Paris, the City of Lights

How can't you help but fall in love with this city?

Paris, the ethereal city, splendid by day and sublime by night. The sparkling City of Lights has always been the focal center of Europe’s cultural activities and the ideal meeting point for artists, musicians and writers from all over the world once London lost its atmosphere as the ‘place to be and be seen’. Paris has all the traits of a big, multi-ethnic city while gracefully holding onto the beauty and character of a historical town. It is impossible for a stranger or Parisian to conquer all of Paris in a life time, although you can become acquainted to its marvels in just a day.

Whether you wish to trace history back to its beginnings through numerous exhibitions and museums, discover talented musicians and artists, or be immersed in the fashion capitals mirage of shops, you will find that Paris fulfills all interests. Each neighborhood of Paris has its own distinct flavor; a large part of the beauty of this city is thanks to the green spaces you will find between all districts, tranquil havens amidst the buzz of city life. These are all vital, beating areas that deserve to be explored.

Going on foot is the ideal option if you want to visit the most characteristic areas of the city one by one but the center of the city is huge, and it's much wiser to use other means of transportation if you have to visit places that are a little far apart.

Paris is a traveler's smorgasbord with 2,000 years of historical monuments, museums and picturesque locations. Compiled below are top spots that are not to be missed on your discovery of this grand city.

The Seine and Island of Seine: Where Paris was born. Medieval Paris, that architectural blending of grotesque and Gothic beauty, began on the Island of Seine. Explore as much as you can but if your tight on time make sure you at least see the Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie and have a picnic lunch by the waters edge. The waters of the River Seine have always been the heart and soul of Paris and are linked by canals to the Loire, Rhine, and Rhône rivers.

Notre-Dame Cathedral: Located in the center of old Paris and flanked by two branches of the Seine River, Notre-Dame dates back to the 13th century and is one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in Western Europe. Rose windows of stained glass, ornately crafted spires, flying buttresses and the guardians of grand cathedrals, the Gargoyles. Each is distinctly Gothic, and all distinctly Notre Dame de Paris.

Musée du Louvre: The Grand Musée du Louvre has been a medieval fortress, palace of the Kings of France and lastly a museum for the last two centuries, the architecture of the Louvre Palace has witnessed more than 800 years of history. To enter the Louvre you must pass under the controversial glass pyramid that signifies the Louvre’s entrance, catch the escalators underground into its huge collection that is divided into several departments. The Louvre’s collection incorporates works dating from the times of the most important antique civilizations right up to the first half of the XIX century. Beyond the grand trio (Mona, Venus and Victory) there are numerous masterworks awaiting you in the halls of the Louvre. Just to make a few examples, Vermeer’s Lacemaker, Botticelli’s Primavera, David’s Oath of the Horatii, Caravaggio’s Death of the Virgin, Greek vases and Oriental Antiquities, Napoleon III Apartments and plenty more.

Jardin du Luxembourg: The Jardin du Luxembourg is probably the most popular park in Paris, located in the 6 arrondissement, near the Sorbonne University. The gardens surround the Luxembourg palace that was built for Marie de Medicis in the years 1615-1627. At the center of the park is an octagonal pond, known as the Grand Bassin. This large park, which has sprawling lawns, abundant flowers and adorned in numerous statues always astonishes its visitors with its harmonious paths and the beauty of its flowers and shady trees. This is also one of the parks where you can simply get hold of one of the many chairs and take it to the exact spot where you want to sit.

The Eiffel Tower: When the Centennial Exposition Committee invited French architects and engineers to submit building designs for the upcoming World Fair in Paris, fortunately for millions of future tourists, many of the contending designs were deemed unworkable and Gustave Eiffel made a compelling case for his 300-meter iron tower. Civilizations had been building with stone for centuries, Eiffel argued, and the only way to truly symbolize France’s significant technological and economic progress was with a new material: metal. Rising 300 meters into the sky the Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of the City of Light.

Père Lachaise Cemetery: Practically a city in its own right, this immense cemetery is riddled with famous dead folk including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Chopin, Bennini and Jacques Louis David. Beyond its primary function, this famous Romantic-inspired necropolis, designed by Brongniart, has become an open-air museum and pantheon garden.

The Champs-Elysées: Today, the Champs Elysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, with its cinemas, cafés, and luxury specialty shops. This special status made it the site of much growth and activity. At the very heart of Paris, it is one of the most symbolic places in the city, representative of its spirit and glory.

Arc de Triomphe: The world’s largest triumphal arch, situated between the Louvre and Pont de Neuilly was envisioned by Napoleon as a monument to welcome troops home. You can climb the arch into the exhibition hall full of lithographs and photos depicting the arch throughout history then continue to the observation desk to marvel at the confusion below on the round-about and the fantastic panoramic view over Paris.

Latin Quarter: Rue Mouffetard is one of the Latin Quarter’s treasures; this lively street combines creative boutiques, friendly bars, a fresh produce market and space for strolling. The majestic 1860 fountain in Place St-Michel, one of Paris’s great meeting places, features bronze dragons, the angelic St-Michel slaying a dragon and a war memorial. The area is stacked with second hand bookshops, including those specialising in English books, masses of bistros, funky shopping and ice cream parlours. Soak up the student atmosphere of La Sorbonne, Europe’s oldest universities, or revel in some of Paris's oldest relics, the Gallo-Roman baths near Cluny which are the remains of the ancient Roman city on this site, the Eglise St-Etienne du Mont which is the memorial to St Geneviève, Paris's patron saint.

