Pere Lachaise - Paris France

Alfred Chopin's Grave

When I went to Paris one of the things that I was most excited to see while there was Pere-Lachaise Cemetery. Most people might not really think of a cemetery as a must see when visiting a new place. But this cemetery is really a must see. Not only does the cemetery itself have a lot of history but you can see graves from famous people. The cemetery itself houses over 300,000 graves, making it the largest cemetery in Paris, and one of the most visited cemeteries worldwide. When you visit this cemetery there are a few things that you need to remember to help make your trip a lot easier.

The first thing that I would tell someone is that you can get free guide maps. When I went we didn't know that you could get these maps so we were wandering around the cemetery and losing our way everytime we took a step. It's still a good idea to make sure that you have an idea of the layout of the cemetery before you go, you can find maps online. Its also not a bad idea to make sure that you know what graves you would like to see before arriving. This will help to make your trip more enjoyable and you can map out where the graves that you want to see are, and then take a stroll and see who else you can find amid the gravestones. If you find that you simply don't want to bother finding your way around you can get guided tours of the cemetery, but you must call in advance and book them.

Oscar Wilde's Grave

While Pere-Lachaise is the final resting place for many famous people many of the headstones and gravesites that are throughout the cemetery are interesting and in a way beautiful to see. So while walking along the paths make sure that you take a look along the way as you can see some very interesting things. If you are looking to make sure that you see some of the famous graves then make sure that you take note of certain ones. Jim Morrison, Chopin, Victor Hugo, and Oscar Wilde are just a few that you will want to make sure that you see. While you are at Oscar Wilde's grave you will notice that there is a wall that seperates the grave from visitors, this is because admirers were leaving their lipstick marks on the grave, in a tribute to the author, by leaving an "admirer's kiss", however since my visit the grave has been cleaned and a glass wall placed in front of the grave.

Victor Noir's Grave

If you are interested in a little bit of a strange but fun tradition then you will want to visit Victor Noir's grave. Victor Noir was a French journalist who was shot to death in a duel at the age of 22. The grave portrays him laying flat on his back, (life size), clothed with a hate having fallen to his feet, and a bulge in his pants, exactly the way that he fell to ground after he was shot. Victor Noir was known to be womanizer and a sex symbol. Today, people visit the grave and touch the crotch of the statue, its said to help with infertility and other sexual ailments and some even believe if will help them find a husband.

Jim Morrison's Grave

The cemetery is open

Mid-March through early November: 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Mon.-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Saturday; 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sunday and bank holidays.

Mid-November through early March: 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mon.-Friday; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday; 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sunday and bank holidays.

Musee Rodin - Paris France

When I went Paris I visited a lot of the museums that were there, I had ones that I found to be boring and others that I found to be better than I expected. When I first visited the Musee Rodin I didn't know much about the famous sculpture but after I left I had a much better appreciation for him and his work. When you visit this museum its a good idea to make sure that its pleasant weather and no rain in the forecast. While many of the pieces are inside there are many that are outside including some of Rodin's most famous pieces.

Rodin's "The Thinker" is Located
in the Garden

Everyone that knows anything about art has heard of and seen photos of 'The Thinker" and this is one of the first things that you can see while visited the gardens and walking around the outside of the museum. Then you can take a walking tour and see other pieces that are well known, such as the "Gates of Hell", "Monument to Victor Hugo", "The Three Shades" , among many others. Its actually a pleasant walk and if done on a nice day can be something that will give you a wonderful view of the colors that are in Paris and a very calm feeling. Rodin himself actually placed many of the sculptures in the garden in the early 1900s.

If you go inside you can see works other that sculptures and you can see some of the smaller scupltures. Some famous pieces such as "The Kiss" are found inside the museum not in the garden. The inside, to me, when I went was very pretty but since I walked through the garden first I didn't get the same effect that I did from the garden. So I would recommend that you walk the inside of the building first as I felt that should I have done that first I might have enjoyed it more.

Rodin's "The Gates of Hell"

It's also a good idea to make sure that you stop and take a look at the marble collection, while you can't walk through this collection and many people overlook it, its worth stopping. The marble collection is protected by a glass wall so that the elements can't get to them and they are preserved for future generations to see.

