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Paris, The Enchanting French Capital

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Published: Feb 12, 2024

Words: 500 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

  • "Paris." Encyclopædia Britannica
  • "History of Paris." Wikipedia
  • "Paris City Guide." Lonely Planet

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essay in french on paris

Paris: Beautiful and Breathtaking

Introducing paris, the history, the city life, the art and architecture.

The French capital city, Paris, by the river Seine, is one of the most seductive and celebrated cities in the world. With beauty and romance in each and every part of it, it is not an exaggeration to tell that it is the most beautiful city in the world. The landmarks of Paris, like the celebrated Eiffel tower and the Louvre Museum, are more familiar than any other in the world. Like all great cities, Paris is rich and populous. Unlike other great cities, Paris is always alive and pulsating. This vibrant city is a kaleidoscope of art, literature, film, architecture, and whatnot. Paris is portrayed as the city of lights (“La Ville-Lumière”), the city of love, and the city of fashion, and is one of the richest cities in the world. No other city is so loved by its inhabitants. Anyone who has visited this charming city falls head over heels in love with it.

Paris is considered inhabited permanently from around 4200BC, the oldest known inhabitants being the Celtic tribes called Parisii. Paris was conquered by the Romans by BC52 and it expanded to become a prosperous city with palaces, temples, baths, theatres, and forums over the years. Paris was made the capital city first by King Clovis I. The Counts ruled Paris in the middle ages and saw the increasing prosperity of the city as a hub of commerce, trade, politics, and culture. Many famous architectural marvels like the cathedral of Notre Dame and the basilica at St. Denis were built during the middle ages. Paris was conquered by the British and lost its title as the capital but it regained the title when Charles VII reclaimed the city from the English after the Hundred Years’ War in 1436. Paris was the main center of the French Revolution in the late 1680s. It was Napoleon the Third who made the greatest transformation of the city to almost the way in which we see it now. Paris was occupied by the Russians and the Germans in its past. With the advent of industrialization, Paris grew to become the richest high–tech city in the world.

The very first impression about Paris is its noise. The busy streets with shouting street vendors, the untiring barking of dogs, the blaring automobile horns, and the constant motion of people make Paris look like a turmoil. But the beauty of the city is so overwhelming that the noise is often forgotten.

The design of the city is very unique and is quite unlike other major cities in the world. The center of the city is called intra-muros, a Latin term for ‘within the walls’, and is a small compact form of the big city. The city districts called arrondissements are arranged spirally around the center. There are almost twenty city districts around the city center. The districts are divided into quarters or neighborhoods. The city stands on a relatively plain flat land and hence the Eiffel Tower, the Centre Pompidou or the Telegraph metro station can give an excellent view of the whole city.

The city life of Paris is a celebration of festivals. It has a culture of art, music, films, museums, and theatres. It is one of the leading business and fashion centers in the world. A blend of both old and new architecture, parks and squares, the beautiful Seine River, and the beautiful Parisians make it a unique and fascinating place to visit or to live in. The spring season is the best to visit, especially in May – June. The city is also beautiful and easy to live in during the autumn. The beautifully landscaped parks and walkways make it a pedestrian-friendly city. The streets are lined with booksellers and street artists. The walk through the beautiful streets takes you along small and beautifully adorned shops, sidewalk cafes, art galleries, elegant restaurants, and hotels. Paris has a population of about 11.3 million which is about 19% of the population of France. Yet, it is one of the most preferred tourist destinations in Europe.

Some of the world’s renowned museums are located in Paris which includes the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay . An estimate says that there are almost 130 museums in Paris, which is an enormous number for a city. Louvre is the city’s most important attraction which houses masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue. Musée d’Orsay holds the paintings and arts of the impressionist period including the famous The Lady and the Unicorn . Musee Picasso and Musee Rodin are exclusive museums for the works of Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin respectively. The third-largest museum, the Musee du quai branly was opened in June 2006 and encases arts and artifacts from Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

The Opera Garnier is the largest opera in Paris and showcases classic ballets and operas. The modern Opera Bastiile has ballets and operas with a mix of classic and modern forms. Theatres and Operas have always been an indispensable part of French culture, especially in Paris.

Paris has a mix of Roman, Gothic, and French architectural styles. The most famous piece of Parisian architecture is perhaps the Eiffel Tower. The Basilique de St. Denise is a classic example of French gothic architecture. The Notre Dame de Paris and the Basilique du Sacre-Coeur are the cathedrals in the city. The Place de la Concorde and the Place de la Bastille are architectural marvels and hold a significant positions in French history.

Paris also has a huge number of exquisite hotels, beautiful French houses with narrow streets, and a balanced mix of modern and ancient architecture.

Paris has a mixture of cultures because of its large immigrant population and this has been the base of its diverse culinary skills. French cuisine is rich in fresh ingredients and a wide variety of flavors. Parisians have perhaps the most refined and complex cooking procedures which make the most delicious food on the planet. Paris has got a large number of small and large elegant restaurants which cater to the tastes of almost everyone. The Parisians have an artistic style in serving their meals and the food is something to be savored. Fresh baked bread and cheese are part of a Parisian’s daily diet. Paris serves nearly five hundred varieties of cheese made from goat, ewe, or cow milk. Each region in Paris has its own specialty. The entire city is lighted up in the night which renders the most breathtaking sight from the top of the Eiffel tower. The city is rightly called the city of lights with its mind-blowingmind blowing beauty in the night. Paris has been a favorite destination for tourists, students, and businessmen right from the eleventh century. The presence of the world’s most famous landmarks has made Paris a dream destination for many. Paris is also the economical capital of France. As an old French saying says, when Paris sneezes, France catches a cold.

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Home Explore France Official Tourism Board Website

  • Explore the map

Embarking on a cultural odyssey: unveiling the charms of France culture

Inspiration

Paris Burgundy Côte d'Azur - French Riviera Cultural Heritage Shopping and French Savoir Faire Food and Wine

Architecture and art in Paris

Reading time: 0 min Published on 3 August 2023, updated on 16 April 2024

As a hub of sorts including fashion, cuisine, art and architecture, Paris is what many people think of when it comes to French culture. Yet that is a rookie mistake… because life outside of the City of Lights is very different and varies by region. Prepare to set sail on a wondrous journey through the enchanting realm of France culture, where each step uncovers a dazzling tapestry of customs and traditions that have shaped this exquisite nation. From the iconic streets of Paris to the quaint countryside, every corner of La Belle France beckons with its own unique allure, inviting you to immerse yourself in its rich heritage.

Language in France: a melodic blend of voices

As you step foot on the cobblestone streets, the symphony of France culture begins, and at its heart lies the melodious French language. The language of love and romance, it flows like a gentle river through the conversations of over 70 million residents, weaving a harmonious medley of words that bind the nation together.

But listen closely, and you'll hear a delightful fusion of dialects and languages from every corner of the world. German, Flemish, Arabic, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Creole, and Breton add vibrant hues to the cultural canvas, celebrating the nation's diversity and openness to the world.

Nevertheless, when you go, it pays to know some basic French phrases as locals often appreciate the efforts put in by visitors who try to speak their language. Just don’t confuse faire la tête (to sulk) with faire la fête (to party)!

French Cuisine: a gastronomic ballet

France is a foodie capital for a reason.

Prepare to be enchanted by the culinary ballet that unfolds in France, for this is the land where food becomes art, and dining is a celebration of life. France culture embraces gastronomy with a passion, elevating every meal to a symphony of flavors and textures that dance upon the taste buds.

French cuisine speaks of expression and passion; and much socialising is done around lengthy meals and is completelly part of the French culture and traditions.

From the sumptuous boeuf bourguignon , where tender beef melds with velvety wine sauce, to the savory coq au vin, where chicken and red wine unite in a harmonious duet, each dish is a masterpiece of culinary creativity. Savor the richness of ratatouille , a sun-kissed melody of vegetables that transports you to the idyllic gardens of Provence.

Over the years, cooking styles have evolved from the heavier, saucier and more complicated dishes to what is now a reflection of a modern yet still highly sophisticated society.

French food and cooking are generally considered the backbone of many cuisines across the Western world. A beloved tradition, the French Gastronomic meal is classified as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Let’s go back in time and see its diverse journey…

essay in french on paris

Fashion in France: A Haute Couture Symphony

Behold the elegance that graces the boulevards of Paris, where the world of fashion becomes a symphony of style. France culture boasts a legacy of haute couture, with Paris reigning as the unrivaled fashion capital of the globe. Locals exude sophistication effortlessly, their outfits a work of art that combines classic elegance with contemporary chic.

The streets become a catwalk, where demure flowy dresses, well-cut suits, and stylish long coats waltz in harmony with scarves and berets. Embrace the enchanting magique of French style, and let your own fashion sense dance to the rhythm of Parisian glamour.

As a fashion capital , Paris __ is home to numerous high-end fashion houses including Chanel, Christian Dior, Hermes and Louis Vuitton .

You will notice that many locals have a distinct sophisticated style, which seems effortlessly thrown together. That’s the French magique! Typical outfits include demure flowy dresses, well-cut suits, long coats, scarves and berets.

Art and Architecture and culture in France

As you venture through the heart of France culture, prepare to be awestruck by the timeless beauty of art and architecture that adorn the cities and towns. Paris, a living art gallery, showcases a breathtaking array of cultural and architectural styles, each reflecting a different chapter in the nation's history. Marvel at the soaring Gothic cathedrals that touch the heavens, their majestic spires reaching for the divine. Embrace the graceful facades of Renaissance palaces, where opulence and refinement unite in a harmonious symphony. Each building tells a story, a testimony to the artistic brilliance that has shaped the nation.

The French LOVE their art . And we love that about the French! Art is everywhere and you simply cannot escape from it, particularly in Paris and other major cities. As you explore the cities and towns, you will no doubt appreciate the many different cultural and architectural styles that decorate the cities’ interior and skylines.

Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque Rococo and Neoclassic influences can be seen in many churches and public buildings, mixed in with somef modern architecture.

OTCP paris Palais royal

As for some of history's most renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Camille Pissarro , Paris was a major source of their inspiration, which gave rise to the Impressionism movement in the 19th century. When you visit, you must make it a point to visit the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is among the world's largest museums and is home to many famous works of art, including the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.

Cinema is also a big part of the French Culture .

Cinema: A Love Letter to Life

France culture holds cinema in its heart, for it is through this magical art form that stories come alive and emotions find their voice. As you step into the world of French cinema, you'll be swept away by a love letter to life, where every frame is a canvas that paints the complexities of human emotions. Dive into the depths of French cinema, where drama and comedy intertwine, leaving audiences captivated by the magic of storytelling.

