Paris France Travel Just Outside of Town
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Giverny
Giverny is a quaint, French village, about 45 miles northeast from Paris, at the eastern edge of Normandy. It is best known for its most famous resident, Impressionist painter, Claude Monet, who lived there for 43 years, from 1883 until his death in 1926. Monet’s simple home and elaborate gardens are open to the public and offer visitors a glimpse at French life in the late 19th century. The gardens are glorious, with roses, wisteria, and, of course, the water garden with water lilies. The house and gardens were severely damaged during World War II and allowed to fall into disrepair. Today, they have been carefully restored to their original glory and welcome visitors between April and November.
The village of Giverny’s quiet beauty also attracted other painters in the late 19th century, particularly, American painters. John Singer Sargent and Theodore Wendel are just two of the dozens of artists that flocked to the village in the period before World War I. Examples of the work they created there are on display at the Musee d’Art American in Giverny.
Paris France Travel: Palace of Versailles
No discussion of Paris France travel attractions would be complete without mentioning Versailles. Begun as a small hunting lodge in 1631 by Louis XIII, Versailles was expanded to became the royal seat for over one hundred years, between 1682 and 1789. The elaborate and massive palace was home to over 20,000 royal family members and nobles during the height of Louis XIV’s reign. Today, most of the palace has been restored and is open to visitors. Particularly noteworthy is the 236-foot long Galerie des Glace (Hall of Mirrors), site of Louis XVI’s wedding to Marie Antoinette and the 1919 signing of the Treaty of Versailles, among other things. Also worth the visit are the ornate state apartments, the formal gardens, and the 250-acre park, which surrounds the palace. Metro trains from Paris’ Montparnasse station run the 13-mile trip to Versailles regularly throughout the day.
Disneyland Resort Paris
Mickey Mouse meets Monsieur, just 32 miles east of Paris. Disneyland Resort Paris, opened in 1992, has all of the Disney favorites, such as Main Street USA – a jazz age street here rather than a 1900s thoroughfare -- and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle with a couple of quintessentially French touches, such as fresh croissants and Art Nouveau building facades added. Adjacent to the Disneyland Paris is the new Walt Disney Studios Park, a working film studio, with an animation workshop as well as adventure rides, such as the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster with music by Aerosmith. Disneyland Paris is easily reached by a 45-minute commuter RER train from Paris’ Chatelet Les Halles metro station. The Disney station is located right in front of the main gates to the Disneyland Resort Paris. If you want to spend a couple of days at the parks, there are several typical Disney theme hotels in all price ranges.
Paris France Travel: The Loire Valley
Malmaison
Napoleon’s wife, the Empress Josephine’s lovely home, Malmaison, is an uncrowded and worthwhile Paris France travel attraction. The 17th century mansion, purchased by the Empress as a residence for her and Napoleon upon their marriage, has been carefully restored and most of the furnishings are those used by Josephine and the Emperor themselves. After her divorce, Josephine retained the house and stayed at home to tend her rose garden, a garden that is still magnificent. Just 10 miles west of Paris, the estate is easily reached by RER train from the center of Paris.
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