------------------------ LOCATION

------------------------- DISCOVER OUR DISTRICT

5 minutes walk from the hotel: Eiffel Tower, Champs de Mars.
10 minutes walk from the hotel: Trocadero.
15 minutes by BUS: Champs-Elysées, Saint Germain des Prés.
15 minutes by metro: Opéra, Louvre Museum, Chatelet-les Halles.
15 minutes by metro: Ile Saint-Louis, Main Boulevards, Notre Dame
45 minutes by RER line A direct to Eurodisney Paris .

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A cocktail of relaxation and discovery which you can organise according to your own wishes.

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The Eiffel Tower is one of the most symbolic monuments of Paris. Built in puddled iron, it lies on the Champ-de-Mars and measures 324 metres (with its aerial). It bears the name of the person responsible for its construction, the engineer, Gustave Eiffel . The craziest building ever, today, it is the symbol of Paris and is also one of the most visited sites in the city.

The Arc de Triomphe. At the top of the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile is the most famous symbol of our national history. Decorated with sculpted groups on all its facades, "the volunteers' departure", facing the Champs-Elysées, it invites you to visit it. More than fifty metres above the ground, you will dominate the city and be able to admire the world famous views created by the city's architects, first of whom was Baron Haussmann. In the heart of the bustling city, in a district where the world of business meets the world of trade and tourism, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, above and beyond its architectural and artistic value, is part of our collective conscience. It is part of our urban landscape and our national culture. You are invited to visit a monument where the past meets the present.

The Champs de Mars: Its name comes from Roman times (and, therefore, the Roman God Mars, the God of war). Before the French Revolution, the Champs de Mars was one of the King's drilling grounds. The military school occupied the area to the rear of the Champs de Mars. On the 14 July 1790, one year after the Bastille was taken, the Fete de la Federation, namely of all French people, was celebrated at the Champs de Mars. Today, the Champs de Mars lies at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, a world famous tourist site. It is now covered with parks and, in particular, a floral park.

Trocadero: The Trocadero Palace was built for the 1878 Universal Exhibition. It survived until 1937, the date at which the present-day Palais de Chaillot was built for the Art and Techniques Exhibition. Today, this pavilion is home to the Marine Museum and the Museum of French monuments. Situated at the top of Chaillot hill, the Place du Trocadéro-et-du-11-Novembre was redesigned in a semicircular layout around 1860. The statue of Foch, which dominates it, is the work of Robert Wlérick and Raymond Martin and dates from 1951. The vast Palais de Chaillot was built by the architects Carlu, Boileau and Azéma for the Universal Exhibition in 1937, on the site of the former Trocadero Palace built by Davioud in 1878. Some of the features of the original building have been preserved and included in the new building. The two curved wings, measuring 195 metres each, link two large pavilions and are greatly appreciated by visitors. The whole building, decorated with seventy-one paintings and sculptures, provides an impressive insight into the world of decorative arts of the 1930s. The wing of the Palais de Chaillot is home to the Museum of French Monuments, created in 1882 from an idea by Viollet-le-Duc, and presents decorative architectural features from the Middle Ages to the start of the 20 th century. By following the building in a downwards direction, it is possible to see a magnificent purple beech tree at the corner of the garden. At the foot of the Palais de Chaillot, the Paris wing of the cinema founded by Henri Langlois at the end of the 1930s, can be found, a source of delight for generations of film goers. Today, only a viewing room still remains, restored following a fire in 1997. It is called the Salle Chaillot to distinguish it from the one on the Main Boulevards at No.42, Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle. The gardens of the Trocadero were laid out in 1937 and cover a surface area of over 9 ha. They lie on the site of the former gardens designed by Alphand for the 1878 Universal Exhibition. Two English-style gardens, lying below the east wing of the Palais de Chaillot, offer a reminder of Alphand's creations, with streams, rock gardens and a small bridge, shaded by remarkable trees such as the Pterocarya Caucasia and a Turkish hazel planted below. It is also possible to walk along the large pond, known to Parisians for its fountains. The belvedere of the Libertés-et-des-Droits-de-l'Homme stretches between two large pavilions at the foot of which stands eight golden bronze statues, including Flore, a masterpiece of elegance by Marcel Gimond. The view over the Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars is splendid.

Notre Dame de Paris: The cathedral of all French cathedrals which stands at the south-eastern tip of Ile de la Cité, is a model of French medieval art. Apart from its architectural importance, this monument has never ceased to inspire poets, artists and musicians, from François Villon to Victor Hugo and Paul Claudel. The success of the musical comedy, Notre-Dame de Paris, by Luc Plamandon and Richard Cocciante, is proof of the monument's timeless character. It is closely linked to the religious, political and artistic history of our country.

Montmartre the eternal village: A sacred hill from Roman temples to Montmartre abbey and a political hill from Henri IV to the Commune, it has preserved its cultural and artistic identity by playing host to major artistic movements of the 19 th and 20 th centuries (Impressionism, Cubism, Fauvism, Futurism and Surrealism). Today, Montmartre is a centre of life and historic and cultural discoveries, which is visited by more than 6 million visitors every year, who enjoy strolling through the typical streets of old Paris.

Eglise des Invalides: The building of the Hospice of the Invalides started in 1671 under Louis XIV who wanted to provide shelter for local soldiers injured in his many wars. The building was finished quickly and a church was added to it. The work was completed within a total of thirty years. It is possible to visit the church, several museums and the tomb of Napoleon 1 st , whose body was returned from Saint Helena in 1830. The entry fee is €6, but is free for children under 12 years of age. Opening times: from October to 31 st March, from 10.00 am to 4.45 pm, from April to 30 September from 10.00 am to 5.45 pm.

Restaurant Le Chevert

--THE HISTORY OF LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY (muguet)

On 1 May 1561, Charles IX introduced the tradition of offering a stem of lily-of-the valley as a good luck charm.

At the start of the 20th century, in France and, in particular, in Ile de France, it was customary to go into the woods to pick lily-of-the-valley which could be sold in the streets without having to pay any taxes. It was a pagan custom to celebrate the arrival of spring and it was customary to offer three stems of lily-of-the-valley to loved ones and work colleagues (women, etc) as a sign of friendship.

The tradition of 1 May dates back many years.

In ancient times, this was the date when navigators took to the sea. For the Celts, it was the start of the first half of the Celtic year. In the Middle Ages, it was the month for betrothals.

Since 1889, it is known as Labour Day. The custom of wearing lily-of-the-valley is a fashion dating from the start of the 20th century. It is always a time for celebration.

From the Renaissance period, lily-of-the-valley was a lucky charm associated with the celebrations of 1 May. But, it was only at the start of the 20th century that its vocation as the May Day flower was confirmed as a result of two events.

On 1 May 1895, the singer, Mayol was presented with lily-of-the-valley by his friend Jenny Cook, and that evening he wore it in his buttonhole in place of the traditional camellia.

In the 1900s, on the 1 May, the top dressmakers offered their customers and workers lily-of-the-valley.

Lily-of-the-valley symbolises the return of joy. It is a messenger of love because it flowers at the start of spring and the act of searching for it in forest glades is an opportunity for the first walks of the year in the forests.

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