SCOTLAND and France share a long and friendly history. While south of the border, England and France shared a conflict-ridden past, Scotland has enjoyed an 'auld alliance' with the French since 1295.
The good relations nurtured nearly 1,000 years ago have strengthened over time and nowadays, when Scottish citizens are scouring the Internet looking for hotels in Paris for a weekend away, the good news is that you are not only assured of a warm welcome in the French capital, but that getting there is just an hour away.
Certainly, the rise of budget airlines has opened up many European cities to the people of Scotland, even those in the more remote areas of the Highlands. Not so long ago, travelling to any city in Europe was a major hike via rail or road, involving a ferry crossing at some point. Nowadays, any Scottish citizen can book a cheap flight from one of the major airports around the country into cities like Paris and know that the travelling time will be much shorter.
This means that there is far more time available on your weekend away to explore the many sites and attractions that a city like Paris has to offer.
Paris is a city that boasts many iconic landmarks and of course, the Eiffel Tower is one such edifice. Built by Gustav Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, to celebrate 100 years since the French Revolution, the tower immediately became an iconic symbol for the city and when completed, just two years, two months and five days after construction, it became a hugely popular attraction within the city and has remained so ever since.
The Scots have a somewhat underserved reputation of being frugal with their money, so if you fancy a spot of retail therapy then Paris is certainly one of the most fashionable cities to spend a couple of days in hitting the shops. Of course, the most prestigious and chic shopping avenue in the city is the Champs Élysées. This 2km stretch of shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants is among the most fashionable in the world. Indeed, only Bond Street in London is a more expensive place to rent floor space for retailers. Home to some of the biggest names in fashion, the Champs Élysées is another iconic site in Paris and well worth investigating as part of your weekend.
Another reason to visit the Champs Élysées is that marking the western end is the beautiful Arc de Triomph. Standing in the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, the monument is a tribute to those who gave their lives for France during the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary wars. It is also the poignant resting place for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, who symbolises all those that died in battle during World War I.
While Paris may be a city to visit for historic monuments, there is also so much more to see. The city is, of course, home to one of the most important art collections in the world, at the Louvre. Imposing, grandiose and utterly beautiful, the building itself is a work of art. From the Venus de Milo to the Mona Lisa, some of the most famous works of art are housed within the huge walls of the Louvre Palace.
A few years back, a novel was published in which the Louvre played a central role and the book became one of the most popular pieces of modern literature. Today, fans of the Dan Brown best-seller The Da Vinci Code continue to flock to Paris to view some of the iconic pictures and monuments mentioned in the pages of his epic tale. If you are a fan of the story, then there are specialist Da Vinci Code-themed tours of the city, visiting some of the iconic artifacts and places that form part of this popular novel.
Another popular Parisian attraction that is famously mentioned in literature is the Notre Dame Cathedral, setting for the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame. In addition to the legend of Quasimodo, the building is an outstanding example of French Gothic architecture and from its place aside the banks of the River Seine, the cathedral casts an imposing and impressive shadow over the city.
Paris and Scotland have long shared links in culture and throughout history. The ‘auld alliance’ is still very prominent today around the streets of Paris and, thankfully, getting there is now much quicker for the average Scottish citizen and with so many outstanding places to visit and famous attractions to see, the question is not whether you should visit Paris, but is there any reason why you should not?
