Why Bastille Day is Infamous

Infamous for its wide boulevards and iconic attractions, one can have a glimpse of the past by visiting the historical landmarks. As the heartbeat of culture, beauty and romance, often referred to as the love capital of the world Paris offers some of the most beautiful and majestic sights on the planet.

Paris is known as the City of Light and there is no better way to experience the city at night than to sail down the River Seine. The Seine has provided water and transportation for over 2,000 years. Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge that crosses the Seine River. The Pont des Arts is always filled with people, music, painters, and of course, couples kissing.

The Louvre is closed Tuesdays and it takes at least a week to see the entire museum exhibit. But if your pitched for time, the Venus de Milo, the famed Winged Victory and of course, the Mona Lisa are must sees. The Louvre museum, is one of the most important museums reportedly hosts up to 6 million visitors a year who are eager to see the most famous paintings and works of art.

The Musee d'Orsay holds a great number of impressionist artwork or the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris for great modern art. The Musee Rodin is one of the most charming and overlooked museums The tranquil gardens behind the museum with plenty of benches are ideal for a mid afternoon stroll. For historians, Musee Carnavalet explores the history of Paris.

In the United States, we have the 4th of July and in France, the most important holiday is July 14th. Bastille Day is not about the storming of the Bastille in 1789 an event that has long been held up as a symbol of the birth of the modern French nation but rather is a commemoration of the Fete de la Federation which took place a year later. This was a large feast that was held to celebrate the uprising of the constitutional monarchy in France, which many people consider to be the mark of the end of the French Revolution.

On the 21 May 1880, Benjamin Raspail proposed a law to have the Republic choose the 14 July as a yearly national holiday. The assembly voted the text on 21 May and 8 June. The Senate approved on 27 and 29 June, favoring 14 July against 4 August honoring the end of the feudal system on 4 August 1789. The law was made official on 6 July 1880, and the Ministry of the Interior recommended to prefects that the day should be celebrated with all the brilliance that the local resources allow. Indeed, the celebrations of the new holiday in 1880 were particularly magnificent.

The 21st century, festivities are held the morning of 14 July. The parade opens with many cadets and it is customary to invite units from France's allies to the parade. In 2004 during the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, British troops.

The president used to give an interview to members of the press, discussing the situation of the country, recent events and projects for the future. Nicolas Sarkozy, elected president in 2007, has chosen not to give it. Bastille Day falls during the Tour de France and is traditionally a day on which French riders try to take a stage victory for France, working harder than they might otherwise.

The night before Bastille Day sees a range of parties. Bastille Square is a popular venue for dancing on the eve of the Fete Nationale and crowds gather at the Champ de Mars to watch the fireworks display.

If you have not experienced Bastille Day in Paris, you have not seen France or better yet Paris in all her glory.

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