garden and the Champs Elysees were laid out.

In the 17th century two small islands on the Seine River were united into one, called Saint-Louis and built up with houses of the nobility. By the end of the 18th century. Paris was surrounded by a new rampart, and its territory almost doubled, but the population practically did not increase. The new rampart was needed not so much to protect the city as to control the import and export of goods.

The main events of the Great French Revolution took place in Paris: the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789, popular uprisings on August 10, 1792 and May 31 - June 2, 1793. During the revolution, the city received the rights of municipal self-government, which it lost during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte ( 1799-1814). The capital of France was occupied by troops of the anti-French coalition in March 1814 and July 1815

By the beginning of the 19th century, the process of political centralization was completed, the influence of which had a positive impact on the development of industry in Paris and population growth: from 1801 to 1817, the number of residents of the capital grew from 547 thousand to 714 thousand people. The growth of the suburbs of Paris led to the demolition of the old ramparts, replacing them with a ring of boulevards, and the new ones, erected in 1840-1844, surrounded a much larger area. Also in 1800, a French bank was opened, and in 1837 the first Paris-Saint-Germain railway was built. During these same years, work was carried out to improve the city: the streets were paved and illuminated, the sewage system was improved, and embankments were built. The Pantheon, the Arc de Triomphe and the Church of the Madeleine, begun under Napoleon I, were completed.

As capitalist relations developed, the working class and bourgeoisie formed. Parisian workers and artisans took an active part in the July Revolution of 1830, as well as in the republican uprisings in June 1832, April 1834 and May 1839. In 1846, a communist correspondent committee was created in Paris, and in 1847 - community of the Union of Communists. Freedom-loving residents of the French capital raised the June Uprising of 1848, which resulted in a revolution.

The Republic fell on December 1, 1851, when a Bonapartist coup took place in Paris. Napoleon III, who was proclaimed emperor in 1852, assigned Baron Georges Haussmann, prefect of the Seine department, the task of reconstructing Paris. The capital was completely transformed by 1870, becoming one of the most beautiful cities in Europe with a population of 2 million people. During this period, all slums were cleared, avenues were expanded, sewerage and water supply systems were improved, and beautiful buildings were built, among which are the Grand Opera and the Les Halles market. The reconstruction of the city was carried out not only for the purpose of improvement, but also provided for the possibility of unhindered movement of troops through the streets, as well as the difficulty of building barricades.

A new uprising of the Parisian people occurred on September 4, 1870, after the surrender of Napoleon III, which ended the Franco-Prussian War. The Second Empire ceased to exist and a provisional government was established. The capital was under siege by German troops for four months, surrendering on January 28, 1871 and being occupied. In the spring, Parisians opposed the provisional government in Versailles and organized the Paris Commune, which ruled the city from March 18 to May 19, 1871. On May 21, government troops led by provisional president Adolphe Thiers attempted to regain power over Paris, but were forced to retreat in front of angry crowds of people. and return to Versailles, where the government of the republic remained until 1879. The city suffered terrible damage: the townspeople destroyed more than 200 buildings, the Town Hall, the Tuileries Palace, and also overturned the Vendôme Column.

At the beginning of the 20th century. Paris became the financial and industrial center of the country, as well as the most important transport hub, where the main railways and the main inland waterways of Northern France converged. In 1900, the first metro line was opened in the city. By 1920, the capital's population reached a record number of 3 million people.

Bombing and long-range artillery fire during World War I caused considerable damage to Paris, but the city was never captured by German troops. In 1918, after the end of the war, a peace conference was held in the French capital. Between the First and Second World Wars, Paris continued to expand its territory, but its population decreased.

In the mid-1930s, Parisians showed themselves to be ardent opponents of fascism, foiling an attempted fascist putsch on February 6, 1934. The popular demonstration that took place on July 14, 1935 contributed to the creation of the Popular Front in France. During the Second World War, Paris was an open city, and from June 14, 1940, it was occupied by the troops of Nazi Germany. The capital of France was one of the centers of the European Resistance movement. Her release occurred during the Paris Uprising of 1944.

In the post-war period, Paris became one of the main centers of the movement for peace and democracy. In 1949, the 1st World Peace Congress was held there. 1950s and 1960s marked by mass demonstrations in defense of the republic and general strikes, and the general strike of 1968, which was started by the Parisians, grew into the largest socio-political crisis in post-war France.

