6 things you may not have known about Paris!
From the Pont des Arts to the Place de la Concorde, Montmartre and the Paris sewers, Paris is a city that never ceases to fascinate.
Discover our 6 little anecdotes that you can proudly share with your beloved or your children on your next visit to Paris!
We were swimming in the Seine long before the Olympics!
During the triathlon competitions at the Paris Olympics, you may have seen the athletes take to the river Seine. This river running through Paris was treated for many months before this feat was made possible.
And yet, did you know that up until the 1920s, some Parisians regularly bathed in it? Some even drank it without fear, until scientists alerted the authorities to the Seine’s polluted state, and a prefectoral decree banned bathing in 1923.
La Concorde, a multi-faceted square
Did you know? The majestic Place de la Concorde, not far from the hotel, was once the city’s main place of public execution: this is where former French king Louis XVI and his wife Marie-Antoinette were guillotined during the French Revolution.
This is also the site of the world’s largest sundial: the obelisk at its heart has been telling passers-by the time since 1836!
Thanks to the sun, it casts a shadow on the ground. If you look closely at the cobblestones, you’ll see Roman numerals corresponding to the hours of the day.
There are a thousand more anecdotes about this fascinating historic square.
Hidden vineyards in Montmartre
Since the 1930s, vines have been planted on the heights of the Montmartre district. Their main purpose is to limit real estate development and, in so doing, give this unique Parisian neighborhood a bucolic atmosphere found nowhere else in the capital. Montmartre’s vines are cultivated by local residents, and their grapes are harvested every year during the Fête des Vendanges, a festive celebration that we love!
Paris in the spotlight!
Le Moulin Rouge, Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulin, Inception… you’ve probably seen 1,000 films or series shot in Parisian settings, but did you know that there are an average of 15 to 20 shoots a day? Filming in the streets is free of charge, and crews simply need to obtain a permit for every park or monument they see.
The Pont des Arts was covered with thousands of padlocks
Famous for its breathtaking views over the Seine and its magnificent sunsets, the Pont des Arts has over the years also become the site of a famous romantic tradition. Couples from all over the world would meet there to write their names or initials on a padlock, attach it to the bridge gates, then throw the key into the Seine. Alas, in 2014, the colossal weight of the thousands of padlocks (45 tons!) threatened the structure of the bridge, so they had to be removed.
A crocodile discovered in the sewers of Paris!
There are many legends about underground Paris: ghosts and monsters in the catacombs, the most fantastic beasts in the sewers…
In 1984, reality surpassed fiction: cleaners from the City of Paris discovered a 1m crocodile swimming in the capital’s underground waters! Recovered by firefighters, the little crocodile has been living happily ever since at the aquarium in Vannes, Brittany.