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Virtual Tourist: Paris
July 14th is Bastille Day or French Independence Day. At today’s website you can take a Virtual Field Trip to Paris, France where the Bastille (a prison) was located. Bastille Day is also called Fête Nationale in France. It commemorates the Fête de la Fédération in 1790 that was held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14,1789. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the oppressive reign of King Louis the 16th. The storming of the prison by the French people in 1789 marked the beginning of political revolution that eventually changed France from a monarchy to a republic. You can see a painting of the Bastille here: http://www.hightowertrail.com/BASTIL.HTM
You can learn more about Bastille Day and the French Revolution here: http://www.factmonster.com/spot/99bastilleday.html
When you get to today’s featured website you can see pictures of 50 of the most interesting and popular tourist attractions in Paris — all accompanied by text that explains the history behind them. Just use the arrows above the picture to scroll through the presentation that includes the Louvre Museum, the Notre Dame cathedral, the Champs Elysees, the Eiffel Tower, the Sorbonne University, the Place de la Bastille, and much, much more.
