Bastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale ("National Celebration") or more commonly le quatorze juillet ("14 July"). It commemorates the 1790 Fête de la Fédération, held on the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789.

Festivities are held on the morning of 14 July, on the Champs-Élysées avenue, in front of the President of the Republic.

Bastille Day Military Parade is a French military parade held each, in the morning of the 14 July, since 1880. The parade passes down the Champs-Elysées from l'Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde where the President of the French Republic, his government and foreign ambassadors in France stand. The parade opens with many cadets from the École Polytechnique, Saint-Cyr, École Navale, and so forth, then other infantry troops, then motorised troops; aviation of the Patrouille de France flies above. In recent times, it has become customary to invite units from France's allies to the parade.

In the afternoon, participants can visit one of the famous museums in Paris.

We list here some of them:

• Musée du Louvre
• Musée Rodin
• Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou
• Musée d'Orsay
• Musée de l'Orangerie
• Musée d'art moderne
• Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain
• Musée Picasso
• Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie

Please use the following link to see a map of monuments and museums:

• http://www.paris.org/Maps/MM/

Another option is an open excursion with the Bateaux Mouches with a view of the city from along the river Seine. You can have further information about these splendid cruises visiting the Official Site of the Bateaux Mouches Company: http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/bienvenue/lang-pref/en/

Conference participants can also choose a visit to Versailles to experience the grandeur of the Palace and Gardens of Sun King. For additional information: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/index.php?option=com_cdvhomepage

For any another tourist information, the official site is http://en.parisinfo.com/

On the Bastille Day evening, a free concert is usually held: it is a free concert and is held at Champ de Mars (at the foot of Tour Eiffel). During the concert many famous artists interpret the most famous and representative songs of the French culture. This year the special guest is Johnny Hallyday, chosen by the President Sarkozy himself.

After the concert, another important and exciting event: the fireworks show. Their duration is striking and so is their quality. They start just after the concert at Champs de Mars at 22:45 till 23:20.

The conference banquet will also take place at the UNESCO site on Wednesday. Additional tickets for students or guests are available for 70 €.