PARIS - France 2014 - page 123

guards' dining room, with four large fireplaces (look up the chimneys). During the Reign
of Terror, this large hall served as a holding tank for the poorest prisoners. Then they were
taken upstairs (in an area not open to visitors), where the Revolutionary tribunals grilled
scared prisoners on their political correctness. You'll also see a re-creation of Marie-An-
toinette's cell, which houses a collection of her mementos. In another room, a list of those
made“afootshorteratthetop”bythe“nationalrazor”includesex-KingLouisXVI,Char-
lotte Corday (who murdered the Revolutionary writer Jean-Paul Marat in his bathtub),
and—oh,theirony—MaximiliendeRobespierre,theheadoftheRevolution,themanwho
sent so many to the guillotine.
Cost and Hours: €8.50, €12.50 combo-ticket with Sainte-Chapelle, covered by Mu-
seum Pass, daily 9:30-18:00, last entry 30 minutes before closing, 2 Boulevard du Palais,
Mo: Cité, tel. [phone], http://conciergerie.monuments-nationaux.fr .
•Backoutside,turnleftonBoulevardduPalaisandheadnorth.Onthecorneristhecity's
oldest public clock. The mechanism ofthe present clock isfrom 1334,andeven thoughthe
case is Baroque, it keeps on ticking.
Turn left onto Quai de l'Horloge and walk west along the river, past “The Babbler”
tower.ThebridgeupaheadisthePontNeuf,wherewe'llendthiswalk.Atthefirstcorner,
veer left into a sleepy triangular square called Place Dauphine. It's amazing to find such
coziness in the heart of Paris. From the equestrian statue of Henry IV, turn right onto the
old bridge, Pont Neuf. Pause at the little nook halfway across.
Pont Neuf
This “new bridge” is now Paris' oldest. Built during Henry IV's reign (about 1600), its
arches span the widest part of the river. Unlike other bridges, this one never had houses or
buildings growing on it. The turrets were originally for vendors and street entertainers. In
the days of Henry IV, who promised his peasants “a chicken in every pot every Sunday,”
this would have been a lively scene. From the bridge, look downstream (west) to see the
nextbridge,thepedestrian-onlyPontdesArts.AheadontheRightBankisthelongLouvre
museum. Beyond that, on the Left Bank, is the Orsay. And what's that tall black tower in
the distance?
• Our walk is finished. From here, you can tour the Seine by boat (the departure point for
Seine River cruises offered by Vedettes du Pont Neuf is through the park at the end of the
island—see here ), continue to the Louvre, or (if it's summer) head to the...
▲ Paris Plages (Paris Beaches)
TheRivierait'snot,butthisstringoffancifulfauxbeaches—assembledinsummeralonga
one-mile stretch of the Right Bank of the Seine—is a fun place to stroll, play, and people-