ABANDONED RAILWAY IN PARIS Photograph by Mister Boubou on Flickr The Chemin de fer de Petite Ceinture (French for “little belt railway”) was a Parisian railway that, from 1852, was a circular connection between Paris’ main railroad stations within the fortified walls of the city. In a partial state of abandonment since…
Château de Chenonceau Loire Valley, France Photograph by Ra-smit on Wikimedia Commons The Château de Chenonceau is a French château near the small village of Chenonceaux, in the Loire Valley of France. The château was built on the site of an old mill on the River Cher and was designed by the…
THE EIFFEL TOWER FROM BELOW Photograph by Jebulon on Wikimedia Commons In this photograph we see Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower from below as the photographer looks directly upwards from the exact center of the structure. I always find it interesting to see such recognizable world symbols from different angles and vantage points.…
CHÂTEAU DE CHAMBFORD Photograph by Patrick Giraud The royal Château de Chambord at Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France, is one of the most recognizable châteaux in the world because of its distinct French Renaissance architecture which blends traditional French medieval forms with classical Renaissance structures. The building, which was never completed, was constructed from…
INSIDE PALAIS GARNIER Photograph by Trey Ratcliff @ StuckinCustoms.com The Palais Garnier is a 1,979-seat opera house built between 1861 and 1875 for the Paris Opera. Originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines, it soon became known as the Palais Garnier in recognition of…
THE ALPINISTS Photograph by Jakub Polomski on 500px In this incredible capture by Jakub Polomski, we see a group of Alpinists making their way to the top of Aiguille du Midi (3,824m/12,605 ft), a mountain in Chamonix (French Alps) and the starting point for one of the routes to the Mont Blanc…
For the last seven years, The Festival of Lively Architecture in Montpellier, France has sought to raise the public profile of architecture through a walking tour of temporary art installations in private estates and courtyards throughout Montpellier. The festival’s goal is to highlight the younger generation of up and coming talent in the field…
Built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the World’s Fair, the 320 meter (1,050 ft) tall Eiffel Tower, located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, is undoubtedly one of the most iconic structures in the world. For 41 years it held the title as the world’s tallest man-made structure until the completion…
Photograph by Larrousiney Photograph by Mtu33260 The Great Dune of Pyla (or Pilat) is the tallest sand dune in Europe. It is located in La Teste-de-Buch in the Arcachon Bay area, France, 60 km from Bordeaux. Pilat is often spelled Pyla, hence the alternative name “dune of Pyla”. More accurately,…
THE CRAZIEST ILLUSION IN PARIS Artwork by FRANCOIS ABELANET | Photograph by Eric Tenin An anamorphosis is a distorted picture that finds its original aspect ratio and makes sense when viewed from one angle. The artist François Abelanet has mastered this modern variation of trompe l’oeil, which he shows through a…