France » Paris

Paris is the city of a thousand clichs, the City of Lights and Hemmingways much quoted Moveable Feast amongst them, but for once it is also a city that justifies the hype. The French capital is one of the worlds truly great cities, a metropolis that lavishly satisfies the desires of tourists and business people alike and manages to retain a standard of living that makes becoming a Parisian so alluring. 

The city dramatically wears its history on its sleeve and today it is still centred around the Ile de la Cit, where over two thousand years ago Celtic tribes first eked out a living. The Romans were later drawn to this strategic location in the middle of the Seine, a natural crossroads between Germany and Spain, and took control in 52BC. Despite English rule between 1420 and 1436, a series of French kings brought about the centralization of France, with Paris at its cultural, political and economic heart.

Monuments and Landmarks 

Three of the most famous Parisian landmarks are the twelfth century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris on the le de la Cit, the nineteenth century Eiffel Tower, and the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe. The Eiffel Tower was a "temporary" construction by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exposition but the tower was never dismantled and is now an enduring symbol of Paris. It is visible from many parts of the city as are the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper and the Basilica of the Sacrur on the Montmartre hill. 

The history of Paris can be uncovered throughout its distinctive districts. Hilly Montmartre, with its village atmosphere, was where the Paris Commune began in 1871; the Marais evokes medieval Paris, its winding streets a sharp contrast to the wide, orderly Haussmann boulevards, envisaged by Napoleon III to keep the mobs at bay. These grand 19th-century avenues still dominate the city, interspersed with modern flourishes. The grands travaux (large projects) of Prsident Mitterrand added the Grande Arche de la Dfense, the ultra-modern Opra de la Bastille, the impressive Institut du Monde Arabe, and plonked a glass pyramid in the central courtyard of the Louvre. 

The varied populations within Paris define the citys atmosphere just as much as its landmarks. The French establishment resides comfortably in the smart 16th arrondissement, while African and Eastern European immigrants live less lavishly in areas such as up-and-coming Belleville and the Goutte dOr. The Jewish quarters include the shabby Sentier and trendy Marais district; the latter is also Paris gay centre. Emerging areas include Bercy, where new flats, bars and restaurants are drawing a youthful and moneyed crowd east.