|
|
|
|
|
France is a huge country, and the capital city, Paris, has been an important city for hundreds of years. There are many famous buildings and monuments there. This one is called the Arc de Triomphe. It is in the middle of a lot of streets, and is an important Paris landmark. There is something interesting at the centre of it too. Perhaps you could find out why the arch was built. The word Triomphe means triumph - does that give you a clue? |
|
Probably the most famous landmark of all in Paris is the Eiffel Tower. When it was first built, people thought it was very ugly, and the only reason they allowed it, was that the builders promised to take it down again. It was only supposed to be a temporary building for a Paris exhibition. That was a long time ago, and it is still there! (Can you find out how old it is?) When you go to visit Paris, you can take a lift up the centre of the tower, and go to the top to walk around and see the view. Many big cities have tall towers - even Auckland! But instead of being in the middle of streets, the Eiffel tower is set in a beautiful park. |
|
|
|
Paris has many old and beautiful buildings, and they get very very dirty with the smoke and pollution of the city. Europe also has a problem with acid rain. Acid rain is when factories let off chemicals and acids in their smoke, and it gets into the atmosphere. When it rains, all the chemicals come back down again in the rain, and it gradually eats away the stone of old buildings. |
