Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral.

Time in Paris:
Paris
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2017-12-16 18:21:43 epa06394144 An illuminated Christmas tree is erected in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, 16 December 2017. After being cancelled in the past two years, since the November 2015 Paris attacks, the Notre-Dame cathedral forecourt is decorated with a Christmas tree again.  EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
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2017-12-16 18:21:43 epa06394144 An illuminated Christmas tree is erected in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France, 16 December 2017. After being cancelled in the past two years, since the November 2015 Paris attacks, the Notre-Dame cathedral forecourt is decorated with a Christmas tree again.  EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON
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Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

The famed Louvre museum houses da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa.” The Musée d’Orsay has Impressionist works by Monet, Degas and Renoir. On the Seine’s Right Bank, the Montmartre neighborhood is home to Sacré-Coeur Basilica and sweeping hilltop views. In the Marais, nightclubs sit among restored 17th-century mansions. On the Left Bank are the Latin Quarter, bustling with Sorbonne scholars, and the historically bohemian Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

 

The city’s open-air cafes are an institution for casual eating and people-watching. Fine-dining restaurants, bistros, markets and patisseries reflect other aspects of France’s famed culinary heritage.

 
When to visit
Paris is a year-round destination, but a common time to visit is summer (May–Jul), when the weather is warmest.
 
  • In June, the streets come alive for the Fête de la Musique.
  • Fête Nationale (Bastille Day) takes place Jul 13–14.
  • Many shops and restaurants close in August, when locals head off for holiday.
  • Many museums offer free entry during Journées du Patrimoine (Sep).
  • Paris is also busy during Fashion Week (Mar/Sep) and the Mondial de L’Automobile show (Oct).
  • Winters can be cold and damp, even snowy.