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Paris. City Guide

It's difficult to summarise a city like Paris. The French capital, celebrated worldwide for its beauty, buzz and cultural sophistication, is one of the great capital cities. For more than two thousand years, Paris has been a hugely important European city. You won't be bored...

Town: A tribe of boatmen and traders, called the Parisii, settled the area near the river Seine from around 250 BC. By 52 BC, the Roman westward campaigns had conquered the Paris basin and a permanent Roman settlement was built on what is now the Left Bank.

The Gallo-Roman town expanded greatly over the following centuries but the collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century sent the city into serious decline. By 500 AD, Paris had regained some of its power, becoming capital of the Frankish Kingdom under Clovis I. However, it wasn't until 987 AD when Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, was elected King of France, founding the Capetian dynasty which would raise Paris to become France's capital.

At the time however, the kingdom consisted of no more than what constitutes the Ile de France today but the Middle Ages saw a massive expansion, with all power centered in Paris.

Like many European cities during the Middle Ages, Paris suffered from a boom-bust cycle as war and disease often curtailed expansion and helped shape the city we see today. Paris survived the 100 Years War and a civil war in the 17th century before King Louis XIV decided to move the royal court permanently to Versailles in 1682.

In 1789, the citizens of Paris witnessed (and in many cases were part of) the Storming of the Bastille and three years later, the overthrow of the monarchy. The 19th century however was Paris' belle époque, and the era in which many of its finest buildings were built. The city underwent a massive renovation under Napoleon III with prefect Baron Hausmann leveling whole quarters of the city and constructing public buildings such as Opera Garnier.

Unfortunately, death and tragedy continued to haunt the city. The Franco-Prussian War saw the Prussians lay siege to the city in 1871. Later that year, 20,000 were killed when a revolutionary socialist government took over the city. But Parisiens dusted themselves down and got on with their lives.

During World War I, Paris was fortunately spared a German invasion by the French and British victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. But it was in the inter-war period when Paris became renowned as a cultural hotspot. It was again largely spared major damage in World War II when a German army copmmander refused to carry out Hitler's command to destroy the city before retreating. Peacetime has been largely positive for Paris with the city's economy morphing from an industrial base into a service based one.

Today, it is one of the world's leading cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, science and business all contribute to its status. With nearly 20 million visitors, the city is also the world's most visited tourist destination with its some very well known monuments and landmarks. However, a visit to Paris is also a very personal experience, something which can always be tailored to suit your expectations and your credit card.

It's a compact city too. Many of Paris' 20 arrondisements can be explored on foot, though the travel-weary can rely on the much vaunted Paris Metro to get them around. Most of all, Paris is a city of the senses, where the sights, sounds and smells combine to create one hell of a cocktail.

Tourist attractions:

Where do you start? All national museums are open and free on the first Sunday of the month. The centre of Paris is jam-packed with tourist attractions to satisfy any visitors. From art galleries to war museums, there is something for everyone. A few of the picks are:

Eiffel Tower - This monument needs very little introduction, but a word of warning is that at EUR12 per person to go to the top at the time of writing, try and ensure that you go on a clear day!

Notre Dame - The famous cathedral is hugely impressive in the flesh. Although silence is obligatory and flash photography is frowned upon, the stained glass windows and gothic carvings are enough to silence the chattiest visitor! There are tours to the top gallery available.

Montmartre / Sacre Coeur - Home to the world famous Moulin Rouge, Montmarte has lost none of its inherent seediness. But aside from the bohemian shops and market stalls, the area's 'heart' remains the church of Sacre Coeur from which you can enjoy some of the best views in Paris.

If the steps are too much, there is a funicular railway to enable you to preserve your energy and enable you to join the throngs of students playing music and families having picnics at the front of the Basilica. The interior of the church is equally impressive.

The Moulin Rouge - Although the Elephant and windmill of Baz Luhrmann's film are long gone, this building is still worth a visit, whether you decide to take in a show or just look at the exhibition of the building's history in the entrance hallway.

The Louvre - Don't be tempted to tackle too much of this massive museum in one visit. As well as the famous Mona Lisa, there are paintings and sculptures from across the ages in this seat of art history. A handy tip is if there are big queues at the front of the museum going into the glass pyramids, go down into the Louvre-Rivoli metro station and use the entrance there which is usually queue-free!

Orangerie - Home to the largest collection of Monet paintings in the World, the Orangerie is a must-see stop for any art fans. The paintings do go on tour from time to time so check they are home before you buy your tickets!

The Arc de Triomphe - In addition to the addictive pastime of watching traffic trying to navigate the world-renowned roundabout below, the Arc de Triomphe is also home to an interesting war museum plotting the key moments in France's Napoleonic history.

Opera Garnier - This beautiful building is worth a visit at anytime, but with student tickets and youth tickets available, going for a show is not as expensive as you might think!

Post-match hostelries:

The Mazet. Metro: Odéon
A very lively bar, particularly on weekends and is not too pricey for a Paris bar. Although it's part of the Mayday chain, this bar has retained a European feel to it. Music and a drinks menu you'll recognise.

Coolin. Metro: Saint Germain des Près
This Irish bar in the centre of St Germain de Pres is a great central meeting point for visitors to Paris. Spacious and full of big screens, it is also within stepping distance of a concentrated patch of fantastic eateries.

The Buddha bar
This very stylish low-lighting bar set within the gunnels of an18th century building, enables you to drink between the original iron balustrades surrounded by furniture from the Far East, the centrepiece of which is a giant Buddha after which the bar is named.
In order to eat, reservations are a must and you need to budget for this one. A great place to sample the French tradition of digestifs listening to very cool music.

Man Ray. 34 Rue Marboeuf
This former cinema is another stylish home to oriental antiques and beautiful people. The bar is part-owned by Johnny Depp and Sean Penn and boasts live jazz for the early evening session and house music as the night goes on. A great atmosphere and a bit of a place to be seen but can be painful on the wallet!

Clubs:

A word of warning about Paris nightclubs: a large number of them only allow men in if they are accompanied by women. Check before you go! They also tend to charge entry for men and let women in free. The system for drinks tends to revolve around buying a bottle of spirits for about 80 euros and then getting free mixers. It can be very expensive if you are not in a group.

Accommodation:

Luxury:

Hôtel Waldorf Trocadéro. 97 r Lauriston 75116 Paris
01 45 53 83 30

La Villa Maillot. 143 av Malakoff 75116 Paris
01 53 64 52 52

Le Parc Sofitel Demeure Hôtels
55 av Raymond Poincaré 75116 Paris 01 44 05 66 66

Mid Range:

Hôtel de Sévigné. 6 r Belloy 75116 Paris. 01 47 20 88 90

Hôtel du Bois. 11 r du Dôme 75116 Paris. 01 45 00 31 96

Hôtel Etoile Trocadéro. 21 r St Didier 75116 Paris 01 45 53 01 82

Budget:

Hôtel Villa d'Auteuil. 28 r Poussin 75016 Paris
01 42 88 30 37

Hotelhome (rooms for up to 6 people)
36 r George Sand 75016 Paris. 01 45 20 61 38
Mail: hotelhome@wanadoo.fr