In the realm of French culture, cinema is an art form that holds a special place in the hearts of the French people. It is more than just entertainment; it is a powerful medium that offers a window to the soul of the nation. The French film industry has a rich and storied history, dating back to the birth of cinema itself. From the pioneering works of the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century to the avant-garde movements of the 20th century, French cinema has been a trailblazer in shaping the language of cinema worldwide.

Every year, the Alliance Française organizes the highly anticipated French Film Festival, a celebration of the finest cinematic treasures that France has to offer. With a carefully curated lineup of films spanning a diverse range of genres, from thought-provoking dramas to heartwarming comedies, the festival provides a captivating showcase of the art of storytelling. These films transport audiences to the heart of French culture, offering a glimpse into the intricacies of human emotions and experiences that resonate across borders and cultures.

At the French Film Festival, viewers are invited to embark on an exquisite journey through the lives of characters who grapple with love, loss, joy, and hope. The films delve into the complexities of human relationships, reflecting the nuances of French society and the human condition. The artful cinematography, evocative soundtracks, and compelling performances by some of France's most talented actors create an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression on the audience.

French cinema is not confined to the glitz and glamour of mainstream productions; it also embraces the world of independent and art-house films. These often push the boundaries of storytelling, exploring themes that are thought-provoking and unconventional. The French filmmakers' unyielding commitment to artistic expression has earned them accolades and recognition at prestigious international film festivals, solidifying France's place as a powerhouse in the global film industry.

For cinephiles and enthusiasts alike, the French Film Festival is a cineaste's dream come true. It provides an opportunity to discover the works of emerging filmmakers and rediscover the masterpieces of legendary directors. Audiences can witness the evolution of French cinema over the decades, observing how it has mirrored and shaped society's changing values and aspirations.

Tip: Grab a Paris Pass to get access to over 50 of Paris’ cultural and art attractions.

For more travel inspiration and information on France Rail Passes and tickets, head to www.raileurope.com.au , where you can use the destination guide and interactive map to help with the trip planning.

essay in french on paris

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Write an essay in French

Beyond the fact that writing an essay in French can be a good practice to improve your writing, you may also be asked to write one during your schooling. So, it is important to study the topic of French essay writing and get some useful tips..

» Tips and tricks for your French essay » The structure of a French essay » Sample French Essay

Tips and tricks for your French essay

When writing a French essay for school, you should always use a structured approach and good French skills to present your arguments in a focused way. Beyond French skills, there are also important formal requirements for a successful French essay. We will come back to this in detail later. First, you will find some useful tips and tricks that will help you write more compelling and better French essays in the future.

  • Have a clear thesis and structure
  • Do sufficient research and use reliable sources
  • Use examples and arguments to support your thesis
  • Avoid plagiarism and cite correctly
  • Always check structure, grammar and spelling

When you write your essay at school or university, you need to make sure that the general structure of your essay, the presentation of the arguments and, above all, your French language skills play a role in the mark you will get. This is why you should definitely take a closer look at the structure of an essay as well as the most important grammar rules and formulations for French essays.

The structure of a French essay

In an essay, you deal at length and in detail with a usually given topic. When you write an essay in French, you must follow a certain structure. Below we show you what this structure looks like and give you some tips for writing the most important parts of your essay.

essay in french on paris

The Introduction

The introduction prepares the main body of your essay. You think of a meaningful title for your essay, you describe your thesis or your question, you give general information on the subject and you prepare your argument by giving an overview of your most important arguments.

Below are examples and phrases that you can use to write the introduction to your essay in French.

The title should be meaningful, concise and reflect the content of the essay.

Introductory paragraph

The first paragraph of your French essay should briefly introduce the topic and engage the reader. Here are some examples to help you write your essay:

Proposal or question

The central proposition or question of your French essay should be a clear and concise definition of the purpose of the essay. Use these examples to get a clearer idea of ​​how to write theses in French:

Overview of Arguments and Structure

At the end of your introduction, describe the structure of the main part of your essay (your outline) and outline your argument. Here are some French expressions that will certainly help you write your essay:

The body of your essay

essay in french on paris

The main part of your French essay deals with the given topic in detail. The subject is studied from all angles. The main body of your essay follows a thread of argument and discusses in detail the main arguments of your thesis previously made in the introduction.

In the body of the text, you should discuss the subject of your essay in clear and concise language. To achieve this, we give you some wording aids as well as vocabulary and phrases that you can use to write your essay in French.

Formulation tools:

French vocabulary for essays.

In the conclusion of your French essay, you address the thesis of your essay, summarize the main points of your discussion in the main body, and draw a conclusion. On the basis of the arguments and the resulting conclusions, you formulate in the conclusion of your dissertation final thoughts and suggestions for the future. It is important that you do not add new information or new arguments. This should only be done in the body of your text.

Here are some wording guides to help you write your essay in French:

Sample French Essay

Les avantages des voyages linguistiques

Malgré les difficultés potentielles, les voyages linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour leur développement personnel et académique.

Les séjours linguistiques sont des voyages organisés dans le but d'améliorer les compétences linguistiques des participants. Ces voyages peuvent se dérouler dans le pays ou à l'étranger et durer d'un week-end à plusieurs semaines. L'un des principaux avantages des séjours linguistiques est l'immersion. Entourés de locuteurs natifs, les apprenants sont contraints de pratiquer et d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques dans des situations réelles.Il s'agit d'une méthode d'apprentissage beaucoup plus efficace que le simple fait d'étudier une langue dans une salle de classe.

Un autre avantage des séjours linguistiques est l'expérience culturelle. Voyager dans un nouveau pays permet aux apprenants de découvrir de nouvelles coutumes, traditions et modes de vie, et de se familiariser avec l'histoire et la culture du pays. Cela enrichit non seulement l'expérience d'apprentissage de la langue, mais contribue également à élargir les horizons et à accroître la sensibilisation culturelle.

Cependant, les séjours linguistiques peuvent également présenter des inconvénients. Par exemple, le coût du voyage et de l'hébergement peut être élevé, en particulier pour les séjours de longue durée. En outre, les apprenants peuvent être confrontés à la barrière de la langue ou à un choc culturel, ce qui peut être difficile à surmonter. Le coût et les difficultés potentielles des séjours linguistiques peuvent sembler décourageants, mais ils offrent des avantages précieux en termes d'épanouissement personnel et scolaire.

Les compétences linguistiques et les connaissances culturelles acquises peuvent déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités d'emploi et améliorer la communication dans un cadre professionnel. Les bourses et les aides financières rendent les séjours linguistiques plus accessibles. Le fait d'être confronté à une barrière linguistique ou à un choc culturel peut également être l'occasion d'un développement personnel. Ces avantages l'emportent largement sur les inconvénients et font des séjours linguistiques un investissement qui en vaut la peine.

En conclusion, malgré les difficultés potentielles, les séjours linguistiques offrent aux apprenants une occasion unique d'améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques et de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, ce qui en fait un investissement précieux pour le développement personnel et académique. Qu'il s'agisse d'un débutant ou d'un apprenant avancé, un voyage linguistique est une expérience à ne pas manquer.

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How to Write an Excellent French Essay (Resources Included)

Tips to write an excellent french essay.

Writing essays is challenging enough, but when you are asked to write a French essay, you are not only being asked to write in a foreign language, but to follow the conventions of another linguistic and literary tradition. Like essay-writing in any language, the essential part of writing a French essay is to convey your thoughts and observations on a certain topic in a clear and concise manner. French essays do come out of a certain tradition that is part of the training of all students who attend school in France – or at least secondary school – and when you are a French essay, it is important to be aware of this tradition.

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The French philosopher Michel de Montaigne is credited with popularizing the essay form as a literary genre. His work, Essais, first published in 1580, and undergoing several subsequent publications before his death in 1592, covers a wide breadth of topics, ranging from “amitié” to “philosopher c’est apprendre à mourir”, and includes many literary references, as well as personal anecdotes. The name for this genre, essai, is the nominal form of the verb essayer, “to attempt”. We have an archaic English verb essay, meaning the same thing. The limerick that includes the phrase, “... when she essayed to drink lemonade ...” indicates an attempt to drink a beverage and has nothing to do with writing about it. But the writing form does illustrate an attempt to describe a topic in depth with the purpose of developing new insights on a particular text or corpus.

French instructors are very specific about what they would like when they ask for an essay, meaning that they will probably specify whether they would like an explication de texte, commentaire composé, or dissertation. That last essay form should not be confused with the document completed for a doctorate in anglophone countries – this is called a thèse in French, by the way. There are different formats for each of these types of essay, and different objectives for each written form.

Types of Essay

1. l’explication de texte.

An explication de texte is a type of essay for which you complete a close reading. It is usually written about a poem or a short passage within a larger work. This close reading will elucidate different themes and stylistic devices within the text. When you are completing an explication de texte, make sure to follow the structure of the text as you complete a close examination of its form and content. The format for an explication de texte consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you situate the text within its genre and historical context. This is where you can point out to your readers the general themes of the text, its form, the trajectory of your reading, and your approach to the text.

ii. The body, in which you develop your ideas, following the structure of the text. Make sure you know all of the meanings of the words used, especially the key terms that point to the themes addressed by the author. It is a good idea to look words up in the dictionary to find out any second, third, and fourth meanings that could add to the themes and forms you describe. Like a student taking an oral examination based on this type of essay writing, you will be expected to have solid knowledge of the vocabulary and grammatical structures that appear in the text. Often the significance of the language used unfolds as you explain the different components of theme, style, and composition.

iii. A conclusion, in which you sum up the general meaning of the text and the significance of the figures and forms being used. You should also give the implications of what is being addressed, and the relevance of these within a larger literary, historical, or philosophical context.

NB: If you are writing about a poem, include observations on the verse, rhyme schemes, and meter. It is a good idea to refer to a reference work on versification. If you are writing about a philosophical work, be familiar with philosophical references and definitions of concepts.

Caveat: Refrain from paraphrasing. Instead show through careful analysis of theme, style, and composition the way in which the main ideas of the text are conveyed.

2. Le commentaire composé

A commentaire composé is a methodologically codified commentary that focuses on themes in a particular text. This type of essay develops different areas of reflection through analytical argument. Such argumentation should clarify the reading that you are approaching by presenting components of the text from different perspectives. In contrast to the explication de texte, it is organized thematically rather than following the structure of the text to which it refers. The format for a commentaire composé consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you present the question you have come up with, often in relation to a prompt commenting on a thematic or stylistic aspect of the text, such as “Montrez en quoi ce texte évoque l’amour courtois” or “Qu’apporte l’absence de la ponctuation dans ce texte ?” In this section, you will be expected to delineate your approach to the text and illustrate the trajectory of your ideas so that your readers will have a clear idea of the direction these ideas will take.

ii. A tripartite body, in which you explore the question you have come up with, citing specific examples in the text that are especially pertinent to the areas of reflection you wish to explore. These citations should be explained and connected to the broad themes of your commentary, all the while providing details that draw the readers’ attention to your areas of inquiry. These different areas of inquiry may initially seem disparate or even contradictory, but eventually come together to form a harmonious reading that addresses different aspects of the text. The more obvious characteristics of the text should illuminate its subtler aspects, which allows for acute insight into the question that you are in the process of exploring.

iii. A conclusion, in which you evaluate your reading and synthesize its different areas of inquiry. This is where you may include your own opinions, but make sure that the preceding sections of your commentaire remain analytical and supported by evidence that you find in the text.

