Most visitors to Europe have to hit a couple of cities. Paris, London, Rome, maybe Venice and Barcelona if you have the time (and budget). But not all of us have the luxury to have an extended trip and to visit all that Europe has to offer. Therefore, we have to make choices. And some of those choices can be agonising. Paris has great food, perfect spots for pictures and great stories to tell. But Rome does too … In Paris you get to hear about Napoléon. But in Rome you get to hear about Caesar. Paris has the Revolution, Rome has the Vatican … It truly is a hard choice.
But what if … you didn’t have to choose ? What if you could hear about both in just one trip … to Paris ? This is what we can offer you !
Because you see, Paris has a Roman past as well. Granted, Paris was a remote colony and not exactly a metropolis but it still was a city liked by Emperors of Rome, it was a sort of “Camp David” for many of them. A place to relax and get away from the commotion of Empire building. And speaking of building … Paris has Roman ruins and Roman artifacts ! Paris still has today its original Roman Amphitheater (that most visitors to our city have never heard of), its Roman Baths (to visitors pass by without realising everyday), its Roman Forum (right in front of Notre-Dame ! It is underground so most people don’t realize it’s there but you can visit !) and of course Mount Sainte-Geneviève, a place that was once called “Akropolis” !
And if that wasn’t enough, Paris has Roman sculptures and artifacts left from Antiquity. In the Louvre for sure, but not only ! You can still see actual Roman objects that were from Paris in the museum of the Middle-Ages (including a magnificent statue of a Senator found in Paris), in the Musée Carnavalet and in the Roman Forum (where you can see coins from Roman times !).
But even more interesting is the History behind it, because Paris was a city that was at a historical crossroads. It saw the slow decline of the Roman Empire and was crucial in the development (and survival of christianity as we know it today). It was a city that hosted the likes of Julius Caesar or Constantine the Great and Attila himself came to the walls of Paris. But the truly fascinating part to discover is what came after : the birth of France through the Frankish conquest and the blossoming of the Carolingian Renaissance. Stories that are never told to visitors of our city … but have a huge impact on today’s world. From the introduction of “algorithms” and “algebra” with the cultural exchange with the Abbasid Empire to the birth of our writing system. The Carolingian Renaissance is actually so amazing that it served as the main inspiration behind Gondor and Rohan in the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien and later Peter Jackson in the famous movies we all saw …
So much to discover, so much to tell about our forgotten but amazing past. And the best to discover it all is to book our “Romans, Franks and Carolingians” tour, a unique experience to bring you to all of those locations, tells you all of those stories and provides you (through our exclusive cheat-sheet) further reading and watching material to learn more.
Granted, the Roman remains in Paris are not as grand and impressive as those in Rome. And if you have the opportunity, you should definitely visit the “Eternal City”. But our respective Histories actually match each other and if it comes to it, you should pick Paris. Why ? Because if you thought your choice was between Parisian grandeur and History and Roman ruins and the History of the Roman Empire, you were actually wrong. You can get both of those things … by visiting Paris. (And booking our “Romans, Franks and Carolingians” tour of course ;) ).
For booking our tour follow the link here : Romans, Franks and Carolingians
