Austria's Upside Down House Tourist Attraction

(photos: Reuters)

The Upside Down House in the western Austrian village of Terfens fits its name inside and out. Both the exterior and interios are completely upside down. Designed by Polish architects Irik Glowacki and Marek Rozhanski, the house is opened to the public this month and includes among its rooms an upside down garage, bathroom and kitchen.

Others have tried to make similar upside down creations but many of these involved putting furniture on the ceiling. But this house is truly upside down including the house's foundation. This is not the first time this type of structure has been built. Sakasa, a restaurant in Japan, is upside down complete with inverted fixtures and sign board. In Orlando, Florida an upside down laboratory at WonderWorks is a popular visitor attraction. The Tibetan-style mansion called the House of Katmandu on the island of Majorca is also a popular tourist attraction.

View a tour of the house in the YouTube video below.

(photos: Reuters)

The Six-Year Rise of One World Trade Center

One  World Trade Center in April 2012.
(photo: EarthCam)

One World Trade Center is now taller than the Empire State Building to become New York City's highest skyscraper even though it won't be completed until next year. Construction began in 2006 on the site of the original World Trade Center Twin Towers that were destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

When it is completed in 2013, One World Trade Center will stand at 1,776 feet compared to the Empire State which towers at 1,250 feet. It will become the tallest building in the United States and the third tallest in the world.

EarthCam, an international webcam technology company, has a released a video of the construction site since 2006. The film has put together a video from time-lapsed photography using images taken every 15 minutes.

A City of Light: The Paris Las Vegas at Night

The Eiffel Tower rises above the Paris Opera House facade.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

With only a few hours left in my visit to Las Vegas, I take the time to view the Paris Las Vegas Hotel at night. I have to admit, I've largely dismissed this hotel as a poor facsimile of the city. But after staying at this property and being able to really see and admire the extravagant details, I've come to appreciate the design and architecture of the entire endeavor. No doubt my visit here was helped by the fact I was assigned at great room at the hotel.

So rather than go on, I'll just let these photos speak for themselves. As much as possible I've attempted to take similar photos to previous ones I have posted that were take in the daytime.

The Montgolfier Balloon lit up for the Las Vegas Strip.
(photos: TheHopefulTraveler) 

The constant movement of cars at the hotel give the impression of a
real roundabout around the replica Arc de Triomphe.

The porte-cochere lit up for the evening.

The hotel's Arc de Triomphe.

The Paris Las Vegas Hotel tower.

The hotel's tower rises above the replica Paris Opera House (left) and
Arch de Triomphe.

The Las Vegas version of the Paris Opera House.

The hotel as viewed from the Bellagio. 

The Paris Las Vegas glimmers above the Bellagio lake.

The Strip in front of the Paris looking south.

North view of the Strip fronting the Paris.

One more picture of the hotel's glowing Eiffel Tower.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Paris Las Vegas Hotel: Musee d'Orsay Facade

A replica of the Musee d"Orsay welcomes guest to Le Casino at the Paris
Las Vegas Hotel.
(photo: jeffk42/flickr)

Another view of the Paris Las Vegas entrance and the Musee d'Orsay facade.
(photo credit: bluethroughcrimp/flickr) 

Towering above the Musee d'Orsay facade is the steelwork of the
replica Eiffel Tower
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

Most descriptions of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel cite the recreations of the Paris Opera House, Louvre, Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. I've published posts about these recreations and there are other replicas from Paris inside and out of the casino and I'll write about a couple more. The next post will cover the Metro stations copies at the Paris Las Vegas. This post is about the hotel's version of the Musee d'Orsay.

The recreation of the facade of the Musee d'Orsay is obscured by the hotel's Eiffel Tower and often goes unnoticed by visitors to the hotel. The facade is flanked on each side by the replica Louvre and Paris Opera House and serves as the main entrance to the hotel.

Musee is the French word for museum and the Musee d'Orsay is housed in the former train station (Gare D'Orsay), which explains the town names and therefore train destinations, that are etched into the building's Beaux-Arts-style exterior. The railway station was completed in 1900 but by 1939 the short platforms made it unsuitable for longer trains. After various uses and then much debate before extensive interior design work, the museum opened in 1986. The museum holds some of the most famous pantings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet, Cezanne, Monet, Gaugin and Seurat.

Visit musee-orsay.fr for more info about the museum.

Detail of the real Musee d'Orsay.
(photo credit: kraka-manu/flickr)

Street view of the museum in Paris, France.
(photo credit: david_o/flickr) 

The museum as seen across the Seine.
(photo credit: alainmichot93/flickr)

Paris Las Vegas Hotel: Shopping on Le Boulevard

Le Boulevard. On the left is Le Village Buffet and on the right is
JJ's Boulangerie.

Street lamps dot the Boulevard.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Rather than attempt to complete with the massive shopping complexes of the Canal Shoppes at the Venetian or Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, the shops along Le Boulevard at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel are more focused to serve the guests staying at the hotel. The quaint French architecture and street lamps lining this shopping corridor makes this part of the hotel a minor diversion.

The main shopping arcade named "Le Boulevard" is where some of the hotel's dining options are found including: Le Cafe Ile St. Louis, Cafe Belle Madeleine, Le Village Buffet, Le Provencal, La Creperie, JJ's Boulangerie.

