Paris is a city to discover, seeing the sights, visiting the museums, they're part of the experience. But then jump on the metro or a bus and get off at a place you've never heard of, wander through a quartier where French mixes with Arabic or Vietnamese,have lunch in a local restaurant, poke your head into mysterious shops, or just perch on a cafe terrace with a vin blanc and let yourself fall in love with the city.

Paris is the essence of all things French. From romance along the Seine to landscapes on bus-sized canvases to the pick-an-ism types in cafes monologuing on the use of garlic or the finer points of Jerry Lewis, this city assaults the senses. Savour its gourmet pastiche of cheese, chocolate, wine and seafood. Feel the wind in your face as you rollerblade through Bastille, or a frisson of fear and pleasure atop the Eiffel Tower.

Facts at a glance

Area: 105 sq km
Population: 2.12 million
Country: France
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Telephone Area Code: 01; area code is integrated with number and must be dialled at all times.

See Also

Events in Paris

Hotels in Paris

Restaurants in Paris

Nightlife in Paris

Attractions in Paris

Maps of Paris

Weather in Paris