About the Kings Quest Walk in Paris
While strolling around Paris, it is impossible not to admire and marvel at its elegant and intriguing buildings, decorated in amazing sculptures and symbols. On this two-hour family orientation, our quest is to seek out some these statues and symbols, scattered on monuments, bridges, and sometimes, even on the ground, to uncover the mysteries they contain and to unfold the fascinating history of Paris and some of its key historical figures – mainly kings, queens and emperors.
We will embark on our quest at Point Zero, which is considered the true center of Paris, and is used to measure all distances from the city. This is a great place to start, as it is located right in front of Notre Dame, a building of immense importance to Paris. On its magnificent façade, we will identify our first royal figures and discover the story of this impressive cathedral and a little about life in Paris during the middle ages. Looking more carefully, we will observe that the cathedral not only recounts bi
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While strolling around Paris, it is impossible not to admire and marvel at its elegant and intriguing buildings, decorated in amazing sculptures and symbols. On this two-hour family orientation, our quest is to seek out some these statues and symbols, scattered on monuments, bridges, and sometimes, even on the ground, to uncover the mysteries they contain and to unfold the fascinating history of Paris and some of its key historical figures – mainly kings, queens and emperors.
We will embark on our quest at Point Zero, which is considered the true center of Paris, and is used to measure all distances from the city. This is a great place to start, as it is located right in front of Notre Dame, a building of immense importance to Paris. On its magnificent façade, we will identify our first royal figures and discover the story of this impressive cathedral and a little about life in Paris during the middle ages. Looking more carefully, we will observe that the cathedral not only recounts biblical passages, it also depicts historical characters along with some curious less-human creatures and animals.
Our hunt for symbols will continue around the Ile de la Cite, perhaps stopping at the Conciergerie or the Prefecture, as we track the history of Paris and the regal figures which influenced its evolution over the centuries. Traversing the River Seine to the right bank, we will discover other symbols at Chatelet Square. Both Napoleon 1 and Napoleon III played integrals role in the development of Paris, and we will discuss their impact on the city, as we search for the clues they left behind.
Moving along the Seine, we may find some other symbols along the way before reaching the Louvre, the former palace of the French royalty. While searching for symbols and icons on the exterior walls, we will discuss how the Louvre changed from fortress, to a chateau, and finally a museum, and learn more about its many royal and imperial inhabitants. At the end we will tally up how many characters we have found and your family will be well-prepared to continue its discovery of the city.
