ENJOYING PARIS - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 242

MONUMENTS AND MORE
As you're out and about. you'll see monuments throughout
the city that are history lessons in themselves. Knowing
something about them in advance will allow you to better
appreciate the city's beauty and pride. The Paris Tourist Office
issues a handy multilingual brochure Paris en 6 Monuments
that describes in detail l'Arc de Triomphe, la Sainte-Chapelle,
la Conciergerie, le Panthéon and la Basilique Royale de Saint
Denis. The website http://www.monum.fr also has information
on monuments in both French and English.
There's also lots to discover the history of Paris that has
little to do with just monuments and streets. Climbing to the
top of the Eiffel Tower or Cathédral de Notre Dame are always
popular, but think of these other activities as well:

Batobus; tel: [phone]; website:
http://www.batobus.com. Run by the Port Autonome of
Paris, the Batobus is a seasonal tour of the city by boat.
Running on a limited schedule in winter but with a regular
timetable from April to October, it makes eight stops,
including at the Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame. Prices
vary, depending on how far you want to go, whether you
want a one- or two-day pass or whether you are an adult
or child. With the passes, you can get on and off at will to
visit museums or monuments near to the stops.
Canauxrama; tel: [phone]; website: http://www.
canauxrama.com. Cruises on the canals of Paris, the Seine
and the Marne. Enjoy learning about Paris through its
canals and going through the locks—an experience not to
be missed.
Les Catacombs; 1 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy
75014; tel: [phone]; website:http://www.parisinfo.
fr. In 1785, the cemeteries in overcrowded Paris were
becoming a health problem, so many remains were dug
up and transported into a former quarry. See six million
bones and skulls lined up along a path of about 1.5 km,
all arranged according to the cemetery from whence they
came. Both macabre and fascinating.

La Tour Montparnasse; tel: [phone]; website:http://
www.tourmontparnasse56.com. The 56th floor of the