Second half of the 20th century became for Paris a time of strengthening its position as one of the centers of world culture. In 1989, the futuristic La Défense complex was completed and the Louvre opened after a major renovation by architect Pei. The following year, the grand opening of the Opera Bastille theater took place.

Currently, Paris is also the center of international diplomacy and public life, where various international congresses, conferences, and summits are held.

Cultural significance

Paris is the most beautiful city in Europe, the symbol of which is the Eiffel Tower. Not far from it is the Arc de Triomphe, built according to the design of J.-F. Chalgrena. A wide avenue called Vlysee Fields leads to the Place de la Concorde from Place Charles de Gaulle. On this avenue there are palaces built for the World Exhibition of 1900: the Small Palace houses a collection of works by sculptors and painters, and the Bolshoi Palace hosts exhibitions and theatrical performances. North of the Champs-Elysées is the Elysee Palace, built in 1718 and today the residence of French presidents.

In the eastern part of the Ile de la Cité stands Notre Dame (Notre Dame Cathedral), which took more than 100 years to build from 1163. In the west of the island there is Dauphine Square, built at the end of the 15th century. On the new bridge, which is the oldest bridge in Paris, there is an equestrian statue of Henry IV. Nearby there is a complex of buildings from the 18th century called the Palace of Justice. Among the surviving medieval buildings, the beautiful Gothic Sainte-Chapelle church with colorful stained glass windows stands out.

The Pont Alexandre III, a gift to Paris from Russia, is one of the most beautiful bridges connecting the banks of the Seine.

On the Place de la Concorde, which occupies 84 thousand m2 and is the largest in the capital, there is a guillotine where Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Danton and Robespierre were executed. The column from Luxor, presented in 1831 to King Louis-Philippe by the Egyptian Pasha, is a granite monolith 23 m high, covered with hieroglyphs, and is also located on the Place de la Concorde. This column is surrounded by eight statues that symbolize the main cities of France.

The Musée d'Orsay, with works of art stored there dating back to the late 19th - early 20th centuries, is located in the former building of the Paris train station. Inside the Cathedral of the Invalides, which is part of the architectural complex of the Invalides House (now a military museum), there is a hearse and a sarcophagus that served to transport the remains of Napoleon, first to the island of St. Helena, and then to France. The famous Parisian Pantheon, built in honor of Saint Genevieve, the patroness of Paris, later became the Temple of Glory, where the tombs of great people are located: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Emile Zola, Voltaire, the spouses. Curie.

The Louvre, converted into a museum in 1793, today has more than 400 thousand exhibits and enjoys worldwide fame. In the Tuileries Garden there are two more museums of modern art - the Museum of Impressionism (Gare d'Orsay) and the Orangerie Museum, which exhibit many famous works by E. Manet, E. Degas, A. Toulouse-Lautrec, O. Renoir, C. Monet, V. Van Gogh.

Opposite the Louvre, behind the Rue de Rivoli, stands the Palais Royal, built in the 17th century. for Cardinal Richelieu. To the east of the Louvre, in the center of the square where executions took place for five centuries, is the City Hall (Hotel de Ville), built in the French Renaissance style. The Georges Pompidou Center for Art and Culture (Beaubourg Center) is located north of the Town Hall. Further east, on the Place des Vosges, is the Victor Hugo Museum.

The National Museum of Modern Art exhibits paintings and sculptures by contemporary masters. The Auguste Rodin Museum, the National Museum of Oriental Cultures (Guimet Museum), the Cluny Museum, the Carnavalet Museum, the Museum of Ethnography and Anthropology, the Picasso Museum - this is not a complete list of museums in Paris.

On the site of the destroyed Bastille fortress-prison there is a square of the same name, on which the Opera Bastille opera house was built in 1990.

The main attraction of the Place de l'Opera is the Opéra Garnier, or Grand Opera, built in 1875 by the architect Charles Garnier. The facade of the building is decorated with many sculptures, and its green and gilded dome is visible from afar.

The bohemian district of Montmartre is known as the home of poets, artists and musicians. Picasso, Apollinaire, Modigliani lived in Montmartre. Place Pigalle is home to the world famous cabaret Moulin Rouge.

