France Field Trip
The Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen. There are 2 stages that you can walk up to, and to get to the very top, you need the cable car. At 300 meters (320.75m including antenna), and 7000 tons, it was the world's tallest building until 1930.

Notre Dame
A Gothic masterpiece situated in the heart of Paris. At the end of the ceremony, there is a procession through the narrow surrounding streets. Constructed in three stages, the cathedral was completed in 1250.This period witnessed Paris coming into its own force as a center of political power and commerce. No expense was spared in creating a church that would reflect the capital's newly won prestige. A nice way to arrive is by river boat along The Seine. When you disembark, take a few moments to marvel at the artists along the river , who for a few Francs will sketch your portrait.

Arc de Triomphe
From the Place de la Concorde to the top of the Champs-Elysees, you will discover the Place de l'Etoile which is known today as the Place Charles de Gaulle. And, here lies the Arc de Triomphe. The Triumphal Arch dates back to 1806, when Napoléon commissioned Chalgrin to build an arch to the glory of the French Army. Construction on the Arch began in 1806, restarted in 1825, and was not finished until 1836. The Arc de Triomphe is built on the model of ancient Triumphal Arches, but it stands alone because of its monumental size: 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide (164 by 148 feet). The four magnificent high reliefs are crowned by Rude's masterpiece, "The Departure of the Volunteers in 1792".

Pompidou Centre
An affront to Paris! An ugly monstrosity stuck among the 18th century streets that surround it. The poor Parisians who have to wake up to this building every morning. For others, a fascinating museum of modern art. A place to gather outside and watch the street performers at work - much like London's Covent Garden. The Centre National D'Art et De Culture Georges Pompidou is dedicated to the diffusion of today's creation, in all its forms. Conveniently located in the Buaubourg district. in the heart of the capital, it is housed in a building designed by Piano and Rogers. emblematic of 20th century architecture. The Centre Pompidou boasts one of the largest museums in the world, a large public library, theatres, cinemas and a musical rsearch institute all in the same complex. Its multi-disciplinary vocation is clearly reflected in the prestigious exhibits and events it houses.

National Museum of Modern Art and exhibition Adalberto Libera allowing access to the Brancusi Workshop and the Children's Gallery
Exhibits Hitchcock et l'art, Raymond Hains
Exhibit Les années Pop

Sacre Coeur Paris
The Sacre-Coeur Catholic was built at the end of the 19th century at the top of Montmartre hill in Paris. Its famous white architecture dominates the city, and offers a wonderful view. The nearby streets of Montmarte are full of artists and restaurants. Sit on the steps leading down to Paris, and the cable car and listen to the many street musicians. The interior of the church contains one of the worlds largest mosaics, and depicts Christ with outstretched arms. The nearby bell tower contains the ``Savoyarde''. Cast in Annecy in 1895, it is one of the worlds heaviest at 19 tons.

The Montmartre hill
Montmartre is the highest hill of Paris. Very rural until recently, it still keeps a few windmills and a very subtle and unique atmosphere in spite of the affluence of tourists from all over the world. The many painters of Place du Tertre are always ready to sketch out your face. They remind us of the many pennyless artists who lived there a Bohemian life in the early 20th century (Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso among others). Walking at random across the hill, you will discover gardens, old houses, steep streets and staircases with magnificent views on Paris. Pay attention. Montmartre can be very crowded during the weekends. Go there in the morning and on weekdays.

Museums and Galleries

Chateaâu de Versailles
The Chateau de Versailles is a large and elaborately decorated palace near Paris, France, built for Louis XIV in the mid-17th century. Versailles was the political and administrative capital of the kingdom for 100 years starting from 6 May 1682. It is now a museum. The Treaty of Versailles was signed there in 1919, ending World War I. Before the Revolution the royal estate of Versailles covered more than 8.000 hectares. Surrounded by a 43-km long wall with twenty-two gates, it consists of three distinct areas:

• the gardens, comprising ornamental flowerbeds, lawns and wooded groves,
• the Small Park including the Swiss Pool, the Grand Canal, the Menagerie and Trianon estate
• the Great Park, reserved for hunting, which took in many villages.

Split up at the Revolution with a large part of it confiscated, today the domain is reduced to 815 hectares corresponding to the gardens and a portion of the former Small Park. The gardens are adorned with over three hundred statues and terms, busts and vases, in marble, bronze or lead, making them the most important outdoor Museum of sculptures in the world. It contains about twenty original antiques and some thirty copies from the antique executed by pupils of the French Academy in Rome. All the rest are original works due to the greatest sculptors of their day. Some of them, damaged by pollution or vandalized, have been removed for safety and replaced by plaster casts.

The Louvre
The Louvre is the largest and almost undoubtedly the most famous museum in the world. The building itself is 800 years old, and the treasures within it represent centuries of priceless works of art. You will need more than a day to take in this huge masterpiece. The very rooms that house paintings and sculpture are amazing works of art in and of themselves, with ornate ceilings and rich decoration. The highlight is a visit to see the Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci on the first floor of the Denon wing. Divided into 7 departments, the Louvre collections incorporate works dating from the birth of the great antique civilizations right up to the first half of the XIXth century, thereby confirming its encyclopedic vocation.

Orsay Museum
The Orsay museum, an old train station, bridges the gap between the Louvre museum collections and those at the museum of modern art at Pompidou Centre. The Orsay museum is not only a place of exhibition for works of art. It is also a place for entertainment, contemplation and learning.

• A program of concerts from the repertoire of 1848-1914 is continuously played in the auditorium and the restaurant.
• The auditorium is also used for various film projections, notably an annual festival devoted to early cinema.
• Regular conferences and debates are held on subjects relating to temporary exhibitions. Cultural history courses are also available to museum members.
• A number of educational activities have been arranged for ages 5-15 in particular. These take place in the rooms set aside for use by young people.
• Various documentary devices are available for consultation in the Passage des Dates (dates corridor) and the Salle de Consultation (documentation room).

This magnificent museum, located in the old Orsay railway station built in 1900, is dedicated to all forms of artistic expression: painting, sculpture and photography of the 1848-1914 period. The era of the impressionist painters is particularly well represented with the masterpieces of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas... Admire the delicate brush strokes of Renoir, the serious self-portrait of Van Gogh, the radiance of a Monet's landscape amongst other artistic marvels.

Children's Amusement

Euro Disney Land
Pure fun for the whole family. From awesome rides to wonderful shows, to the very funny "Honey I shrunk the kids", and the wonderful parades, Disneyland is an opportunity to smile!

Asterix Theme Park
Located Near Paris, and reasonably close to the Disneyland Resort, is one of the best French theme parks. Based around the characters of popular French cartoon Asterix, this park offers a selection of rides for all ages including a very rare 7-inversion Vekoma Corkscrew Rollercoaster, The Goudurix.

Playmobil
The best way to get to know PLAYMOBIL is to play with it! And the easiest way to do that is at the PLAYMOBIL FunPark. Nearly 2,000 square feet of pure fun, where children' s dreams - knights, pirates, farms, police/fire rescues, dollhouses, trains, and more - can be realized. At Playmobil Funpark, the children are actually playing among the building blocks and of Playmobil's creations.

France Miniature
An accurate reconstitution of more than 150 French monuments and a natural background make France Miniature a remarkable site. France Miniature showcases France as both an ideal and as something that is very real, the France everyone loves for its countryside, its historical monuments and its major tourist destinations. The really ingenious idea was to reduce the scene to a size whereby you could see it all in a day.