Bienvenue à Paris! The City of Light is calling your name, and you've heeded the siren's call to immerse yourself in one of the world's most enchanting and storied capitals.
With its elegant boulevards, dazzling architecture, world-class museums and galleries, and delectable cuisine, Paris seduces the senses like nowhere else on Earth.
If you are paying your first visit to Paris, the main challenge is simply prioritizing what to see and do amid an endless list of highlights. But have no fear, this city rewards those who soak it in at a relaxed pace, decompressing at sidewalk cafes between hitting the marquee sights.
To experience the iconic heart of Paris, spend at least one full day exploring the neighborhood known as the Île de la Cité. This compact island in the Seine River is home to two of the city's most famous Gothic masterpieces – the Cathédrale Notre Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle.
The former's towering facades and elegant rose windows have made it one of the world's most recognizable churches for centuries, while the latter's jaw-dropping stained glass interior is quite simply breathtaking. Nearby, you can wander the atmospheric Latin Quarter's maze of cobblestoned streets and take in live music and merriment filling artsy cafes and clubs.
The City of Light, Paris
The second spot you must pay a visit to is the giant tower, the Eiffel Tower. This iron lattice tower has reigned over the city skyline since 1889 and provides unparalleled panoramic views of the French capital.
It offers three observatories above the tower. At night, the tower's light display transforms it into a hypnotic vision from a fairy tale. To experience more of its charm, why not try to snap a photo from the vantage point of the Trocadéro plaza across the Seine? In this way, you can see the tower's elegant lines rising in the background.
The next stop will be a world-class museum, the Louvre. Home to more than 35,000 works of art, including some of the most celebrated pieces around, like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and The Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Louvre will open up a new art world for you.
Besides, there are other museums worth a trip, like the Musee d'Orsay, a former railway station that houses the world's finest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, and so many others in a unique setting. For something off the beaten path, the avant-garde exhibits at the Palais de Tokyo Contemporary Art Museum will open your eyes to the cutting-edge of Parisian culture.
As any local will tell you, though, the true magic of Paris can't be bottled up only in museums and monuments. So much of this city's beauty lies in wandering its storied streets without a plan and discovering the small pleasures around every corner. Maybe it's sipping a morning cafe au lait and indulging in a still-warm croissant from the nearest patisserie.
Or strolling through chic neighborhoods like Le Marais and Saint Germain, poking into boutiques selling everything from bespoke suits to fine antiques. Getting delightfully turned around in the tangle of alleys threading through hilltop villages like Montmartre, you will catch street musicians and jazz bands performing at every turn.
And just when you thought this city couldn't get any more alluring, the evening lights cast an ethereal warmth across the zinc-colored rooftops and grand facades, taking Paris to another level of ultimate romance.
Whether you linger at a cafe for a nightcap of the booze, dance until the wee hours at a Pigalle cabaret, or simply revel in the moonlight shimmering on the Seine, the City of Light fully earns its lovely nickname once darkness descends.