NB: Looking at verb tenses, figures of speech, and other aspects that contribute to the form of the text will help situate your reader, as will commenting on the register of language, whether this language is ornate, plain, reflects a style soutenu, or less formal patterns of speech.

Caveat: Quotations do not replace observations or comments on the text. Explain your quotations and situate them well within your own text.

3. La dissertation

The dissertation is a personal, organized, and methodical reflection on a precise question that refers to a corpus of writing. Referring to this corpus, you may be asked questions along the lines of “Que pensez-vous de l’équivalence entre l’amour et la chanson exprimée dans ces textes ?” or “Est-ce que la sagesse et la folie ont les mêmes sources?” This type of essay allows for an exploration of a question through knowledge of a corpus as well as through an individual’s cultural knowledge. The format for a dissertation consists of:

i. An introduction, in which you present the topic addressed, the significance of your argument, and the trajectory of your ideas.

ii. The body which, like a commentaire composé, consists of a tripartite development of your argument. This can follow any one of the following structures: a dialectical schema, organized into thèse, antithèse, and synthèse – an argument, its counter-argument, and its rebuttal; an analytical schema, consisting of the description of a situation, an analysis of its causes, and commentary on its consequences; a thematic schema, which consists of a reflection on a topic which you proceed to examine from different angles in an orderly fashion.

iii. A conclusion, in which you address the different ways in which you have approached the question at hand and how this deepens your insights, while placing the question within a broader context that shows room for expansion. The conclusion can open up the topic addressed to show its placement within a literary movement, or in opposition to another literary movement that follows it, for example.

NB: Approach the question at hand with as few preconceptions as possible. If you are writing on a quotation, gather all of your knowledge about its author, the work in which it appears, and the body of literature with which it is associated.

Caveat: Even for a personal reflection, such as a dissertation, avoid using the first person pronoun je. Nous or on are preferable. It is advisable not to switch from one to the other, though.

For each of these essay forms, it is a good idea to make an outline to which you can refer as you write. As your writing progresses, things may shift a bit, but having a structure on which you can rely as you gather your various ideas and information into a coherent argument provides solid foundation for a clear and well-developed essay. This also facilitates smooth transitions from one section of your essay to the next.

During your reading, you may encounter a problem, a contradiction, or a surprising turn of phrase that is difficult to figure out. Such moments in a text give you the opportunity to delve into the unique characteristics of the text or corpus to which you are referring, to propose different solutions to the problems you encounter, and to describe their significance within a larger literary, philosophical, and historical context. Essay writing allows you to become more familiar with French works, with their cultural significance, and with the French language. You can refer to the following resources to guide you in this endeavor:

Auffret, Serge et Hélène. Le commentaire composé. Paris: Hachette, 1991. Dufau, Micheline et Ellen D'Alelio. Découverte du poème: Introduction à l'explication de textes. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967. Grammont, Maurice. Petit traité de versification française. Paris: A. Colin, 2015. Huisman, Denis et L. R. Plazolles. L’art de la dissertation littéraire : du baccalauréat au C.A.P.E.S. Paris : Société d’édition d’enseignement supérieur, 1965.

The French newspaper Le Monde also has good articles on these essay forms that prepare French students for the baccalauréat exam: CLICK HERE

This is also a website with thorough information on essay writing techniques that prepare students for the baccalauréat exam: CLICK HERE

In addition, the University of Adelaide has tips for general essay writing in French: CLICK HERE

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How to Write an Essay in French

Have something to say?

When it comes to expressing your thoughts in French , there’s nothing better than the essay.

It is, after all, the favorite form of such famed French thinkers as Montaigne, Chateaubriand, Houellebecq and Simone de Beauvoir.

In this post, I’ve outlined the four most common types of essays in French, ranked from easiest to most difficult, to help you get to know this concept better. 

Why Are French Essays Different?

Must-have french phrases for writing essays, 4 types of french essays and how to write them, 1. text summary (synthèse de texte).

  • 2. Text Commentary (Commentaire de texte)

3. Dialectic Dissertation (Thèse, Antithèse, Synthèse)

  • 4. Progressive Dissertation (Plan progressif)

And one more thing...

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Writing an essay in French is not the same as those typical 5-paragraph essays you’ve probably written in English.

In fact, there’s a whole other logic that has to be used to ensure that your essay meets French format standards and structure. It’s not merely writing your ideas in another language .

And that’s because the French use Cartesian logic (also known as Cartesian doubt) , developed by René Descartes , which requires a writer to begin with what is known and then lead the reader through to the logical conclusion: a paragraph that contains the thesis. Through the essay, the writer will reject all that is not certain or all that is subjective in his or her quest to find the objective truth.

Sound intriguing? Read on for more!

Before we get to the four main types of essays, here are a few French phrases that will be especially helpful as you delve into essay-writing in French:

Introductory phrases , which help you present new ideas.

Connecting phrases , which help you connect ideas and sections.

Contrasting phrases , which help you juxtapose two ideas.

Concluding phrases , which help you to introduce your conclusion.

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The text summary or synthèse de texte  is one of the easiest French writing exercises to get a handle on. It essentially involves reading a text and then summarizing it in an established number of words, while repeating no phrases that are in the original text. No analysis is called for.

A  synthèse de texte  should follow the same format as the text that is being synthesized. The arguments should be presented in the same way, and no major element of the original text should be left out of the  synthèse.

Here is an informative post about writing a synthèse de texte , written for French speakers. 

The text summary is a great exercise for exploring the following French language elements:

  • Synonyms , as you will need to find other words to describe what is said in the original text.
  • Nominalization , which involves turning verbs into nouns and generally cuts down on word count.
  • Vocabulary , as the knowledge of more exact terms will allow you to avoid periphrases and cut down on word count.

While beginners may wish to work with only one text, advanced learners can synthesize as many as three texts in one text summary. 

Since a text summary is simple in its essence, it’s a great writing exercise that can accompany you through your entire learning process.

2. Text Commentary  (Commentaire de texte)

A text commentary or commentaire de texte   is the first writing exercise where the student is asked to present an analysis of the materials at hand, not just a summary.

That said, a  commentaire  de texte  is not a reaction piece. It involves a very delicate balance of summary and opinion, the latter of which must be presented as impersonally as possible. This can be done either by using the third person (on) or the general first person plural (nous) . The singular first person (je) should never be used in a  commentaire de texte.

A commentaire de texte  should be written in three parts:

  • An introduction , where the text is presented.
  • An argument , where the text is analyzed.
  • A conclusion , where the analysis is summarized and elevated.

Here is a handy in-depth guide to writing a successful commentaire de texte,  written for French speakers.

Unlike with the synthesis, you will not be able to address all elements of a text in a commentary. You should not summarize the text in a commentary, at least not for the sake of summarizing. Every element of the text that you speak about in your commentary must be analyzed.

To successfully analyze a text, you will need to brush up on your figurative language. Here are some great resources to get you started:

  • Here’s an introduction to figurative language in French.
  • This guide to figurative language  presents the different elements in useful categories.
  • This guide , intended for high school students preparing for the BAC—the exam all French high school students take, which they’re required to pass to go to university—is great for seeing examples of how to integrate figurative language into your commentaries.
  • Speaking of which, here’s an example of a corrected commentary from the BAC, which will help you not only include figurative language but get a head start on writing your own commentaries.

The French answer to the 5-paragraph essay is known as the  dissertation .  Like the American 5-paragraph essay, it has an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. The stream of logic, however, is distinct.

There are actually two kinds of  dissertation,  each of which has its own rules.

The first form of  dissertation  is the dialectic dissertation , better known as  thèse, antithèse, synthèse . In this form, there are actually only two body paragraphs. After the introduction, a thesis is posited. Following the thesis, its opposite, the antithesis, is explored (and hopefully, debunked). The final paragraph, what we know as the conclusion, is the  synthesis , which addresses the strengths of the thesis, the strengths and weaknesses of the antithesis, and concludes with the reasons why the original thesis is correct.

For example, imagine that the question was, “Are computers useful to the development of the human brain?” You could begin with a section showing the ways in which computers are useful for the progression of our common intelligence—doing long calculations, creating in-depth models, etc.

Then you would delve into the problems that computers pose to human intelligence, citing examples of the ways in which spelling proficiency has decreased since the invention of spell check, for example. Finally, you would synthesize this information and conclude that the “pro” outweighs the “con.”

The key to success with this format is developing an outline before writing. The thesis must be established, with examples, and the antithesis must be supported as well. When all of the information has been organized in the outline, the writing can begin, supported by the tools you have learned from your mastery of the synthesis and commentary.

Here are a few tools to help you get writing:

  • Here’s a great guide to writing a dialectic dissertation .
  • Here’s an example of a plan for a dialectic dissertation , showing you the three parts of the essay as well as things to consider when writing a dialectic dissertation.

4. Progressive Dissertation ( Plan progressif)

The progressive dissertation is slightly less common, but no less useful, than the first form.

The progressive form basically consists of examining an idea via multiple points of view—a sort of deepening of the understanding of the notion, starting with a superficial perspective and ending with a deep and profound analysis.

If the dialectic dissertation is like a scale, weighing pros and cons of an idea, the progressive dissertation is like peeling an onion, uncovering more and more layers as you get to the deeper crux of the idea.

Concretely, this means that you will generally follow this layout:

  • A first, elementary exploration of the idea.
  • A second, more philosophical exploration of the idea.
  • A third, more transcendent exploration of the idea.

This format for the dissertation is more commonly used for essays that are written in response to a philosophical question, for example, “What is a person?” or “What is justice?”

Let’s say the question was, “What is war?” In the first part, you would explore dictionary definitions—a basic idea of war, i.e. an armed conflict between two parties, usually nations. You could give examples that back up this definition, and you could narrow down the definition of the subject as much as needed. For example, you might want to make mention that not all conflicts are wars, or you might want to explore whether the “War on Terror” is a war.

In the second part, you would explore a more philosophical look at the topic, using a definition that you provide. You first explain how you plan to analyze the subject, and then you do so. In French, this is known as  poser une problématique  (establishing a thesis question), and it usually is done by first writing out a question and then exploring it using examples: “Is war a reflection of the base predilection of humans for violence?”

In the third part, you will take a step back and explore this question from a distance, taking the time to construct a natural conclusion and answer for the question.