Montmarte: A former artists haven where ‘la vie de bohème’ reigned supreme, today it reflects a familiar tourist trap where passers by are singing ‘Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir’. It is a trek to reach Montmarte but worth the superb views. The area actually has minor attractions, but it’s the atmosphere that grabs people’s attention. Basilique du Sacré-Coeur is the crown of Montmarte, its gleaming white domes and bell tower soar over Paris. The interior is filled with striking mosaics and a mural of the Passion at the back altar. The Bal du Moulin Rouge is famous world-wide as the ‘old-style’ disreputable nightspot; immortalized in the paintings of Toulouse-Lautrec he tells its story of free love and fun. Wandering the cobbled streets of Montmarte is a pleasure, soaking in its nostalgic history, munching on a nutella filled crepe or browsing the pseudo-artistic square.

Centre Pompidou: Relaunched in 2000, the Centre Pompidou is a true marvel of Paris. It was designed by the architects R. Rogers, G. Franchini and Renzo Piano as a building without barriers, completely open to the city and called ‘the most avant-garde building in the world’. The centre offers a large collection of 20th century art with some 40,000 works although only 850 works can be displayed at one time. It includes works by Joan Mirò, Henri Matisse, Vassily Kandinsky, the Bauhaus movement, Piet Mondrian, Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Jackson Pollock, as well as more recent movements.

Panthéon: As far back as 507, this site was chosen by King Clovis for a basilica to serve as a tomb for him and his wife Clothilde. In 1806 the building was turned into a church again, but since 1885 the Panthéon serves as a civic building. The crypt of the Panthéon contains the vaults of several of France's famous countrymen such as Victor Hugo, Jean Monnet, Marie and Pierre Curie and Emile Zola. The Panthéon was also the place where, in 1851, the astronomer Jean Bernard Léon Foucault first held his famous experiment, proving that the world spins around its axis.

La Défense: Gleaming skyscrapers cram this space like an alternate universe of contemporary architecture, office buildings and one huge geometric arch. Great efforts have been made to implement art into La Défense’s commercial landscape and although it may sound tasteless it is rather a gracious spectacle. Catch the lift up to the top of the Grande Arche de la Défense for sweeping views back down The Champs-Elysées.

Musée Picasso: The Picasso museum, housed in one of the nicest mansions of the Marais district in Paris, is devoted solely to the famous Spanish artist and provides a unique opportunity to follow Picasso's development throughout his career, from 1894 to 1972. It comprises of more than 250 paintings, 160 sculptures, 1500 drawings, and his entire engraving works, ceramics, and more.

Versailles: Versailles is an easy day trip from Paris. Within 50 years the Chateau de Versailles was transformed from Louis XIII’s simple hunting lodge into an extravagant palace. What you see today is the greatest living museum of a vanished way of life. The Palace includes six magnificent Grand Apartments with the most famous being the Hall of Mirrors, 17 large arched windows matched by beveled mirrors in simulated arcades. The Gadens of Versailles were laid out by the great landscape artist André Le Notre. A walk around the gardens will take you to smaller palaces, huts, large decadent fountains, statue lined paths, a rowing lake with boats for hire and extraordinary amounts of blossoming flowers of every colour, shape and form.

Viva la Paris! When it comes to entertainment, Paris can satisfy all of the six senses. Bars in Paris are usually just night time cafés bursting with life, cocktails and soft background music. Discovering the cave's old zinc bar, Cave La Bourgogne, with its lovely mosaic floor is just the start because once you're at the bottom of rue Mouffetard you won't get enough of the Burgundy wines, cold cuts and cheese platters that will leave you stuffed.

Clubbing in Paris is more about being seen than the music, drinks are expensive, entry is hard and places are usually only open till 2-4 am. Your better off hanging out at a ‘night time’ café till the wee hours of the morning and listening to the tunes of Paris and its Parisians.

Jazz is as strong today as it was ever in Paris, with most Parisian Jazz clubs still being smoke-filled cellars with awed audiences and deep beats flowing out from them. Most clubs are on the left bank between Bonaparts and rue St-Jacques. For the latest jazz news see Jazz Hot, Jazz Magazine or Periscope.

Since the naughty Belle Epoque days when the can-can was likely performed by women with or without knickers, the cabarets acts have seen major changes. Moulin Rouge is the obvious favorite and classic establishment. Today they perform strip routines, topless dancing girls and sexy belles ripping loose to the polka. Most shows are very expensive; you can chose to either grab just a champagne or dinner and show.

For shows, operas, concerts pick up the listings of Pariscope, a weekly entertainment guide, or the English-language Boulevard, a bimonthly magazine found at most kiosks all over town. These will give you a great overview on the newest shows in town, raves and places to buy tickets.

As Ella Fitzgerald sung, everyone loves Paris; wind, rain, sun or snow. The magic of this city always shines through.