In this quaint corner is the restaurant Le Cafe Ile St. Louis.

Another view of Le Boulevard, at left is the restaurant Le Provencal.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Le Journal (which was scheduled to be renovated) and Presse are two convenience stores selling and located on each side of the entrance to the hotel's elevators. The other stores retail in items ranging from gourmet food and wines, women's clothing and accessories, souvenirs, home goods, perfumes and soaps, and gifts for children. The business center is also located here.

At the end of Le Bouelvard is a second shopping arcade called the Bally's-Paris Promenade which is a retail sky bridge that connects the two hotels. The restaurant Le Burger Brasserie is found here along with shops selling cigars, fashion eyewear and apparel.

A shorter shopping corridor is actually the bridge connecting the
Paris with Ballly's.

A selection of finer shops is located on this promenade.

A glass dome dominates the shopping promenade.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Eiffel Tower Experience at the Paris Las Vegas

Eiffel Tower viewed from the front of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel.

The observation deck 46 stories above the Las Vegas Strip.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

One of the most dominating structures on the Las Vegas Strip has to be the Eiffel Tower half-replica that is the centerpiece of the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Staggering in size, it weighs 7 million pounds and stands 540 feet tall. The tower's foot print is so large that three of its four gigantic legs sits on the casino floor inside the hotel.

Strong enough to withstand earthquakes, the tower is welded together in lieu of being riveted like the original but designers painstakingly included rivets to ensure of an authentic appearance. Even the lighting that was added to the real Eiffel Tower for its 100th anniversary in 1989 was duplicated for the Las Vegas version when it was completed in 1999.

Though 50-stories tall with the viewing deck situated around 46 stories high, it ranks as the 12th tallest structure in Las Vegas. The view is incredible anytime of day but due to the popularity of the attraction in the evening, the admission price is higher at night (tickets range in cost from $7.50 to $22). The attraction opens at 9:30am daily. Click HERE for more info.

The real Eiffel Tower in Paris, France was completed in 1889 and named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Originally erected as part of the 1889 World's Fair, it became a cultural icon and a recognizable feature of the Paris skyline that it remained after the end of the fair. Called "La Tour Eiffel" in France, the tower stands 1,050 feet tall (about the height of an 81-story building). It was the tallest man-made structure in the world until the Chrysler Building in New York City surpassed it in 1930. Over 7.1 million visited the real Eiffel Tower in 2011.

Eiffel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

The real Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
(photo: Tognopop)

Main entrance to the Eiffel Tower Gift in the Paris Las Vegas casino
where tickets to the Eiffel Tower are available.
(photo: TheHopefulTraveler)

The ticket office for the Eiffel Tower Experience (also dubbed 'The Ride') is located in the Paris Las Vegas casino. Look for the replica Pont Alexandre III bridge. At one end of the bridge is the elevators to the tower. On the ground floor below the other end of the bridge is the Eiffel Tower gift shop where tickets are sold for the attraction. After purchasing your ticket exit the gift shop and take the escalators located left of the of the shop entrance. This leads visitors to cross the Pont Alexandre III bridge that lead the second level entrance to the elevators. If you see a line it means it may mean the observation deck is at capacity and guests will be allowed in as other guests exit the attraction. There are photographers at this point wanting to take your picture before you enter the elevators in hopes you purchase a photograph after the end of your experience. It should be noted the elevators on the ground floor are used for guests of the hotel's Eiffel Tower Restaurant which is only eleven stories above the Las Vegas Strip.

The knowledgeable elevator guides will offer a quick story about the Eiffel Tower replica. Then you're free to roam the observation deck which is caged in for obvious reasons but offers a spectacular 360 degree view of Las Vegas Valley. Reports indicate that up to 80 people are allowed on deck at the same time. The deck is not large so at capacity it could feel claustrophobic. Squares cut into the grate gives visitors the opportunity for grill-free photographs.

The quality of your experience will depend of if you wish to visit day or evening and will largely depend if you're fighting crowds waiting in line or at the observation deck. If you feel it may be an overpriced attraction, see it in the daytime when the admission is least expensive. Below are photos taken from the observation deck (photos: TheHopefulTraveler).

South facing view of the Las Vegas Strip. Mandalay Bay is
seen in the distance.

Las Vegas Strip facing south. Left is the Planet Hollywood resort.
Right is Harmon Hotel and the Cosmopolitan.

The Paris Montgolfier Balloon at right and the Bellagio lake at right.

The Bellagio Hotel

The machinery of the Bellagio fountains can be seen beneath the lake.

Las Vegas Boulevard looking north. At left is Caesars Palace and the Mirage.

The intersection where the Paris, Bellagio and Caesars Palace meet.

In the distance (left to right) is the Mirage, Treasure Island & Trump
Tower, Venetian, Palazzo and Wynn. In the forefront is Bally's.

Beyond the Strip and mountains in the distance.

Hilton Grand Vacations (Elara) and Planet Hollywood. 

Through the grill that surround the observation deck is seen the
Bellagio fountains at work.

The Paris Las Vegas Hotel tower.

The replica Arc de Triomphe (at left).

The properties behind the Bally's and Paris are seen in the distance.
(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)