From haute couture to haute cuisine, Paris remains a paragon of
style. Magnificent monuments resonate with the echoes of a
turbulent past. World-famous museums display unique treasures,
in settings to match. Internationally renowned cuisine… a thriving
bohemian culture… what other city can rival its combination of qualities?
City highlights
Louis XIV first made Paris into a glorious symbol of French
achievement, a tradition his successors have happily followed.
Napoleon I added to the Louvre and built the Arc de Triomphe, the
Madeleine and the Arc du Carrousel. Recent presidents have initiated
the skyscrapers at La Défense, the Tour Montparnasse, Beaubourg and
Les Halles shopping precinct, the space age Parc de la Villette complex,
the glass pyramid entrance to the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay,
the Bastille opera house, and the new National Library.
Sightseeing
Paris is split into two halves by the Seine. The Right Bank (rive droite )
features grand boulevards and monumental buildings, the best
museums are here (including the Louvre and Beaubourg) and the city’s
chicest shops around Les Halles. The Left Bank (rive gauche),
meanwhile, is synonymous with bohemian, intellectual pursuits, a spirit
that survives in the bars and restaurants around St-Germain.
Find your own Paris
However well you think you know Paris, there are always new parts to
discover within the villag e-like quarters of the metropolis. And the city’s
compactness makes it easy to explore on foot.
Climate:
