Paris is one of largest cities in Europe together with London. Some 10 million France’s inhabitants choose to spend their lives in and around it. Paris is a city rich in treasures from it’s historic past and boasts many modern attractions as well. Paris is known for its famous buildings and works of art, its chic fashion scene and its modern literary, artistic, and intellectual ideals, and is a must for anyone wishing to experience the best of both contemporary and age old European culture.
That left aside, Paris is also a very warm city. Away from the large boulevards you will the small streets and villageois atmosphere which made it so famous with the romantics of this world.
Orientation
The area north of the river, the Rive Droite (Right Bank), includes the tree-lined Avenue des Champs Élysées, running west to the Arc de Triomphe. East of the avenue is the Musée du Louvre, the Centre Georges Pompidou and a lively district of museums, shops, markets and restaurants. Immediately south of the Pompidou Centre on the Île de la Cité is Notre Dame Cathedral. South of the river, in the area known as the Rive Gauche (Left Bank), can be found the city’s trademark, the Eiffel Tower. To the east, are the Saint Germain de Prés and Montparnasse districts, in which can be found Paris’s famous academic, artistic and intellectual enclave. The history of Paris has been both turbulent and exhilarating. From a shaky start, the kings of France gradually extended their control over their feudal rivals, centralizing administrative, legal, financial and political power in Paris as they did so. The autocratic Louis XIV made Paris into a glorious symbol of the preeminence of the State.
Taking your time
Few cities can compare with the eclectic mix of cafés, bars and restaurants that line every street and boulevard of Paris. The city’s compactness makes it possible to explore on foot and experience the individual feel of the different quartier Paris is a real cinema capital, and the best Parisian music encompasses jazz, avant-garde, salsa and, currently, Europe’s most vibrant African music scene.
While walking is the best way to experience each quartier, the execllent subway system will get you everywhere quickly. Do not bother taking cabs. Traffic, as with most cities this size, is a true nightmare and will only slow you down.
In the Evening
Going out
The best way of finding out what is going on in town is to pick up the local weekly magazines ParisCope or Zurb@n. Unfortunately they are both in French
If you happen to speak French then you may want to go to the theatre. Paris boasts a large number of these and there will surely be something of interest to you.
Roller Blading
Paris is a great town to roller blade in. Unlike Brussels, the road conditions are very well adapted to this mode of transporation. If you happen to be there on a friday night, dont miss Paris Friday Night Fever Skate. Starting from the place Raoul Dautry (Montparnasse) in the 14th Arrondissement the 3 hour promenade will certainly take your breath away. As one of the largest roller promenades in Europe it draws from1000 participants in the winter up to 12000 in the summer. One word of warning though, this is not for beginners, trust me on that one.