This form may not be as useful in as many cases as the first type of essay, but it’s a good form to learn, particularly for those interested in philosophy. Here’s an in-depth guide  to writing a progressive dissertation.

As you progress in French and become more and more comfortable with writing, try your hand at each of these types of writing exercises, and even with other forms of the dissertation . You’ll soon be a pro at everything from a synthèse de texte to a dissertation!

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essay in french on paris

French Guide to Bastille Day 🎉

Author: Camille Chevalier-Karfis

July the 14th is the French national day – it’s called “Bastille day” outside of France but never in France! “Le Quatorze Juillet” is a day of celebrating French culture. Numerous public events take place: military parades, city meals, dances, parties and many amazing fireworks. But what are French people really doing on that day?

How do you Say Bastille Day in French?

Let’s start by a mistake I hear too often.

“Bastille Day” is called differently in French!

In France, if you translated literally “Bastille Day” into “le jour de la Bastille”, people would be dumbfounded.

They may not even understand what you mean.

In France, we never speak of “Bastille Day”.

So how do you say Bastille Day in French?

The name of France national day is either:

  • la fête nationale (national day)
  • or le quatorze juillet (July 14th).

Press on the links next to the 🎧 to hear my audio recordings of the pronunciation of Bastille day in French.

Now let’s see more Bastille day related French words.

Bastille Day French Vocabulary

  • Le quatorze juillet – le katorze jwee yeah
  • La Fête Nationale – National day
  • Joyeux 14 juillet – have a good national day
  • Bonne fête nationale – have a good national day
  • Une parade, un défilé – a parade
  • Un feu d’artifice – firework (often used in the plural)
  • Un drapeau – a flag
  • La Marseillaise – French national anthem
  • Vive la France – Hurray for France
  • Un bal populaire – a danse
  • Un concert – a concert

Bastille Day French Practice Video

Practice your French with this video – turn the CC on for French and English subtitles, and don’t forget to subscribe to FrenchToday’s on Youtube 🥳

French Fireworks Vocabulary

  • Une fusée – bottle rocket
  • Une fontaine – a fountain
  • Une chandelle romaine – Roman candle
  • Un volcan – volcano
  • Un mortier – mortar
  • Une comète – a comet
  • Un pétard – firecracker
  • La poudre – powder
  • La mèche – the wick
  • Oh la belle rouge / bleue – what people shout during fireworks “oh the pretty red / blue…”
  • Le bouquet final – the grand finale

essay in french on paris

A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.

More Details & Audio Samples

How do you say: “What do you do on Bastille Day?” in French?

To ask a French friend what his plan is for Bastille day, ask: – “qu’est-ce que tu fais pour le 14 juillet ?” (le katorz jwee yeah). – What do you do on July 14th ?

What Was La Bastille?

La Bastille was a medieval fort and the former main jail of Paris. During the French revolution, on July 14th 1789, it was taken by the revolutionary troops and became the symbol of the French revolution. It remains the day we celebrate as the symbol of the people’s revolution.

bastille

Bastille Day French Parades

Of course, there are many military parades on Bastille Day all over France.

When I was little, we lived in Paris. One day, I saw many huge military planes fly over our apartment building. I was so scared! I had totally forgotten it was Bastille Day!

Bastille Day Military Parade French Practice

And now, let’s practice our French a little :-)

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here .

A huge military parade is organised in Paris on les Champs Elysées. The Paris military parade has been taking place since 1880, except during WW2. It’s a huge show which thousands of people attend. 

Des hommes et des femmes de différentes unités, y compris les cadets des écoles militaires, la marine française et la Légion étrangère française, participent à la parade. Le défilé se termine par la brigade de pompiers de Paris.

Men and women from different units, including military school cadets, the French sea force, the foreign legion take part in the parade. The parade finishes with the Paris fire brigade.

Des avions militaires survolent le parcours du défilé lors de la parade. Le président français ouvre le défilé et passe en revue les troupes.

Military planes fly over the parade course. The French president opens the parade and inspects the troops. 

Our Secret Spot to Paris’ Fireworks

At night fall, all the major cities of France, and even the smaller villages, send out fireworks.

There is of course traditionally an amazing firework in Paris, around 10h30, by the Eiffel Tower. Should you decide to attend, you won’t be the only one… About a million Parisians show up… Here are your options:

Camp out on le Champs de Mars all day

You are hardcore and arrive on the Champs de Mars or Trocadéro around 10AM with your picnic blanket, several baguettes, a bunch of close friends/family and 2-3 bottles of wine…per person (Remember that you can drink in public in France :-)

Then you proceed on either having the best picnic day of your life or spend 12 hours guarding your precious spot against 900,000 Parisians trying to outsmart you…

The Sacré-Coeur View of the Bastille Day Fireworks

You are softcore and arrive at La Basilique du Sacré Coeur in Montmartre around 6PM with a jacket, one sandwich and… 1 bottle of wine per person.

You’ve basically gained back 8 hours of your life but traded it with seeing the fireworks from more than 4.5 km (2.8 miles) away.

You’ll still have to fight for a decent spot but it’ll be a great experience too (although relatively very quiet since you will not hear any of the explosions).

(Note, in both A & B, you’ll have to fight your way back home in le métro with 1 to 2 million other “very disciplined” Parisians so think about that part too :-)

essay in french on paris

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Let’s Start…

Our Secret to get a Great View on the Paris’ Fireworks

You are like Camille and I who do not have the courage nor stamina to wait in one spot for more than 17 minutes.

So you listen to your sister-in-law who has lived all her life in Paris telling you, in that very Parisian smart-ass tone: “Tu sais, dans ‘Montparnasse’, il y a le mot ‘Mont’ (in the word “Montparnasse”, there is the word “Mount” or “hill”)”…

You then proceed on strolling to the Montparnasse neighborhood, more precisely the corner of Boulevard Vaugirard and Boulevard Pasteur ( map ) and find a place for dinner (looking for something different, we chose an Italian place and ate a more than correct prosciutto and arugula pizza).

After dinner and less than 20 minutes before the firework starts, you casually walk around a little to look for a spot.

The best thing about Boulevard Pasteur is that the street is very straight and goes downhill so no matter where on the street you stand (between Place de Catalogne and Métro Pasteur), you’ll have a very decent view of the Eiffel Tower’s top 2 thirds.

essay in french on paris

Now, don’t get me wrong, you will not feel like you landed on a deserted island or in a French supermarket on Sunday afternoon!

However, you’ll only be dealing with 4 to 5 thousand people…That is a lot more manageable even for yours truly.  And since you’ll also be less than 2 km away from the action, you’ll get to hear the explosions too which definitely adds to the fun.

Seeing the fireworks in Paris this way was truly amazing considering the small amount of time we had to wait around.

What do French People do on Bastille Day?

Let’s practice our French a bit more here:

Cette année 2020, avec la crise sanitaire, je ne sais pas vraiment ce qui va se passer ! Mais voici ce que les Français font typiquement pour la fête nationale.

This year 2020 with the sanitary crisis, I don’t really know what’s going to happen! But here is what the French typically do for Bastille Day.

Le 14 juillet, les Français regardent souvent la parade à la télévision le matin, et puis après se retrouvent pour un déjeuner entre amis ou en famille, peut être un barbecue ou un pique-nique au bord de l’eau ou dans un parc de la ville. Si vous allez au restaurant, il vaut mieux réserver ce jour-là ! Certaines villes organisent des repas communautaires.

On Bastille day, the French often watch the parade on TV in the morning, and then they meet up for a dinner among friends or family, maybe even a barbecue or a picnic by the water or in a city park. If you go to a restaurant, you better book on that day! Some cities organize city meals.

Le soir, les Français vont voir un feu d’artifice et vont après danser au “bal populaire” qui est très souvent organisé par les villages. Les Français aiment bien danser ! Les villages organisent aussi quelquefois des compétitions de boules, des jeux pour les enfants, quand il n’y a pas de  fête foraine dans les environ !

In the evening, the French watch fireworks and then go dancing in a “popular ball” which is often organized by villages. French people love to dance! Villages also sometimes organize French bowling competitions, games for children, when there are no fun fairs around!

À Paris, il y a un grand concert sur le Champs-de-Mars : Bob Sinclar, l’orchestre national de France, Johnny Holiday… Les Parisiens y vont très nombreux…

In Paris, there is a huge concert on the Champs-de-Mars (under the Eiffel Tower): Bob Sinclar, The French national orchestra, Johnny Holiday… French people attend in mass.

essay in french on paris

Everything is Closed in France on Bastille Day

Bastille day is a national holiday in France so of course, postal offices, museums, banks and most shops are closed.

Restaurants and coffees outside of the most touristic areas may be closed as well. However, bakeries and some Parisian shops, as well as shops in airports and train stations or alongside the major roads may be open.

Schedules of public transportation may also vary.

In major cities (Paris in particular), major roads will be closed for parades and other events. Depending on the size of the city, this can be a major inconvenience during several days: I invite you to read Olivier’s article “ think twice about visiting Paris around Bastille Day “!

Look for Special Bastille Day Celebrations in Your Local Newspapers or Your Town’s Website

Even if you don’t live in France, there is probably something organized for Bastille day not too far from you: it may be something official that you’ll find in your town’s newspaper or website, or something done privately by a French school, restaurant or shop… So open your eyes and ask around.

Joyeux 14 juillet à tous!

Main picture copyright  Yann Caradec

If you enjoy learning French in context, check out French Today’s downloadable French audiobooks : French Today’s bilingual novels are recorded at different speeds and enunciation, and focus on today’s modern glided pronunciation. 

Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Born and raised in Paris, I have been teaching today's French to adults for 25+ years in the US and France. Based on my students' goals and needs, I've created unique downloadable French audiobooks focussing on French like it's spoken today, for all levels. Come to Paimpol and enjoy an exclusive French immersion homestay with me in Brittany .

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essay in french on paris

Published on October 6th, 2023 | by Adrian Lomezzo

How to Write an Essay in French Without Giving Yourself Away as a Foreigner

essay in french on paris

Image source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-quote-on-a-paper-5425603/

Bienvenue! Do you dream of unleashing your inner French literary genius, but worry that your writing might inadvertently reveal your foreign roots? Fret not, mes amis, as we have the ultimate guide to help you master the art of essay writing en Français!

Within these pages, we’ll navigate the intricate waters of linguistic nuances, cultural subtleties, and grammatical finesse, allowing you to exude the aura of a native French speaker effortlessly. Many students like you have embarked on this journey, seeking academic assistance from platforms like  https://paperwritten.com/  to conquer their writing pursuits.

