THE TUILERIES

The Tuileries, named for a tile-works that once fired clay dug from the banks of the Seine into roofing tiles, was turned into a lovely park under the direction...See more » The Tuileries, named for a tile-works that once fired clay dug from the banks of the Seine into roofing tiles, was turned into a lovely park under the direction of landscape architect André Le Nôtre and opened to the public in the 16th century. The Place de la Concorde, on the western edge of the grounds, is Paris' grandest square (King Louis XVI got the chop here in 1789). The curious Egyptian obelisk in the middle of all the traffic comes from Luxor and was a gift from the Sultan of Egypt to France in the 19th century. Just north of the Tuileries are the legendary Ritz Hotel, and the elegant Place Vendôme, lined with some of the most expensive jewelers in the world. The bronze column here was modeled on Trajan's column in Rome and depicts the military victories of Napoleon. The Louvre, at the western edge of the Tuileries and originally a royal palace, opened as a public museum in 1793. Just across the street, the Palais Royal and its gardens offer an escape from the hordes.See less »