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Introduction

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History
Paris started out as a sleepy little village inhabited by a tribe of people known as the Parisii. The original settlement was on an island in the Seine River (it later became the Roman island-city of Lutetia, and today is the Ile de la Cite, site of Notre Dame Cathedral). Over the centuries, Paris expanded onto the right and left—actually, north and south—banks of the river. During the Middle Ages, Paris buzzed with the construction of Notre Dame, and the swampland on the right bank was drained, leaving the Marais.
The Bourbon kings entered the scene in the 17th century, among them Louis XIV (The Sun King), who left us the Palace of Versailles. Louis XVI and his queen Marie Antoinette saw their subjects rise up and start the French Revolution (1789), which brought the executions of 17,000 people—the king and queen among them—by guillotine. Napoleon Bonaparte took over until his defeat in Russia and then at Waterloo (1815). He left behind the legal code that survives today in France, as well as the Arc de Triomphe.

The avenues and broad boulevards that have come to symbolize the city date from 19th-century urban planner Baron Haussmann, who carved them out of the winding medieval districts. (The wide streets not only looked good; they also allowed rapid troop deployment to quell the ever-rebellious Parisians.) A republic was declared in 1870, ushering in Paris' beautiful period, the belle epoque, with its art-nouveau style. Renoir, Monet, Degas and Manet all lived or worked in the city during that time. Construction of the Eiffel Tower caused a stir. It took a World War to bring the city down from its high. The 1920s and '30s brought the ebullient Jazz Age, with Josephine Baker on stage, Hemingway writing, and Matisse and Picasso painting in town. During World War II, German occupation of the city inspired both resistance and collusion.

Contemporary Paris has left its mark, too, in this city of such history. The pyramid at the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou are prominent examples. Today, as throughout its history, Paris is one of Europe's most important artistic, political, religious, educational and commercial centers.

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Geography
Paris is divided into 20 arrondissements, or districts, which spiral outward clockwise from its Ile de la Cite island birthplace in the Seine River. Knowing the arrondissements will help tremendously in navigating the city.
Along the Right Bank (Rive Droite)—that is, along the north bank of the Seine—lie the grand boulevards (such as the Champs Elysees), stately facades, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palais Garnier and the Louvre. Tucked away in the midst of all this grandeur is the trendy, labyrinthine Marais. Montmartre, the northernmost area of the Right Bank, resembles a little village, with steep cobblestone streets and tiny, ivy-covered houses. The area around the Bastille—once an infamous prison—has become one of the trendiest pockets of Paris, with numerous cafes and clubs and now the Opera Bastille, new home of the Paris Opera Company.

The Left Bank (Rive Gauche) is slightly funkier than the Right. Many of the streets are reserved for—or taken over by—pedestrians. The cafes of St. Germain are experiencing renewed interest among philosophers following in the steps of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, who once sat there debating existentialism. Montparnasse, formerly the home of Picasso, Giacometti and other artists, is a bustling neighborhood adjacent to St. Germain. It's crowded with cinemas and famous brasseries.

La Defense refers to the cluster of skyscrapers on the northwestern edge of Paris that makes up the modern business district. The landmark of this quarter is La Grande Arche—a massive, futuristic arch of glass, granite and marble that serves as a modern echo of Napoleon's Arc de Triomphe.

Note: In this profile, the ordinal number in parentheses following each street address indicates the arrondissement in which an address is located. For example, (7th) refers to the 7th arrondissement. When there is no exact address, the nearest Metro stop is given. Also, in an address, don't be confused by the word bis after a street number. If you see 10bis, for instance, it means the door or building next to Number 10.

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Must See or Do
Sights—Notre Dame Cathedral; the Eiffel Tower; the Arc de Triomphe.
Museums—The Mona Lisa and other art treasures of the Louvre; the famous impressionist paintings at Musee d'Orsay; and just outside Paris, Louis XIV's Palace of Versailles.

Memorable Meals—Dinner at Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower; a lunch or dinner cruise along the Seine; the magnificent frescoes, marble halls and superb cuisine at Les Ambassadeurs; after-dinner coffee on the terrace of Cafe de Flore.

Late Night—La Villa, or another one of the hip jazz clubs of Paris; the bars along the Rue de Lappe; a midnight stroll along the romantic streets of Montmartre or the winding, narrow streets—especially Rue des Rosiers—of the Marais.

Walks—From the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysees, through the Tuileries to the Louvre; from Notre Dame, through the Latin Quarter, to the Pantheon; along the Seine, crossing the Ile de la Cite or the Ile Saint-Louis; and down the Champs Elysees or around the Louvre at night to see the illuminations.

Especially For Kids—Disneyland Paris; Palais de la Decouverte, a museum that exposes children to all the scientific disciplines (the 9,000-star planetarium is very popular); Jardin d'Acclimatation, a 25-acre/10-hectare park in the Bois de Boulogne, complete with enchanting riverboat rides, a miniature farm, mazes, puppet shows and a doll museum; and Cite des Enfants at the Parc de la Villette, a science and discovery village with hands-on exhibits for children.

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