From crafting a compelling introduction to fashioning impeccable conclusions, we’ll unveil the secrets that will leave your professors applauding your newfound linguistic prowess. So, bid adieu to those awkward linguistic giveaways and embrace the sheer elegance of French expression – all while keeping your foreign identity beautifully concealed! Let’s embark on this adventure together and unlock the true essence of writing like a native French virtuoso.

essay in french on paris

1.   Mastering French Grammar and Vocabulary: Building a Strong Foundation

To create a compelling French essay, it’s essential to lay a solid groundwork. Ensure that your French grammar is accurate and that you possess a rich vocabulary. Avoid relying on online translators, as they may yield awkward or incorrect sentences. Instead, embrace reputable dictionaries and language resources to enhance your language skills effectively.

2.   Mimic Sentence Structures: The Art of Authentic Expression

To truly immerse yourself in the French language, observe and mimic the sentence structures used by native speakers. Analyzing essays written by experienced writers can prove invaluable in grasping the authentic style required to compose a captivating essay.

3.   Use Transition Words: Crafting a Smooth Flow of Ideas

In French essays, the use of transition words and phrases plays a pivotal role in connecting ideas seamlessly. Incorporate expressions like “de plus,” “en outre,” “en conclusion,” “tout d’abord,” and “par conséquent” to add coherence and elegance to your writing.

4.   Embrace French Idioms and Expressions: Unveiling Cultural Fluency

Demonstrate a deeper understanding of the French language and culture by incorporating idioms and expressions where appropriate. However, remember to use them sparingly to avoid overwhelming your essay.

5.   Pay Attention to Formality: Striking the Right Tone

Tailor the formality of your writing to suit the context of your essay. Whether you are crafting an academic piece or a more personal creation, be mindful of your choice of vocabulary and sentence structures to match the required tone.

6.   Research Cultural References: The Power of In-depth Knowledge

If your essay touches upon French culture, history, or literature, extensive research is key. Delve into your subjects to avoid mistakes and showcase your genuine interest in the matter at hand.

7.   Avoid Direct Translations: Let French Be French

To avoid awkward phrasing, strive to think in French rather than translating directly from your native language. This will lead to a more natural and eloquent essay.

8.   Practice Writing Regularly: The Path to Proficiency

Mastering the art of French writing requires regular practice. Embrace writing in French frequently to grow more comfortable with the language and refine your unique writing style.

9.   Read French Literature: A Gateway to Inspiration

Explore the world of French literature to expose yourself to diverse writing styles. This practice will deepen your understanding of the language and immerse you further in French culture and history.

10.   Connect with French Culture: Bridges of Cultural Resonance

Incorporate cultural references that resonate with French readers, such as art, cuisine, festivals, historical figures, or social customs. Authenticity is key, so avoid relying on stereotypes.

essay in french on paris

11.   Use a French Thesaurus: Expanding Your Linguistic Palette

Discovering new contextually appropriate words can elevate your writing. Embrace a French thesaurus to find synonyms that may not be apparent through direct translations.

12.   Master French Punctuation: The Finishing Touch

Take care to use correct French punctuation marks, such as guillemets (« ») for quotes and proper accent marks. These subtle details add a professional touch to your essay.

13.   Practice French Rhetorical Devices: Crafting Eloquent Prose

Experiment with rhetorical devices like parallelism, repetition, and antithesis to lend depth and sophistication to your writing.

14.   Pay Attention to Word Order: Unlocking French Sentence Structure

French boasts a unique sentence structure distinct from English. Dive into the intricacies of subject-verb-object order and grasp the art of organizing sentences to sidestep common foreign mistakes. Embracing this essential aspect will elevate your writing to a truly native level.

15.   Use French Idiomatic Expressions: Infuse Cultural Flair

Enrich your prose with the colorful tapestry of French idioms, reflecting the vibrant essence of the culture. Yet, a word of caution – wield them with finesse, for the strategic placement of an idiom can imbue your essay with unparalleled flair and authenticity.

16.   Master Pronouns and Agreement: The Dance of Language

The dance of pronouns, nouns, and adjectives requires your keen attention. Like a skilled performer, ensure their seamless alignment to avoid inadvertently revealing your non-native status. Mastering this harmony is key to writing like a true Francophone.

essay in french on paris

17.   Understand Subtle Connotations: Unveiling Linguistic Shades

Delve into the labyrinth of French words, where subtle connotations diverge from their English counterparts. Familiarize yourself with these delicate nuances, for it is in their mastery that your writing shall find refinement.

18.   Study Formal and Informal Registers: Tailoring Language to Purpose

Akin to selecting the perfect outfit for each occasion, comprehend the art of using formal and informal language. Consider your essay’s purpose and audience, and with this knowledge, enhance your authenticity, seamlessly aligning with the appropriate linguistic register.

19.   Practice Dialogue Writing: Conversing with Eloquence

Embark on the journey of dialogue writing to enrich your linguistic repertoire. As you hone your conversational skills, watch as authenticity gracefully weaves itself into your written work, enchanting readers with its charm.

20.   Seek Feedback: A Second Set of Eyes

To refine your essay further, seek the guidance of a native French speaker or language tutor from the  best cheap essay writing services . Their valuable feedback can uncover any language or cultural mistakes you may have made, allowing you to make necessary improvements.

Equip yourself with these priceless tips and set forth on your quest to master the art of French writing. Embrace the language’s allure, immerse in its rich culture, and watch your words flow with grace and poise. À la plume! Let the pen become your ally in crafting captivating prose that echoes with authenticity and charm. 

Header Photo Credit by George Milton: https://www.pexels.com/photo/smiling-woman-in-eyeglasses-with-books-7034478/

About the Author

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Adrian Lomezzo is a content writer and likes to write about technology and education. He understands the concern of parents due to the evolving technology and researches deeply in that area. When he is not researching, he buries himself in books along with his favorite cup of hot chocolate.

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Art & Culture Travel Blog

My travel diary: three days in paris.

  • Tea Gudek Šnajdar

View on Eiffel tower from bridge across the Seine river

Paris is one of my favourite cities!

I’m so in love with its museums, French cuisine and the city’s vibe. I’m pretty lucky Paris is only three hours away by train from Amsterdam. So, I’m there quite often. However, recently, I was in Paris for the first time on a solo trip. It was a mix of business and personal trips, so I had enough time to enjoy the city during my short trip. Well, here is my travel diary with things I did during my three days in Paris.

Three days in Paris

Day one – fashionable paris.

This post contains some affiliate links.

I caught an early train from Amsterdam and was in Paris already at 10 am, soI had the whole day to explore the city. It was a rainy, grey Monday morning, and I felt like I was the only person in the city. Paris is usually packed with tourists, but its streets were almost empty this time. I had a feeling like I travelled to some different time when it was only the city of Parisians and a few travellers.

And I was one of those travellers… Explorers… Having the city only for myself.

⤷ Read more : Beginners’ art & culture guide to Paris

View on Louvre Museum from Seine river

Palais Garnier & Coco Chanel

I took a walk from the Jardin du Luxembourg, where my hotel was located, towards the Seine River, Louvre and Palais Garnier.

Palais Garnier in Paris

Before my trip, I read Christina Henry de Tessan’s book ‘Forever Paris’ . She created several self-guided tours around Paris through which travellers could follow in the footsteps of some famous people that used to live there.

I decided to follow the life of Coco Chanel. My tour started in front of the Opera Garnier, from where I continued wandering around the neighbourhood. I’ve passed next to the first Chanel store, one of the apartments the famous designer used to live in and next to the place where she used to have her morning coffee.

There is something special in reading about someone’s life and then strolling the streets where that person lived. Somehow, I could almost see Coco Chanel rushing through the small side streets from her apartment to the office with some new fashion drawings under her arm.

⤷ TIP : When in Paris next time, explore Opera Garnier! It’s a beautiful building, and you can learn a lot about it with this self-guided tour around it .

Coco Chanel store in Paris

Marais, street art & vintage shops

My first day in Paris was reserved for immersing in Parisian fashion. I had a nice and delicious lunch in one of the restaurants with a view of the Opera Garnier. And decided to spend my afternoon exploring some famous vintage shops in the Marais neighbourhood. I’ve never spent much time in that area, and it was such a  pleasant surprise. I loved its picturesque streets filled with small cute stores, cafes and restaurants. The whole area has such a relaxed vibe.

Old house in Marais in Paris

It’s filled with street and I loved spotting it all around me. I didn’t have enough time to join some of the street art tours this time, but would definitely like to do that on one of my future trips to Paris.

Street art on doors in Marais Paris

Marais is well known for some of the best vintage stores in Paris. You never know what you’ll find in them – Dior earrings or some other gem from the 1980s. Well, I wasn’t so lucky… But, I definitely enjoyed visiting them, checking the clothes they have and talking with other shoppers (who were some of the coolest people I’ve met in Paris).

Interior of the vintage store in Paris

I felt a bit sick that day, so I returned to my hotel early. I got myself a nice cup of hot tea and went to sleep.

⤷ Read more : Check out my post about exploring Paris like a local for more ideas about things to do and see in Marais.

Day two – Impressionists’ Paris

Looking for impressionists at montmartre.

When I woke up the following day, I was feeling much better. So, after breakfast in a restaurant close to my hotel, I was ready for some sightseeing again. Day two was reserved for learning more about and exploring the French Impressionism in Paris. It’s one of my favourite painting styles, and I am in love with that time, the bohemian lifestyle and the culture at the end of the 19th century.

⤷ Read more : Impressionists in Paris

Artists in Montmartre in Paris

I decided to take a tour around the Montmartre neighbourhood and learn more about the Impressionist painters that used to live and work there. I met my guide below the Sacré-Coeur Church, and we went to Montmartre, where he showed me some places important for the Impressionist movement in Paris.

When we left the most popular area of Montmartre behind us, some streets and houses still looked the same as they did at the end of the 19th century. I could almost imagine carriages strolling through those streets and music coming from the small cabarets.

Pink restaurant in Montmartre

The most special place for me was the house where Vincent and Theo van Gogh lived together during the two years Vincent spent in Paris. The painting Van Gogh painted while looking through the window of that apartment is displayed in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam . I know the painting so well, and once standing there, the place almost felt familiar to me.

⤷ Read more : Locations linked to Vincent van Gogh in Paris

Musée d’Orsay

After a short break and some tarte tatin , I went to the Musée d’Orsay. That’s THE museum to visit if you want to see some of the most famous modern paintings. And it’s home to one of the best Impressionist collections in Paris.

⤷ Read more : Impressionists at Musée d’Orsay

Tarte tatin pastry in Paris

The building in which the museum is located is a piece of art and history itself. It was built as a train station at the end of the 19th century and later converted into a museum. Visiting it will provide you with a fantastic combination of industrial architecture and a modern art collection.

Impressionist painting of Paris in Orsay Museum

⤷ TIP : To avoid queueing in front of the museum and waiting to get in, buy your Musée d’Orsay online ticket before your visit.

