Paris from Above (28 photos)

On July 14, 2013, France celebrated Bastille Day, commemorating the French Revolution of 1789—the end of the monarchy and the beginning of modern France. To commemorate the event, Reuters photographers Charles Platio and Gonzalo Fuentes took to the skies above Paris and captured breathtaking images of this unique city, a perfect blend of historical and modern architecture.







1. The Eiffel Tower with fireworks in the background during Bastille Day celebrations in Paris, July 14, 2013.

2. The Sacré-Coeur Basilica and surrounding residential buildings in Montmartre.



3. The Arc de Triomphe in the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as Place de l'Étoile.



4. Place des Vosges in the Marais district.



5. Montparnasse Cemetery.



6. People relax around the fountain in the Palais-Royal park in central Paris.



7. The Pompidou Centre, also known as Beaubourg.



8. The Pompidou Centre, which houses the National Museum of Modern Art.



9. The renovation of the Vincennes Zoo in eastern Paris. €131 million was allocated for the renovation.



10. Gare de Lest railway station.



11. The Eiffel Tower.



12. The French National Radio Building.



13. The Grande Arche de la Defense in the financial and business district in the suburbs of Paris.



14. The Louvre Pyramid in central Paris.



15. The Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmartre.



16. The Les Halles district, currently under renovation, in Paris.



17. Construction of the Louis Vuitton Art Museum, designed by Frank Gehry, in the Bois de Boulogne in western Paris.



18. Rooftops of apartment buildings in Paris.



19. An airborne early warning and control aircraft and Mirage and Rafale fighter jets fly past the Eiffel Tower during the Bastille Day parade.



20. Ile Saint-Louis in central Paris.



21. Parc des Princes (left) and the recently renovated Stade Jean-Bouin.



22. Les Invalides.



23. The traditional parade on the Champs-Élysées in honor of Bastille Day.



24. The Patrouille de France aerobatic team flies over Paris as part of the Bastille Day military parade.



25. The rooftops of the French capital.



26. The illuminated Hôtel des Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe stand out among the other buildings of Paris.



27. Fireworks display in honor of Bastille Day near the Eiffel Tower.