The University of Paris is not only the oldest, but also the country's main educational center, which received its title in the late 70s of the 20th century. possibility of autonomous control. To date, the university is divided into 13 separate universities. The Sorbonne was named "University Paris 1". Founded in 1530 as a school of classical languages, the Collège de France is located opposite the Sorbonne. In addition to the university, there are many other prestigious educational institutions in the capital: the Polytechnic Institute, the Mining Institute, the National Institute of Management, the Conservatory, the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, as well as the Institute of France, consisting of five academies (or scientific societies), the main of which is the French academy founded in 1635

Parisian libraries and archives are repositories of a large number of rare books and rare manuscripts. Among them, the most famous are the National Library Foundation, the National Archives of France, the Mazar-ni Library, the Thiers Library and the main university libraries.

The largest Parisian theaters- "Grand Opera", "Comédie Française", National People's Theater and French Theater, subsidized by the state. In addition to them, there are more than 60 theaters in the capital.

Tourist information

Paris, the world's most elegant capital, is so different from the rest of France that it is sometimes called the city-state or the city of all times, where there is everything for everyone. Connoisseurs of architecture and painting, music lovers, theatergoers, gourmets, lovers of all kinds of entertainment and business people will be able to find something to suit their taste here.

You can get to know Paris and Parisians by walking along the streets of the city. Despite the fact that the distances can be significant, Paris is still a fairly compact city in which it is not difficult to navigate by following the Seine, which divides the capital into two parts. And with the help of the metro, which operates from 5 hours 30 minutes. morning to one in the morning, you can get to any place in the city.

In Paris, as in all cities of the European Union, the common European currency, the euro, is in circulation. Currency exchange offices are open seven days a week until late in the evening.

The shops of the French capital can easily be counted among the sights of Paris. The most famous and expensive of them are located in the Latin Quarter and on the streets of Saint-Germain, Du Faburge, Avenue Montand and on the Champs-Elysees. These stores supply clothes and accessories from famous fashion houses. The lowest prices are in the TATI department store chain, which was opened by an emigrant from Russia Tatishchev. However, in an expensive hotel it is considered indecent to show up with a package from this department store.

Parisian museums are much cheaper to visit on Sundays.

When visiting any Parisian restaurant, even the most modest one, you should not wash down the cheese, traditionally served for dessert after dinner, with juice or cola; you must order red wine. Parisian restaurants are sophisticated and varied, many of them have their own legends. For example, the Le Procope café, founded in 1686, is famous for the fact that Napoleon, before he was Bonaparte, pawned his hat there. And about the restaurant “Mother Katerina” they say that on March 30, 1814, Russian Cossacks demanded that alcohol be served “quickly, quickly”, after which small Parisian taverns began to be called “bistros”.

The history of Paris, like the history of all of France, is extremely interesting and full of dramatic stories and great victories. Over its more than four-century history, the city was repeatedly invaded by various conquerors, but only became stronger and more majestic, turning into one of the most significant centers of European civilization.

The beginning of the story

Ancient Paris dates back to the 3rd century. BC, when in Gaul, on the site of the modern one, the Celtic tribe of the Parisians founded a city called Lutetia (from the Latin “swampy area”). Situated at the crossroads of important trade routes from the British Isles to the Mediterranean, Lutetia developed rapidly, becoming a desirable prize for the growing Roman Empire. In 52 BC. After grueling battles, the attacking army of Julius Caesar captured the city, destroyed and burned by the inhabitants. The first mention of the city dates back to this time in the work of Julius Caesar “Notes on the Gallic War”. The official date of the founding of Paris is July 8, 52 BC. and in 1952 it celebrated its 2000th anniversary.

The Romans quickly restored the conquered but destroyed Lutetia, settling the Cité and the left bank of the Seine. The construction of temples, villas, baths, bridges and an aqueduct began, and paving stone roads were laid. The ruins of public baths and the gladiator arena can still be seen today. Beginning of the 4th century was marked for the city by the widespread spread of Christianity. Lutetia, called Parisium (the city of the Parisians), finally changed its name and began to be called Paris.

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Invasions of the Franks and Normans

In 508, Gaul was conquered by the Frankish king Clovis, making Paris the capital of the Merovingian kingdom. In the middle of the 6th century. The first Christian church in Paris is being built, on the site of which Notre Dame Cathedral was erected 100 years later.

The Merovingian dynasty was replaced by the Carolingians, under whom the center of the empire shifted to the east, and Paris gradually became empty and destroyed. During this period, there were repeated Viking attacks on Paris, and each time the inhabitants had to seek protection on the island where fortress walls were built. The Vikings (Normans) spread fear and destruction everywhere, destroying cities and monasteries. And in 845, the city’s defensive structures did not withstand the siege by the Vikings, and on Easter Day the Normans captured Paris.