Musée Marmottan Monet

My guide gave me an excellent recommendation for a lovely little restaurant close to the Musée d’Orsay, called Les Antiquaires. After a delicious lunch there, I went to another museum with one of the best collections of Impressionists’ paintings in Paris – Musée Marmottan Monet.

⤷ Read more : What to see at the Musée Marmottan – Monet in Paris

Lunch in a Parisian restaurant

I visited it a few years ago on a student trip and have wanted to return since. The museum has a beautiful collection of one of the best female Impressionists – Berthe Morisot. And the most extensive collection of  artworks made by Claude Monet . It’s not a busy museum, so there is a lot of space to enjoy some of the masterpieces of Impressionism in peace and quiet. I’m always wondering why everyone is rushing to see Mona Lisa, while there are many beautiful museums around the city, like this one.

After this trip to Paris, I’m even more in love with Impressionism than before. If the hygiene level were just a bit higher, I would love to live during that time. I would be an art dealer and go on little trips to nature to paint with Monet and Renoir. Oh, those sweet dreams…

⤷ TIP : Here is the online ticket for Musée Marmottan – Monet

⤷ Read more : Best museums in Paris

Swans painting from Museum Marmottan Monet

Day three – Modernist Paris

My last day in Paris started with one of the best breakfasts and the most amazing coffees I have ever tried. I had breakfast at a charming restaurant, Carette, located close to Trocadero. I’m sure it will become my new favourite place in Paris.

Dessert and coffee in Paris

Since I have been to Paris many times, I know the city quite well. However, there was a part I was always kind of missing – the Modernist Paris. It played an essential role in shaping the city – Art Nouveau metro entrances and Eiffel Tower are just the most famous examples of architecture from that time.

Art Nouveau doors in Paris

To learn more about it, I decided to join a walking tour called the ‘Modernist Architecture’. During the tour, we explored some of the modernist buildings, learnt about the movement and visited Foundation Le Corbusier and the modern architecture exhibition in the Palais de Chaillot ( here is the online ticket for it ). It was so interesting to see how the Modernist movement shaped the way we are living today.

First time in Paris View on Seine river in Paris

After the tour and a quick lunch, it was time to catch a train back to Amsterdam. My three days in Paris were dedicated to art, mostly Impressionism and modern architecture. I also tried to learn more about some of its famous former citizens like Monet, Renoir, Cezanne and Coco Chanel.

However, once again, I have realised solo travel isn’t bad. And that French are some of the nicest people out there, who know how to cook well and enjoy life. Well, maybe my next visit should be dedicated to learning how to enjoy life like a Parisian.

Au revoir!  Until the next time, my dear city!

⤷ TIP : If you plan to visit Paris and some of its cultural sites, consider buying Paris City Card. You’ll get free or discounted entrance to many of them with it. Here is the link with more info about it .

france , impressionism , paris , solo traveling , Travel diary

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Essay on Paris

Students are often asked to write an essay on Paris in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Paris

Introduction to paris.

Paris is the capital city of France, known for its culture, art, and fashion. It is famous for landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Louvre Museum.

The City of Light

Paris is called the ‘City of Light’ because it was the first city to have street lighting. It’s also known for its intellectual and artistic shine.

Parisian Landmarks

Paris houses many iconic landmarks. The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre are just a few. These landmarks attract millions of tourists every year.

Culture and Cuisine

Paris is also famous for its food and fashion. It’s home to many fashion designers and delicious French cuisine.

Also check:

  • 10 Lines on Paris
  • Paragraph on Paris

250 Words Essay on Paris

Introduction.

Paris, often referred to as the ‘City of Light’, is not just the capital of France, but also a global hub of art, fashion, gastronomy, and culture. Its rich historical and cultural heritage, combined with its cosmopolitan vibrancy, make it a city like no other.

The Historical Significance

Paris is steeped in history, with its roots dating back to the 3rd century BC. The city’s historical significance is evident in its iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre, the world’s largest art museum. These architectural marvels narrate stories of the city’s past, reflecting the grandeur of different epochs.

Cultural Epicenter

Paris is a cultural melting pot, housing a plethora of art galleries, museums, and theaters. It has been a muse for artists, writers, and philosophers for centuries, making it a significant cultural epicenter. The city’s influence on literature, art, philosophy, fashion, and cinema is profound and far-reaching.

Gastronomic Delights

Parisian cuisine is renowned worldwide for its diversity and sophistication. From the aromatic baguettes and croissants to the exquisite wines and cheeses, Paris offers a gastronomic experience that is both unique and memorable.

Paris is more than a city; it’s an experience, a feeling. Its enchanting beauty, rich history, and vibrant culture make it a city that continues to inspire and captivate. The allure of Paris lies in its ability to blend the old with the new, tradition with innovation, creating a city that is as timeless as it is modern.

500 Words Essay on Paris

Paris, the capital city of France, is often referred to as “The City of Light” (La Ville Lumière). It is globally renowned for its art, fashion, gastronomy, and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape, crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine, is dotted with iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre Museum.

Historical Significance

Paris’ history dates back to the 3rd century BC when it was a fishing village inhabited by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe. It was conquered by the Romans in 52 BC, and its name was changed from Lutetia to Paris, in honor of the Parisii. The city played a central role during the French Revolution and the Enlightenment era, with philosophers like Rousseau and Voltaire shaping modern democratic and rational thought.

Cultural Hub

Paris is a melting pot of cultures and a hub for art and literature. The city has been a muse for countless artists, writers, and musicians. It is home to numerous museums, including the Louvre, the world’s largest art museum and a historic monument in itself. Paris’ vibrant literary scene has been the breeding ground for great literary movements such as Symbolism, Surrealism, and Existentialism.

Architectural Marvels

Paris is synonymous with architectural grandeur. The Eiffel Tower, a symbol of France, offers panoramic views of the city. The Notre-Dame Cathedral, a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, perched atop the highest point in the city, are other architectural marvels. The city’s modern architecture, such as the Centre Pompidou and the Louvre Pyramid, blends seamlessly with its classical structures.

Parisian cuisine is an integral part of the city’s identity. Known for its bakeries, cafes, and markets, Paris offers a culinary journey like no other. From croissants and baguettes to escargot and foie gras, the city caters to diverse palates. The wine culture is also deeply embedded in Parisian society, with the city being surrounded by several of the world’s leading wine regions.

Paris is a city that embodies the spirit of France. Its rich history, cultural significance, architectural wonders, and gastronomic delights make it a city of unparalleled charm. It is a city that has inspired and continues to inspire artists, writers, and thinkers from around the world. As Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “Paris is a moveable feast,” a sentiment that rings true for anyone who has had the pleasure of experiencing the city’s magic.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Visit to Orphanage
  • Essay on Orphanage
  • Essay on Online Classes

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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essay in french on paris

essay in french on paris

The Search for a Revolutionary Architecture

After the french revolution, the architect étienne-louis boullée produced wildly ambitious building designs that were never realized. his ideas influenced both the right and the left — and raised the question of whether a revolutionary architecture is possible..

Étienne-Louis Boullée, born in Paris in 1728, is remembered as one of the greatest architects of all time, even though the majority of his most iconic designs were never actually constructed. Steeped in the neoclassical style, which emerged in Rome but matured in France in the years leading up to the French Revolution, he began teaching at the prestigious École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées when he was only nineteen years old. His income secured through teaching, Boullée was able to devote himself to theoretical questions about the nature and purpose of architecture, questions working architects — bound by spatial and financial limitations, not to mention the tastes of their clients — could seldom afford to ask.

Grand Designs

Boullée grew up in a time that saw extensive debate over the relationship between architecture and other art forms, with some wondering if it ought to be considered an art at all. In his 1746 treatise The Fine Arts Reduced to a Single Principle ( Les Beaux-Arts réduits à un même principe ), the philosopher Charles Batteux argued that the imitation of “la belle nature” was the object of all artists except the architect. The primary function of a building, Batteaux argued, was not to evoke an emotion or convey an idea but to provide a service. Functionally, architecture was more akin to a bed or a couch than a painting or a poem.

Boullée disagreed. In his essay Architecture, Essay on Art ( Essai sur l’art ), which remained unpublished until 1953, he imagines what the art of architecture could accomplish if its practitioners consider not only the function of a building but its cultural significance. “To give a building character,” his essay reads, “is to make judicial use of every means of producing no other sensation than those related to the subject.” Funerary monuments, in addition to housing the dead, should induce feelings of “extreme sorrow,” something Boullée’s designs achieve via their use of light-absorbent materials, shadows, and bare walls, creating “an architectural skeleton” similar to the skeleton of a tree in midwinter. His source of inspiration was the Egyptian pyramids, which “conjure up the melancholy image of arid mountains and immutability.”

Tombs of noteworthy individuals Boullée burdened with an additional task: to inspire respect for and celebrate the achievements of those buried inside them. His hypothetical Cenotaph for Isaac Newton, who died a year before Boullée’s own birth, is shaped like an enormous sphere because the late mathematician’s law of gravity “defined the shape of the earth.” Inside, holes in the ceiling would, in broad light, create the illusion of a night sky.

Although images of Boullée’s architecture frequently surface online, the theory behind his fantastical designs — and its relevance to the French Revolution — remains unexplored. This is puzzling, as many of the designs discussed in Essay on Art are dedicated to revolutionary ideas and institutions. Take, for example, his thoughts on the Cult of the Supreme Being. Established by the lawyer-cum-revolutionary Maximilian de Robespierre in 1794, the cult, revolving around an unnamed god of rationality, was once intended to replace Roman Catholicism as the official religion of the French Republic.

Like Newton’s Cenotaph, Boullée felt that temples built for the divinity had to inspire “astonishment and wonder.” This could be accomplished with size, which “has such power over our senses” that even a deadly volcano possesses a subliminal beauty. Complementing size was light, which, when originating from a source unknown to the onlooker, would emulate the grace of the godhead itself.

Of the numerous palaces mentioned in Boullée’s essay, only one was intended for a sovereign. The others are dedicated to republican ideals such as justice, the nation, and the municipality. He designed each palace to inspire reverence for its subject. The Palace of Justice, containing the parliamentary courts, excise boards, and audit offices, rests atop a small prison — a “metaphorical image of Vice overwhelmed by the weight of Justice.”

The National Palace, more of a symbol of the strength and unity of the French Republic than a functional administrative building, would have used giant tablets of the constitutional laws as walls along with, at their base, rows of figures representing the number of republican provinces.

The Municipal Palace contained the magistrates of Paris’s districts. Designed in 1792, when Boullée was sixty-four, it would have featured large entrances and connections between galleries to signal its accessibility to all. Notably, each of these palace designs was endowed with a sense of majesty hitherto reserved for monarchs.

