Haussmann's Paris
In the 1850s and 1860s Baron Haussmann cut through medieval Paris to build wide boulevards lined with cream stone apartment blocks. Those avenues still lead the eye to monuments such as the Opéra Garnier and the Arc de Triomphe.
From the Louvre to Montmartre
The Louvre, once a royal palace, is now the largest art museum in the world. Across the city, the hill of Montmartre keeps its village lanes and the white domes of the Sacré-Cœur.
Bistros and pastry shopsFood
Order steak frites or a croque monsieur in a neighbourhood bistro, then pick up an éclair from a pâtisserie. Mornings start with a warm croissant at the counter of a café.
Music in the streetsTraditions
On the longest day of June the Fête de la Musique fills every street and square with free concerts. Through the summer, the quays of the Seine turn into beaches with sand and deckchairs.
