La Belle Époque: Paris

Throughout Europe’s history, Paris has taken center stage. In the 12th – 13th centuries, it was the largest and wealthiest city on the continent, and the beauty of Paris began to take shape. Under construction were many great works, such as the Notre Dame, the Louvre, and St Chapelle. Centuries later it was the heart of the French Revolution, a precursor to the French Empire under Napoleon. Paris’ golden age came in the decades prior to the first World War, ‘La Belle Époque’, where, along with infrastructure breakthroughs such as the Metro, the city became renowned worldwide for its cuisine, fashion, and arts. To this day, the city still possesses this aura of grandeur, beauty, and high culture.

Some personal commentary on Paris: speechlessness. Paris has such an enormous display of great architecture works that it almost seems unfair to the rest of the world. Even lesser known sights, such as the Gothic masterpiece that is the church of Saint-Eustache (1532-1632, pictured below), are completely breathtaking despite being off most traveler’s radar. It’s a testament to the scope of a Paris’ sights, when a nearly 500 year old church, with vaulted ceilings over 100 ft tall and original stained glass from the 17th century barely gets a footnote in a guidebook. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Paris three times, and yet still I feel there remains much to be discovered.

Hit the link here to see my updated Paris gallery.