Boullée’s architectural style matches what Victor Hugo defined as the French Revolution’s own artistic style in his 1874 novel Ninety-Three , with “hard rectilinear angles, cold and cutting as steel . . . something like Boucher guillotined by David.” Boullée’s designs certainly match the tone of French painting and architecture produced in Year II (roughly 1793, according to the French Republican calendar), which Anthony Vidler, a professor of architecture at Cooper Union in New York, describes as a “stern, stripped, almost abstracted form of neo-Classicism.”

More recent assessments situate Boullée in the framework of the French Enlightenment as a whole rather than the French Revolution in particular, arguing that he wasn’t influenced by the latter so much as he was an influence on it. The shift from decorative baroque and rococo to austere neoclassicism far predated the storming of the Bastille, even if both processes originated from the same socioeconomic discontents. Boullée’s revolutionary aura derived not from political action but creative introspection, from the perceived importance of connecting form to function.

Architects of Revolution

Scholars have speculated that Boullée’s designs were never constructed due to doubts over his loyalty following the Revolution. In this case, his promise that the concept for the Palace of the Sovereign, created before Louis XVI’s execution in 1793, “could be adapted to other monuments not destined to be a Sovereign’s residence,” failed to convince his fellow citoyens that he was on their side and not — as some claimed — that of the royalists. Still, even if Boullée himself was indeed ostracized during this time, his architectural vision — which adapted the visual language of the ancien régime for the young republic — survived.

While aestheticians argued about the artistic merit of architecture, revolutionaries questioned its political relevance. On the eve of the French Revolution, public perception of architects and architecture — their place in the old world as well as the new one — was largely negative. Architecture, specifically in the form of large, intimidating buildings, was a physical manifestation of monarchic order. By this reasoning, dismantling the latter necessarily involved destroying the former, as evidenced by the storming and subsequent demolition of the Bastille, as well as the destruction or partial destruction of other structures in and around Paris.

Not all revolutionaries participated in this iconoclasm, however. Henri Jean-Baptiste Grégoire, a priest, campaigned for the protection of architecture dated to the “epoch of feudalism” — not because of its artistic or historic value but because, if left intact in “a kind of perpetual pillory,” it would preserve the face of tyranny as a warning for future generations.

Through his Essay on Art , Boullée helped shape a new, democratic architecture to replace its aristocratic predecessor. This democratic architecture did more than glorify the revolutionary cause; it envisioned what a civilization organized along the lines of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité could look like. Boullée’s Coliseum, a venue for national holidays and festivals based on its ancient Roman counterpart, would have been able to seat three hundred thousand people — half of the capital’s population at the time.

Under the monarchy, celebrations were often held at the Hôtel de Ville, a space “so restricted that there could hardly have been room for the carriages of the King and all his retinue.” For Boullée, public events only made sense if they took place in a venue large enough to accommodate everyone. His design includes covers sheltering people from both rain and sun, and a large number of broad staircases to ensure everyone could escape in case of an emergency.

Boullée showed similar concern for safety when designing theaters, which in his time habitually caught fire, causing countless deaths and injuries. Noting audiences could not enjoy themselves if part of them feared for their lives, Boullée designed his theaters using stone. The only flammable element, a podium made from wood, would be constructed above a water tank and submerged if set ablaze. Like the Coliseum, Boullée’s theaters had numerous spacious exits to allow for speedy evacuation.

Boullée’s impact on revolutionary architecture extends far beyond France. The scale and scope of his designs are echoed in the unrealized structures of other modernist revolutions on both the Left and the fascist far-right: the Monument to the Third International (also known as Tatlin’s Tower) and the Palace of the Soviets in Russia, but also in the Volkshalle of Nazi Germany. Conceived when the regimes they venerated were in their early years — Vladimir Tatlin’s design for Tatlin’s Tower was first unveiled in 1920, while Adolf Hitler sketched the Volkshalle sometime after his visit to Rome in 1938 — these overly ambitious construction projects are a reflection of a modernist zeal that was capable of taking protean forms.

But this same ambition also heralds the inevitable downfall of such movements, and today the impossibly large size typifying the work of Boullée and his devotees — a size that renders the individual human insect-like — is more often interpreted as dystopian than revolutionary.

Boullée’s influence on the visual culture of twentieth-century totalitarian regimes does not complicate his legacy as a revolutionary architect. On the contrary, the interest and resources both communist and fascist regimes have devoted to their respective architectural projects only reaffirms his at the time ridiculed belief that architecture’s power extended beyond functionality, illustrating ideas, evoking powerful emotions, and channeling those emotions into a political cause ­— reactionary or progressive. Boullée’s force cannot be stopped, only shifted in different directions.

If the French Republic had decided to build Boullée’s Cenotaph or Coliseum, it would have not only broken the architectural records of its time but those of our own as well. This, above any other reason, explains why they were not built and, in all likelihood, never will be. As historian Jules Michelet, born the year after Boullée’s death in 1799, put it, “while the Empire had its columns and Royalty had the Louvre, the Revolution had for its monument . . . only the void. Its monument was the sand, as flat as that of Arabia. . . . A tumulus to the right and a tumulus to the left, like those erected by the Gauls, dark and doubtful witnesses to the memory of heroes.”

A sketch of architect Étienne-Louis Boullée's plans for Cenotaph for Isaac Newton, 1784. (Wikimedia Commons)

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  • Paris in Summer: 14 Must-Sees to Live Like a Local

In July and August, Paris is transformed into a seaside resort. Terraces, beaches, and swimming on the banks of the Seine... Open-air swimming pools, music festivals, and cinemas... For a successful weekend or extended stay in the City of Light, follow The MICHELIN Guide's recommendations!

Summer Editor's Pick Travel

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Paris by The MICHELIN Guide

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Residents and tourists alike agree: summer is the ideal time to explore the French capital in the fresh air, strolling from dawn 'til dusk, enjoying the city's many parks and gardens. Without further ado, discover 14 must-do experiences to enjoy Paris and the Greater Paris area in fine weather and to really live like a Parisian!

Image Credit: Patrick Minero / Unsplash

1. Rediscover Paris by the Water

2. celebrate 'la fête de la musique' all night long.

Jardin du Luxembourg © Rafael_Wiedenmeier/iStock

NEW: Discover Paris by The MICHELIN Guide Expert insights on where to stay, dine and enjoy the City of Light

3. Show Your Support for the LGBTQI+ Community

Image Credit: Mathias Reding / Unsplash

4. Relax on One of the Capital's 3,000 Terraces

Le Tout-Paris (Cheval Blanc Paris) © Edouard François

5. Swim in the Most Beautiful Open-Air Pool in Paris

 © Molitor Paris

6. Party Away at Outdoor Music Festivals

Image Credit: Hugo Herrera / Unsplash

7. Marvel at the Fête Nationale Fireworks Display

Image Credit: Grégoire Quemener / Unsplash

8. Go Bargain Hunting in the Open Air, From Books to Antiques

Image Credit: Roman Kraft / Unsplash

9. Experience an Outdoor Cinema

© Luca Tosti / Festival Silhouette

10. Rent a Boat On the Bassin de la Villette

© Marin d'Eau Douce

11. Taste the Best Ice Creams and Sorbets in Paris

Raspberry 'snow granita' © Jade Genin

In summer, Jade Genin (daughter of the famous Parisian chocolatier Jacques Genin) offers an ice cream collection with two headliners: 'snow granitas' and ice creams. Her finely grated granitas have the texture of snow and are inspired by Japanese 'kakigoris', minus the syrups. Entirely plant-based, with no flavoring or additives of any kind, and no white sugar, they appeal to taste purists. As for the ice creams, they are made without turbines, using only premium ingredients like Tahitian vanilla and Bronte pistachio. The result? Intense flavors and an ultra-creamy texture! Visit their boutique at 33 avenue de l'Opéra, in the 2nd arrondissement.

12. Visit Paris's Best Museums for Free

Image Credit: The Free Birds / Unsplash

13. Admire the 'Nuit aux Invalides' Sound and Light Show

© La Nuit aux Invalides

14. Go Window Shopping to Take Advantage of the Sales

The garden at Cheval Blanc Paris © Yann Deret

Hero Image: © jptinoco/iStock

essay in french on paris

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A Young Actress Restarts Her Life in Postwar Paris

Young actress Barbara Laage exercised at a rooftop gymnasium in Paris, 1946.

Nina Leen/LIfe Picture Collection/Shutterstock

World War II was horrible in a lot of ways, and for a lot of people. For Parisians, the war meant four years of German occupation, ending with the city’s liberation in 1944 .

That context is important to remember when looking at this photo essay by NIna Leen about aspiring actress Barbara Laage , which appeared in the June 3, 1946 issue of the magazine . This 25-year-old may look like she is living the life of a young bohemian, but she was also one of many attempting to get herself back on track after the war. Laage had fled Paris during the German occupation, and now she was back home and looking to thrive rather than just survive. Or as LIFE put it:

Basically the story of Barbara Laage…is the universal story of an ambitious young career girl. But in this particular case, however, it takes on the complexion of a social document, showing how postwar Paris is living by its wits and keeping up its spirits.

Laage was promising enough of a prospect that when Leen followed her around, the world was already opening up for her. Stylists and clothing designers were giving free services to the up-and-coming stage actress. And this story would not be the last time Laage was photographed for LIFE. Nina Leen also used Laage as a model for a story on swimsuit fashions , and photographed her again when Laage came to the United States to further her acting career. Pictures from those shoots are included in this collection.

It was just the beginning for Laage, who collected 45 film and television credits in the United States and Europe, even sharing the screen with Paul Newman in her supporting role in the 1961 film Paris Blues , an American movie that was a love letter to her old hometown.

Young actress Barbara Laage exercised at a rooftop gymnasium in Paris, 1946. Nina Leen/LIfe Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage enjoyed ice cream in Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage in her Paris apartment, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage in Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
The Paris apartment of Barbara Laage was crammed with books, mostly having to do with the theater, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Laage received instruction from a more veteran actor, Maurice Escande, backstage at a Paris theater, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage rode her bicycle to work in Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage arrived at the theater where she was appearing in a play, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Barbara Laage sang in a show called “Quatre Rues,” Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage counted out her relatively meager pay after a performance, Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage tried on a dress lent to her by the dressmaker Rochas, while her boyfriend held a mirror for her, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage received free hairdos in exchange for letting the salon use her image for publicity purposes, Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage with dramatist Leopold Marchand, who was writing a play for her, Paris, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage at a dinner to which friends are treating her, Paris, 1946. Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage perused a write-up about her at a Paris newsstand, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
Actress Barbara Laage, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
French actress Barbara Laage wearing makeshift two-piece bathing suit she cut from one yard of cloth, wading in surf, 1946. Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock
French actress Barbara Laage in New York City, 1946. Nina LeenLife Picture Collection/Shutterstock
French actress Barbara Laage in New York City, 1946. Nina Leen/Life Picture Collection/Shutterstock

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A Deadly Ambush, a Giant Manhunt and 3 Weeks With No Arrest

The aftermath of a brazen attack on a prison convoy has raised uncomfortable questions for France’s justice system.

