Paris is situated in northern France on the banks of the River Seine. With a population of over twelve million people, the French capital is at the heart of the Île-de-France region. Paris earned her name, The City of Light, during the Age of Enlightenment, when many visionary ideas were born. It is a light that has remained undimmed and that now attracts 42 million visitors a year, making Paris the most visited city in all of the world.
Paris is a city easily explored by Metro, taxi, and bicycle, but her charms are best found on foot. Her attractions are never far apart, and in between, well, merely walking her streets is like wandering through picture postcards.
La Defense
The engine room of Paris is La Défense. This modern business district, filled with light and art, is testimony that Paris is designed for living, even when at work. From the futuristic Grande Arche at La Défense, the six-mile-long Historic Axis of Paris leads us back into France's grand past.
The Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon, rises from the center of Place Charles de Gaulle and offers commanding views of the 12 grand avenues, which radiate outward like a star.
The Champs-Elysees
From the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées continue along the historic axis. This grand avenue is where Parisians come to dine, shop, enjoy the theater, and celebrate life.
Place de la Concorde
Gradually opening into formal gardens and majestic buildings, the Champs-Élysées merge into the largest square in Paris, the Place de la Concorde.
Musée du Louvre
Just a short stroll away is the world's greatest treasure house of art, the Musée du Louvre. Once a 14th-century palace, today the Louvre is the most visited art gallery in the world. With over 35,000 artworks, her most famous residents are the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. But be warned: this collection of priceless artworks and antiquities is simply too vast to explore in just one day.
Centre Pompidou
Not far from the Musée du Louvre stands the Centre Pompidou, which displays the largest collection of modern art in Europe. Parisians are still debating whether this radical design is the vision of a madman or a genius!
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral is situated on the Île de la Cité, a natural island in the River Seine. Completed in 1345, this gothic masterpiece with its flying buttresses and gargoyles has played center stage in some of the defining moments of French history and literature.
Luxembourg Gardens
Parisians see it as their duty to enjoy life to its fullest. The Luxembourg Gardens, with its Grand Basin, fruit groves, and over 100 statues and fountains, is the ideal place to grab a deckchair and play "Parisian at Rest.
Eiffel Tower
Nothing says Paris like the Eiffel Tower. The Iron Lady can be seen from all over the city. However, nothing can prepare you for the moment when you first stand at her feet or the views from the top that you will hold dear for a lifetime.
Montmartre
Looking north, the city rises into the hillside neighborhood of Montmartre. Once the artistic center of Paris, her twisting streets and narrow lanes were at one time the home of Picasso, Dali, and Van Gogh. They are the perfect place to lose yourself and discover those special Parisian moments.
Sacre Coeur Basilica
But you can never be lost for long in Montmartre; as long as you head upwards, you'll eventually come to her gleaming white crown, Sacré-Cœur Basilica.
The Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise
Leave the bustling city behind and step through the gates of the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise. Here, amid the quiet world of bird song and introspection, you can pay your respects to Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and some of the world's greatest minds, for whom Paris is now forever home.
Palace of Versallies
Once a day's coach journey from central Paris, the Palace of Versailles is now an easy half-hour train ride away. This magnificent 17th-century château welcomes everyone, from heads of state to backpackers.
River Seine
The River Seine runs right through the heart of Paris, creating a natural divide between her famous Left and Right Banks.
The Pont Alexandre III & The Pont Des Arts
Of her 37 bridges, the Pont Alexandre III is considered the most ornate, while the graceful Pont des Arts offers some incredible vistas of the city.