Context:
Due to my sister getting a job in Geneva, we as a family decided to take a trip to Europe to see her in Geneva, while stopping along a bunch of different places. In order, we went to London, Paris, Versailles, Geneva, and Rome. This took place in Summer 2023.
5. The Eiffel Tower, located in Paris. Measuring 330 metres to the very tip of the tower, the Eiffel Tower is truly an amazing landmark of the Paris city. It was built in 1889 to be an important attraction at the Paris World Fair during that time. The building since then has been recognized from an attraction, to a symbolization of French expertise, daringness, and modernization. You can not truly understand the remarkableness of the Eiffel Tower unless you see it yourself firsthand. The first sight of the tower blew me away, seeing all the pictures of the tower online and not seeing it in real life really made the blow more impactful. Overall, seeing the Eiffel Tower was a fabulous experience, but it is not one of the best that I have had during this vacation.
4. The Louvre Museum, located in Paris. The Louvre is recognized worldwide as one of the most diverse and full art collections in the world. The works of art displayed there ranged from heiroglyphs on small vases and pots, to immaculate paintings such as the Mona Lisa and the Liberty Leading the People. Navigating yourself throughout the building was much easier than any other museums we went to. They had Nintendo 3Ds’s that acted as audio guides while allowing you to read background info on all the displays at the museum. They also allowed you to see where you were in the museum. Seeing some works of art like the Mona Lisa were some of the reasons why I would put this in 2nd place. Although, the depressing size of the glass pyramids threw me off.
3. The Colosseum, located in Rome. The Colosseum is universally known as the largest amphitheatre (oval stadium with gap in the middle) in the world. The project for the construction of this building ranged from 72 AD to 80 AD. This place hosted multiple events such as gladiator fights, animal hunts, executions, etc. One thing interesting I learned about the Colosseum was that the basement was where they would hold all the animals and people before fights. The basement is visible in the picture above as they removed the actual battleground. Overall, this building was probably the best landmark I have been to so far in Rome. This would have made 1st place if it weren’t for the amazing landmarks succeding it.
2. The British Museum, located in London. The British Museum is acclaimed for it’s in depth representation of human culture. Each part of the building is sectioned off for lots of different cultures such as Asia, Africa, and of course English. In fact, it is the first and only museum to display all fields of knowledge. During my time there, we took an afternoon tea that they offered and along with tea, they offered us lots of small British treats and sandwiches. My favourite attractions there were definitly the Rosetta Stone and all of the Parthenon sculptures shown there. The gift shop offered there was definitly the largest one out of all the places I visited. This landmark is absolutely stunning in both its presentations and style, however, there is one landmark I believe that cannot be beat.
1. The Versailles Palace, located in the city of Versailles. This palace was home to Louis XIVs and his family. Along with providing his family a home, the building was also built as a symbolization of power and authority. A notable part of the Versailles Palace that I enjoyed includes the Hall of Mirrors, which was the place where the Versailles treaty was signed. I also enjoyed the Royal Chapel, the Chapel looked so majestic, as if it was straight out of a movie. The courtyard though was where it got extremely cool. There were so many sculptures surrounding the unearthly huge shrubs. In the middle, there even was a giant body of water where people could kayak on. The place did not only offer kayaking, they also offered bikes to people who would like to really take in the beauty of the palace. They even had cafes which although were expensive, tasted delicious. All of these reasons are why I believe that the Versailles Palace is one of the best landmarks out of France, Rome, and Geneva. Dare I say the best in Europe?
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Museum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_Versailles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
