3 Days in Paris – our trip

Paris… The city of poets and artists. The city where fashion is born, where people fall in love and dreams come true. The city that has to be seen. City full of monuments and architectural treasures of enrapturing beauty. We’d thought that New Year’s Eve in such place would be an amazing experience, because who wouldn’t like to welcome New Year in Paris? It turned out however, that some dreams are better to stay in a fantasy zone. 🙂

We went there for 3 days with our main goal – as mentioned before – being New Year’s Eve.

While in Paris we could not miss seeing its symbol, the Eiffel Tower. Though you have to stand in a line for a long time to get there, the view from the top will make all the waiting worth it.

We also recommend walking along the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe towards Place de la Concorde.

It’s important to sacrifice some time for exploring the Louvre. The facade of museum is stunning, while its inside discloses real treasures such as Leonardo DaVinci’s iconic ,,Mona Lisa” or ,,Venus de Milo’’.

Beautiful Louvre in Paris

This one of the biggest museums in the world is the most visited place of this type. Louvre consists of three sections paralleling building’s trifid spatial arrangement. Sightseeing Louvre starts at set below glazed pyramid Hall Napoleon, where you can find information desk, cafeteria, ticket window, gift shops as well as entrances to three of the following pavilions:

Sully: comprised of the oldest preserved palace’s blocks concentrated around central courtyard Cour Caree

Denon: south wing of the palace near the Seine

Richelieu: north wing of the palace near Rivoli Street

In order to get to Notre-Dame Cathedral, amazing vibe of which is particularly detectable during holiday season, you have to walk from the Louvre alongside the Seine.

notre dame in paris

It’s also a good idea to visit the Ritz, that Lady Diana had stayed in before her last journey.

Another ,,must-see’’ spot is modern and so much different than all the other parts of Paris, La Defense neighborhood. Walking along its futuristic edifices or looking at the impressive Grande Arche is an interesting experience.

You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to see the notorious artistic Bohemia’s quarter, Montmartre. It’s situated on a hill, so to reach the Basilica Sacre-Coeur at the top of it, you have to climb spreading stairs – from which you can admire Paris panorama – first. Basilica’s white, marmoreal facade is famous all over the world and towers above roofs of Paris.

An ideal way to crest a day in Paris is to embark on a romantic Seine river cruise.

But what about the centerpiece of our trip, the New Year’s Eve?

While planning this journey, we would stare at incredible pictures of fireworks above the Eiffel Tower or the Elysian Fields on the Internet that got us anticipating amazing experience. And indeed, it turned out amazing, but in a different way than expected 🙂

We arrived at the Elysian Fields around 11 p.m. and though the crowd was enormous, nothing special seemed to be happening. There were no musicians, no shows, nothing whatsoever. Then people, who were mindlessly walking back and forth, suddenly stopped and started to show each other affection.

It turned out it was midnight already, but we couldn’t see any fireworks. We waited a little longer and after 30 minutes decided to go back to the hotel. It was only later when we found out that fireworks are forbidden in Paris and the photographs we had seen at home come from earlier days before the ban.

Though it was easy to understand, we still felt disappointed, having remembered empty field with no sign of celebration.

eiffel tower in paris

To sum up, Paris is a magical, wonderful city, although due to the low temperatures, there are certainly better places to visit in December. And spending New Year’s Eve there is a total misunderstanding.

Practical information:

– Currency: Euro (EUR)

– Vaccination: not required

– Electricity – 230V/50 Hz, power sockets of C and E type

– If looking at great pictures of fireworks above the Eiffel Tower got you lust for unforgettable New Year’s Eve, forget it! New Year’s Eve in Paris is boring and with no pyrotechnics.

– I suggest sightseeing this beautiful city during some other than winter months, as it can get really cold.

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