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Paris from the river

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Paris from the river

2008-10-06

A boat trip on the Seine should be on the agenda of every self-respecting tourist in Paris… And yet, more than an inevitable tourist cliché, discovering Paris from the Seine offers an unusual view of the capital…

But what’s the origin of the curious name “bateau-mouche*” (literally “fly boat”), designating the riverboats that offer their passengers an unobstructed view of the most beautiful monuments of the capital from the Seine? No such inventor by the name of Jean-Sébastien Mouche as invented by Jean Bruel, founder of the Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches in the early 1950s, in order to promote his new business, but an origin linked to the Mouche district in Lyon, where the first “bateaux-omnibus” (omnibus boats) were built in the late 19th century. It has been a flourishing Parisian activity since then, with Paris being the number one tourist port in the world with 5 million passengers per year (including amateur sailors).
 
So what is the reason for this success? What can you see from the Seine that you can’t see from its banks? The banks of the Seine – a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1991 – boast the capital’s most prestigious monuments. Taking one of these boat trips is without a doubt the most satisfying way to admire the numerous bridges (37 of them in inner Paris) and their architecture. The monuments known and admired from dry land can be seen from a new angle: taking in the entire length of the Musée d’Orsay at a glance, sailing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, discovering a different profile of Notre-Dame Cathedral, getting a close look at the age-old banks of the Île St-Louis and Île de la Cité…
The real must is to take a trip by night for a view of Paris further enhanced by the illuminations. This great romantic potential has, moreover, led many companies to develop themed cruises with the possibility of having lunch or a candlelit dinner, hosting a private cocktail party and even celebrating weddings…
 
Although tourists are touched by so much beauty, the Parisians never tire of taking this typical tourist trip, reminding themselves – not without pride - that Paris is truly the most beautiful city in the world…
 
* “Bateaux mouches® ” is a French trademark registered in 1950 by the Compagnie des Bateaux Mouches.
 
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
 
The circuits offered by the various companies last on average 1hr30 to 2hr.
 
Compagnie des bateaux-mouches
Pont de l'Alma, Paris 8th arrondissement, Pont de l'Alma RER or Alma-Marceau metro station
Tel: + 33 (0)1 42 25 96 10
 
Vedettes de Paris
Port de Suffren, Paris 7th arrondissement, Bir Hakeim metro station, Champ de Mars RER
Tel: + 33 (0)1 47 05 71 29

Vedettes du Pont-Neuf
Tel: + 33 (0)1 46 33 98 38
Square du Vert-Galant, Paris 1st arrondissement, Pont-Neuf metro station
 
Bateaux Parisiens
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 11 33 44
Port de la Bourdonnais, pont d'Iéna, Paris 7th arrondissement, Bir Hakeim or Trocadéro metro station, Champ de Mars RER
 
Batobus
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 11 33 99
Port de la Bourdonnais, Paris 7th arrondissement
 
Marina de Bercy
Tel: + 33 (0)1 43 43 40 30
Port de Bercy, Paris 12th arrondissement
 
Yatchs de Paris
Tel: + 33 (0)1 44 54 14 70
Port Henri IV, quai Henri IV, Paris 4th arrondissement (Sully Morland)
Dinner cruises every evening on board an authentic 1930s yacht. 
 
Capitaine Fracasse
Boarding on the Île aux Cygnes, in the middle of Bir Hakeim Bridge, near Bir Hakeim metro station (line 6), Paris 15th arrondissement.

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