Which Paris sights are worth seeing?

DW (English)

Everyone has seen the postcards, but what's really worth seeing in Paris? We put the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur to the test.

Transcript

00:00This is how Paris, the city of love, looks on Instagram.

00:04The French capital is famous for its arts, culture and rich history.

00:09But does reality come close to the romantic pictures posted online?

00:14Let's do a reality check.

00:17More than two million people live in the French capital.

00:20It stands for beautiful architecture, romantic streets.

00:24It's one of the world's top tourist hot spots.

00:27But does the city live up to its reputation?

00:30Let's visit three of its main attractions.

00:33First up, the Eiffel Tower.

00:36Built by Gustave Eiffel for the World's Fair in 1889,

00:40it's the city's tallest structure.

00:44But taking romantic pictures like these is a bit tricky

00:48and can be quite dangerous since you have to stand in the middle of the street.

00:54Plus, to walk beneath the Eiffel Tower, you now need to buy a ticket.

00:59After numerous terrorist attacks over the past few years,

01:02the city of Paris has constructed a transparent wall around the structure.

01:06You need to pay to get past it and wait in line to do so.

01:11Getting a picture of this romantic structure from across the river of the Trocadero

01:15isn't the perfect solution either.

01:18You won't be alone, and that's not always comfortable.

01:25The pictures online are photoshopped,

01:28so everybody's dreaming of a beautiful spot without people,

01:31but the place is overcrowded.

01:34It's not as it seems online.

01:36There are also lots of souvenir sellers who want to get the better view,

01:39and you really have to look out for pickpockets.

01:41All this is really not that pleasant.

01:44No, I think it corresponds.

01:46Yeah, I think it's great in person. It's impressive.

01:50I definitely had a more idyllic perception of it from the pictures on Instagram

01:54and what I'd seen than what I actually got to see here.

01:57That gap between the beautiful pictures on Instagram and reality

02:01can cause a medical condition,

02:03the so-called Paris Syndrome,

02:06often described as a severe state of culture shock.

02:13Instagram contributes to creating this phenomenon

02:16because many visitors are addicted to the social network

02:19and incapable of taking a step back.

02:22They see idyllic pictures of this gorgeous, clean and safe city

02:26with its beautiful monuments.

02:28Then they're confronted with reality,

02:30packed public transport, dirty streets and sometimes even theft.

02:36That difference between your fantasy of Paris and reality

02:39makes the brain go off the rails.

02:42People have developed hallucinations, become delusional

02:45and have had to be hospitalized.

02:48Every year, the doctor treats dozens of people

02:51with the Paris Syndrome at his hospital.

02:55So how about our second stop, Montmartre,

02:58with its majestic Sacré-Coeur Basilica,

03:00located right next to a picturesque artists' quarter?

03:05Is this place as beautiful as people imagine it?

03:08Well, the view from up here is truly breathtaking.

03:11But again, you'll have to share it.

03:13It's always crowded.

03:15And to get to the cathedral, you'll have to wait in line.

03:21However, the queue does move quickly,

03:24and the church is well worth the wait.

03:28Built in the 19th century,

03:30the limestone building features beautiful stained-glass windows

03:34and has one of the largest mosaics in the world,

03:38the Triumph of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

03:41But the cathedral is not exactly a quiet place, either.

03:45If you want something more tranquil,

03:47cross through the artists' quarter.

03:49Even though it's always crowded,

03:51you can still find some space for yourself

03:53in the quieter back alleys.

03:56So what about our third stop, Notre-Dame du Paris?

04:01It's the cathedral where,

04:03according to the famous French writer Victor Hugo,

04:06Quasimodo fell in love with the beautiful dancer Esmeralda.

04:12People from around the world still remember 2019

04:15when a fire partially destroyed the more than 800-year-old building.

04:21The cathedral is still closed to the public,

04:24and cranes tower over it.

04:27But neither fences nor bad weather discourage tourists.

04:34I think it's still worth coming here.

04:36You can see the biggest part of it, despite the cranes.

04:39The cranes don't matter.

04:40The cathedral's almost reconstructed.

04:45Notre-Dame will partly be opened again by the end of this year.

04:49The bottom line?

04:51Don't expect too much of Paris

04:53if you don't want to get the infamous Paris syndrome.

04:57But the city is still worth a visit.

04:59You might want to avoid the Eiffel Tower,

05:01but Sacré-Cœur and Notre-Dame are still charming,

05:05despite the crowds.

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