Paris is one of the world’s few really legendary capitals. Far from resting on its laurels, the French capital has taken a pro-active approach to enhancing its appeal by undertaking a quality-focused and sustainable development strategy based on constant innovation. This great city is a blend of past and future. Its pleasingly symmetrical layout, the result of the work of visionary rulers and architects, dates to the 19th century, while 21st-century Paris is a laboratory of the future. Paris is a dream destination for French and international visitors alike.
A VIBRANT AND EVER-CHANGING CITY
Paris is a city where a steel and glass pyramid juxtaposes the former library of King Charles V, and home to great architectural projects, from the Grande Arche de la Défense to the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand. “Starchitecture” projects abound in current-day Paris, designed by the likes of Jean Nouvel, Franck O. Gehry, Renzo Piano and Christian de Portzamparc, and the designer touch has become indispensable for any hotel renovation. Paris has also launched trend-setting initiatives such as Paris Plages, the Nuit Blanche and the Nuits des Musées, which have since been copied by other cities around the world.
Best Hotel Deals
in Paris
8.5
8.9
9.0
Le roch hotel & spa ★★★★★
Located 500 m from Tuileries Garden
Features an indoor swimming pool and a spa centre
9.2
Shangri-la Hotel, Paris ★★★★★
Stay in the heart of Paris
2 restaurants and 1 of which has a Michelin star.
Paris
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Tours & Activities
in Paris
Top things to do
in Paris
Eiffel Tower
This towering monument, inaugurated by Gustave Eiffel during the World Fair is a landmark site 324-metres-high. Its graceful metallic structure has dominated the Seine riverbanks and Champ-de-Mars for more than 120 years. At nightfall, it sparkles with lights to mark the change from one hour to the next. As well as taking the lift up the three floors, there are also temporary exhibitions to see and the private apartment that the engineer Eiffel had installed there.
Visit The Louvre Museum
Every trip to the capital deserves a visit to the Louvre to discover the wealth of treasures it contains. From room to room, the former royal palace reveals its masterpieces to the public: the Mona Lisa, The Raft of the Medusa, the Venus de Milo, and The Winged Victory of Samothrace. In total, there are 35,000 works to be discovered or re-discovered!
A visit to the museum is particularly pleasant at night: the Louvre is less crowded and visitors can enjoy stunning night-time views of Pei’s glass pyramid, the Cour Carrée and the Seine.
On and around the Champs-Elysées
Situated a short walk from Gustave Eiffel’s majestic tower, the Avenue des Champs-Elysées lives up to its reputation as the “world’s most beautiful avenue” more and more each year. Around it and between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde are luxury stores, the most prominent restaurants, four-star hotels, prestigious entertainment venues and the most popular museums and monuments (Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais …
Walk in Belleville
Belleville and Ménilmontant provide walkers with another facet of the capital. The cosmopolitan district of Belleville is charming in its diversity: a park whose belvedere offers a panoramic view of the centre of Paris, a dynamic arts scene, a big open market … As for the ‘village’ of Ménilmontant, it is an invitation to stroll around its narrow little streets, drop into a local artist’s studio, discover an authentic and popular Paris.
Delicatessen and Gastronomy
In all Paris neighbourhoods, covered food markets are open every day except Sunday afternoon and Monday morning. Open-air markets are generally held 3 times a week, in the morning. As for the flea markets, you’ll find them open, for the most part, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10am to 6pm.
