paris - overview

Perhaps the most wonderful thing about Paris -- and there are many wonderful things about Paris -- is the city’s miraculous ability to be all things to all people. To the art lover, it’s the home of the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay, the Picasso Museum, the Pompidou Centre and dozens of other world class museums.

To the romantic, it’s a city of sidewalk cafes, graceful bridges, and riverside quais where life and love are reason enough for continuous celebration. To the history buff, it’s the unexpected juxtaposition of the ancient and medieval, the Napoleonic and the avant garde.

To the gourmet, it’s an unrivalled temple of gastronomy where the finest chefs in the world perform miracles on a nightly basis. To the shopper, it’s a city of flea markets and fashion houses, Left Bank book stores and trend-setting boutiques.

But to everyone, Paris is intoxicating. The captivating temptress that beckons you to return again and again.

Whether you’re immersed in the stained-glass kaleidoscope of Sainte-Chapelle or sitting in a cafe once frequented by Hemingway, Picasso, or F. Scott Fitzgerald you’re sure to feel your senses heightened and your spirits raised.

Watch the city’s monuments glide by as you float down the Seine. Shop for wine in St-Germain-des-Pres. Bicycle the Bois du Boulogne. Bargain for old postcards, bistro dinnerware, or vintage clothing in one of the city’s open-air markets. Or enjoy an impromptu picnic in the shadow of Notre Dame.

In Paris, there are countless ways to live the good life. So dust off your passport, practice saying "formidable," and get ready to fall in love -- for the first or fortieth time -- with the City of Light.

Place du Tertre

Arc de Triomphe