One really good thing about this museum is while there are over 700,000 visitors a year it never seems that crowded to me. With all the space and the gardens it seems much more relaxed and usually doesn't feel like there is a big crowd all around you. So it much easier to enjoy the beauty of the garden and the pieces, than it is in many other musuems.

The Musee Rodin
Musée Rodin
79, rue de Varenne - 75007 Paris

Phone:+33 (0)1 44 18 61 10
Hours: 10 AM- 5:45PM
last ticket sold at 5:15 PM

Garden is cleared at  5 from 1 October to 31 March.
Closed on January 1, May ,1 and December 25.

Les Invalides - Paris France

There are so many places to visit in Paris that often times it can be hard to make sure that you cover everything. In fact anyone that I have ever talked to that went to Paris left and after they left remembered somewhere that they would have liked to have seen. That is why its a good idea to try and plan out everything that you want to see before you go, and there is one place that many people forget about until after they are home, but its worth seeing and that's Les Invalides. There are actually a lot of people that have never heard of this place and don't really have any idea as to what it is. Les Invalides is actually most famously know for the fact that this is where Napolean was laid to rest. But the history of the place goes well beyond that. It was actually built in 1670 to be a hosptial for soldiers.

Now Les Invalides has fifteen courtyards, a chapel for soldiers and a private chapel, and three museums. You can visit one of the chapels and the museums when you come here, but the most impressive thing to see is where Napoleon was finally laid to rest. This was the third place that he was buried after his death in 1821. Napoleon himself is in a tomb that is the center of the building that houses his tomb and others. The others that are buried in the same location include some of his family members and some of those that served under Napoleon.

Les Invalides is open every day of the year expect for the first Monday of every month, Jan. 1, May 1, Nov. 1, and Dec. 25
Open from 10AM - 5PM  Oct. 1- March 31st
Open from 10AM -6PM April 1- Sept 30

Cluny Museum - Paris France

Ok this is one museum that most people that I know that have been to Paris haven't seen. Its not one of the hot spots to visit, but if you know its there you should make sure that you visit. When I went to this museum I was really only given a short amount of time to see a few things that were there. They have a lot of gothic sculptures, and stained glass, but the most impressive thing that this museum had was the tapestries. They have tapestries from all over the world including Italy, Spain, Great Britian and Egypt as well as many from Medieval times. Most people have seen photos of some famous tapestries such as The Lady and The Unicorn, even if they are not familiar with the name of it. The Lady and Unicorn is a set of six tapestries that are some of the most famous in the world. It's estimated that the tapestries were woven around 1460 by hand. They are so famous and so beautiful that the museum has all six hanging side by side in a room that was designed for them. Unicorns were popular to place on tapestries in the Middle Ages, and this set is said to represent the five human senses with the last one being intuition, or what some call the sixth sense.

Just as a ,should you ever see these great masterpieces, here are what they look like and what they mean. The tapestry that means taste has a maiden with a parakeet and a lion and unicorn on either side. There is also a dog that is eating from the floor. The tapestry that means sight has a unicorn kneeling on a maiden's legs and is looking into a mirror. The tapestry that means touch has the maiden holding a banner while touching the unicorn. The tapestry that means smell has a maiden making a flower crown but also features a monkey sniffing a flower. The tapestry that means hearing has the maiden playing an organ and the lion and unicorn are on either side of the organ.

The final tapestry is the one that is the hardest to actually be able to interpret. Many think that it means intuition while some think that its merely conclusion or maybe an introduction to the series. The maiden is in front of a tent with an inscription that means "To My Sole Desire" The maiden's servent is holding a box and she is placing a collier in the box.

Should you find yourself in Paris and have some time go these tapesties even if you see nothing else in the museum, I wish I could have seen the entire museum, but its hard to feel cheated if you see these.

The museum is open 9:15 to 5:45 except on Tuesdays.
Closed Jan. 1, May 1 and Dec. 25

Admission 8,50 €

18-25 years 6,50 €
Under 26 years : free entrance for EU citizen
(Audioguide included in the price)

The first Sunday of the month : free admission
Audioguide is extra on Sunday

Is a part of the Paris Museum Pass

The Website