A group of officers standing around two police vans.

By Aurelien Breeden

Reporting from Paris

Dozens of investigators scoured the crime scene in northern France. More than 450 police officers combed the countryside and the surrounding area. Interpol issued an alert .

French officials said they would “spare no effort or means” to track down heavily armed assailants who ambushed a prison convoy in a brazen daytime attack, killing two guards and freeing an inmate.

But three weeks into an extensive manhunt , the suspects are still on the run.

The case has raised uncomfortable questions about whether France’s justice system fully grasped how dangerous the inmate was and if its overburdened prisons had played a role.

The authorities have been tight-lipped, declining even to specify how many people participated in the attack. But they say their investigation has made progress.

Laure Beccuau, the top Paris prosecutor, told Franceinfo radio last week that the authorities had “a number of leads that I would describe as serious.” She did not elaborate, saying only that the ambush had been well-organized, and that the suspects appeared to have planned hide-outs.

The attackers vanished in stolen cars that were later found burned. Experts say it is only a question of when, not if, they are captured.

“It always takes a bit of time,” said Christian Flaesch, the former head of the Paris police criminal investigations department. But in the end, he added, fugitives “are almost all caught.”

Violent prison breaks are rare in France. The two prison guards who died in the attack last month, at a highway tollbooth about 85 miles northwest of Paris, were the first to be killed in the line of duty in 32 years.

“This violence is quite unprecedented,” said Brendan Kemmet, a journalist and author of books about France’s most famous prison escapees, including Antonio Ferrara and Rédoine Faïd, notorious armed robbers who both staged separate jailbreaks involving helicopters, in 2003 and 2018 .

Mr. Ferrara was caught after four months on the run; Mr. Faïd, after three . How long the inmate who escaped last month, Mohamed Amra, will evade capture is an open question.

“He’s now France’s most wanted man,” Mr. Kemmet said.

Mr. Amra, 30 — also known as La Mouche, or The Fly — had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for burglary, one of more than a dozen convictions for crimes including extortion and assault.

But he was also under investigation on more serious charges — in Marseille, in connection with a kidnapping and homicide, and in Rouen, in connection with an attempted homicide and extortion case. His lawyer declined to comment for this article.

The Interpol alert — a red notice — could indicate suspicions that Mr. Amra has fled France. Experts said a flight abroad could not be ruled out, but noted that the ambush occurred about 125 miles from the nearest border, and that Mr. Amra was native to the Rouen region, where he was being detained before the attack.

Criminals on the run “tend to fall back on familiar ground,” Mr. Flaesch said.

Fugitives can evade detection by holing up and using a network of criminal or personal acquaintances to stay supplied. But those networks are likely now under close watch — phones tapped, trips tailed, routines scrutinized for unusual activity.

Guillaume Farde, a security expert who teaches at Sciences Po university in Paris, noted that an unusually large pizza order helped police eventually track down the Brussels hide-out of Salah Abdeslam , who helped carry out the November 2015 attack that killed 130 people in the French capital.

“The only way to escape from a manhunt, even temporarily, is to stop moving,” Mr. Farde said. “Until someone in the entourage either makes a mistake or gives information — or both.”

Mr. Abdeslam was taken into custody after a shootout; he had spent four months on the run. But Mr. Abdeslam did not have a business to manage, and experts said Mr. Amra may find it harder to stay under the radar.

The authorities initially described Mr. Amra as a midlevel criminal whose profile did not match the risky ambush. But details of the investigations that involved him, published in French news outlets, have come to paint a different picture.

Based on leaked police reports and phone tapping records, Le Parisien and BFMTV reported that Mr. Amra had juggled cellphones from behind bars to run schemes that they said included drug trafficking and kidnappings for ransom. He also tried to buy assault rifles while in prison, the reports said.

Éric Dupond-Moretti, France’s justice minister, acknowledged before Parliament last week that Mr. Amra had shown signs of “dangerousness” that “did not seem to have been taken into consideration.”

He has ordered an internal investigation into the prison administration’s handling of Mr. Amra — even as questions swirl about coordination between other branches of the justice system.

In a guest essay in Le Monde , two top judges, Béatrice Brugère and Jean-Christophe Muller, referenced the case and said efforts to combat organized crime in France were split between law enforcement units that did not always cooperate adequately.

Mr. Amra was targeted by separate investigations in different jurisdictions. If those inquiries had been merged, the judges wrote, “the true extent of the dangerousness of this criminal and of his supporters” would have been clear.

It remains unclear whether police investigators in Marseille and Rouen had shared any information with prison officials, who had increased security for Mr. Amra’s convoy but not to the maximum level.

Still, the case has brought attention to a French prison system that is bursting at the seams.

France’s official prison watchdog warned recently that incarceration rates were reaching highs every month: There were nearly 77,500 inmates in April, but room for fewer than 62,000. That has led to overcrowded and unsanitary cells and violence, the watchdog says.

“We’ve been chronically understaffed for the past 10 to 15 years, and recruitment isn’t making up for job vacancies,” said Wilfried Fonck, a representative of UFAP-UNSA, a prison guards’ union that staged protests after Mr. Amra’s escape. “And on the other side, the prison population goes up every month.”

The reports about Mr. Amra conducting business from behind bars did not surprise Mr. Fonck. Drones have delivered phones to prisoners in the past, he noted, and guards were barred from searching inmates leaving visiting rooms, making it easier for contraband to slip in.

Mr. Dupond-Moretti, the justice minister, has said that the government will work to address the issues highlighted by Mr. Amra’s case by deploying more anti-drone and phone-scrambling tools in prisons. It also will consider allowing more systematic searches and the use of videoconferencing to avoid unnecessary transportation of inmates, he said.

Unions are hopeful that the government will follow through, but cautious.

“Prisons have been sick for 30 years,” Mr. Fonck said. “Not since yesterday.”

Aurelien Breeden is a reporter for The Times in Paris, covering news from France. More about Aurelien Breeden

EAS Miscellany

Eas miscellany: the digital companion to early american studies: an interdisciplinary journal..

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Contemporaneous and Contemporary French Perspectives on the American Revolution: Revisiting the French-American Connection? – Carine Lounissi

The American Revolution was a world event. All of Europe and its colonies were interested in what happened in the North American colonies. French authors and journalists published extensively on the conflict. Consequently, there is a huge corpus of printed materials and archives in continental Europe that scholars are currently exploring to better understand the intellectual, political, economic, and diplomatic aspects of American Independence. In addition, the presence in France of major American figures such Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, as well as other less well-known American agents such as merchants and sailors makes it necessary to include the French side of the story in the narrative of the American Revolution. The interactions between Americans and French intellectual, diplomatic, and economic figures also contributed to the definition of American identity. Therefore, I believe that French scholars working on the American Revolution complement U.S.-centered understandings of this event by moving the focus away from the Britain-U.S. perspective. Their work also reminds historians that relations with France were not peripheral to the American Revolution and went beyond the folklore that has come to surround the Marquis de Lafayette. 

essay in french on paris

Studying the American Revolution from the vantage point of a country that has a rich revolutionary tradition of its own has both advantages and drawbacks, however. Because of the French Revolution, French scholars may be more sensitive to the universal meanings of the American Revolution, and they also must acknowledge that the first modern anti-monarchical revolution took place in the U.S. rather than in France. They also have to take stock of the fact that the U.S. invented many of the modern political forms that are still favored by Western democracies, including declarations of rights and written constitutions and conventions. To some extent, the comparison between these two revolutions and the motif of the sister republics still hovers over such studies. The post-Atlantic-Revolutions era of scholarship may have arrived, but the question of the potential “influence” or connection between the American and French Revolutions continues, consciously or not, to influence how scholars study the Age of Revolutions, as the historical sequence of these events still bewilders both French and American scholars. 

essay in french on paris

My own work on French reception of printed works (books, newspapers, and visual representations) pertaining to the American Revolution in the 1770s and 1780s fills a historiographical gap and helps to answer some of the questions raised by the still undecided issue of the connection between the French and American revolutions. It also contributes to our understanding of how ideas circulated in France and between France and the U.S. at key moments in the history of both countries (the end of the Ancien Régime in France and the creation of a republic in the U.S.). The American Revolution brought the topic of colonialism to the foreground of French politics just as debates about French institutions were becoming more central. The French then brought these anti-colonial, anti-aristocratic, and anti-monarchical threads together from 1789 onward. So, on the French side, revisiting French understandings of the American Revolution before the French Revolution may help us better situate our own revolution as well. 

essay in french on paris

Carine Lounissi is Associate Professor of American University at the University of Rouen-Normandy. Her research interests are late eighteenth-century intellectual history and more specifically transatlantic intellectual cooperation and debates during the Age of Revolutions. She has published two books on one of the major figures of these transatlantic circulations, Thomas Paine. The most recent one, relying on new sources and archives by and about Paine, is titled Thomas Paine and the French Revolution (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018). Her current project is devoted to the reception of the American Revolution in France from 1776 onward. She is assistant editor of the Thomas Paine Papers to be published by Princeton University Press in 2025 and a member of the steering committee of the AMERICA2026 project coordinated by Bertrand Van Ruymbeke.

Read Lounissi’s freely accessible article “ The Impact of the American Revolution on French Anticolonial and Antislavery Views in the 1780s ” in EAS ’s Winter 2024 issue.

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  24. Hold the French Fries! Paris Olympics Chart a New Gastronomic Course

    Reporting from Paris. May 29, 2024. There will be no French fries for the 15,000 athletes at the Olympic Games that open in France in July. Yes, you read that right. In what is being called the ...

  25. Biden aims to deepen transatlantic ties with trip to France for D-Day

    US President Joe Biden will touch down in Paris on Wednesday for a trip marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and engaging in a State Visit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

  26. A Young Actress Restarts Her Life in Postwar Paris

    World War II was horrible in a lot of ways, and for a lot of people. For Parisians, the war meant four years of German occupation, ending with the city's liberation in 1944.. That context is important to remember when looking at this photo essay by NIna Leen about aspiring actress Barbara Laage, which appeared in the June 3, 1946 issue of the magazine.

  27. No Arrest in Prisoner Manhunt in France, Weeks After Deadly Ambush

    June 5, 2024, 12:01 a.m. ET. Dozens of investigators scoured the crime scene in northern France. More than 450 police officers combed the countryside and the surrounding area. Interpol issued an ...

  28. Contemporaneous and Contemporary French Perspectives on the American

    Figure 2. Benjamin Franklin and Charles Gravier de Vergennes corrected the page proofs for these printed essays on the American Revolution. Essais historiques et politiques sur la révolution de l'Amérique septentrionale, Tome II, (Bruxelles; Paris), 1781-1782," Hilliard d'Auberteuil, Michel-René.