Five Unusual Facts About Paris
Thanks to the extensive coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games, the sights and sounds of the French capital are dominating our TV screens – alongside the sporting action.
But Paris isn’t just about the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre. Here are five unusual facts about the city from The Moving Partnership, who can help if you are interested in removals to Paris.
- It Wasn’t Originally Called Paris
The city’s first name was Lutetia Parisiorum, or Lutèce in French, and the settlers there were Celts known as the Parisii. It is commonly believed that Lutetia comes from the Latin word lutum, meaning 'mud' or 'swamp'. So the elegant, glittering city that we all know and love was most likely first known as ‘the mud town of the Parisii’.
In the time of Louis XIV, the city was known as the ‘City of Light’ – in the 17th Century the then King wanted the citizens to feel safe, so he ordered a widespread programme of installing street lighting around the city. The name stuck, particularly as in the following centuries the city was famous for being a place of artistic and scientific knowledge – or enlightenment.
- The City Has No Stop Signs
The only one used to be in the 16th Arrondissement, at the exit of the driveway of a building company, but this was removed a few years ago leaving the city with none!
All motorists are expected to give way to oncoming traffic from the right, even in traffic hotspots. If you are planning overseas moves to Paris and will be driving around the city once you get here, there are plenty of ‘Do Not Enter’ and ‘No Left Turn’ signs, to bring some order to the capital’s roads.
- The ‘New Bridge’ is Actually the Oldest Bridge
Pont Neuf, pictured above, which spans the River Seine by the westernmost point of the Ile de la Cite, translates as ‘New Bridge’. However, it’s actually the oldest bridge in the capital still standing and was completed in 1607.
This is because all the city’s bridges built before then used wood, and they eventually collapsed under the weight of the houses and traffic (not to mention the pressure from the water) they had to bear. Pont Neuf, by contrast, is one of the first stone bridges with pedestrian pathways and has stood the test of time.
- There Are a Number of Ghost Metro Stations
The onset of the Second World War meant a number of underground stations in the capital were closed down and some have never been reopened.
The Government of the day decided to run a reduced service during wartime and after hostilities were over it was decided (in many cases) that it wouldn’t be profitable to reopen the closed stations. An example is St Martin, which was on lines 8 and 9 (between the stations of Strasbourg-St Denis and Republique); it opened briefly for the Liberation in 1944 and was then closed again.
Other stations have been effectively ‘merged’ with neighbouring stations such as Martin Nadaud in the north-western suburbs; this was integrated into the station Gambetta and now functions as a pedestrian walkway only.
- The Luxor Obelisk is a Sundial
Not all Parisians realise it, but the huge Obelisk on the Place de la Concorde is actually a fully functioning sundial.
It is one of a pair, with the other still at its original location in Luxor, Egypt – the one in Paris (which is slightly smaller than its Egyptian sibling) was a gift from the Middle Eastern country in the 19th century.
In response, the French gifted the Egyptians a huge mechanical clock, now known as the Cairo Citadel Clock – although, ironically, this has rarely worked since it was moved there.
Removals to Paris with The Moving Partnership
We can offer moving packages to all the major (and minor) French towns and cities, including Nice, Marseilles, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Marseilles. Our network of contacts in the international removals industry means we will be able to offer you a competitive quote which is tailored to your exact needs.
We can also help if you are interested in European DIY removals and what to take care of some elements of the move yourself.
If you would like to know more about our removals service to Paris, follow this link - as you can see, we also offer free online moving quotes and a Currency Exchange service as well.
