Paris City Guide

Paris Sights

From Left Bank swagger to Right Bank swank.

Many of Paris' significant sights are strung along its river, and its quartiers each have their own distinct personalities, so you can experience a lot without covering much ground. The museums, monuments and the two islands are a magnet for visitors but it can be just as rewarding to wander.

Paris Nightlife

Culture, cabaret and clubbing - Paris has it all.

Whatever your tastes, you'll never be bored in Paris. Music lovers can bounce from grand opera to smoky little jazz clubs to cabaret and end the night with some uplifting house or salsa. The cinema and theatre options are boundless, and the exhausted can recover in a series of stylish bars.

Shopping Paris

Windows full of must-have treasures.

Paris is a sublime place to shop, whether you're someone who can afford Lacroix or just an impecunious lèche-vitrine (window licker). Many quartiers still specialise, and the myriad boutiques are often worth a visit in themselves. The lively flea markets are full of bargains.

Cinémathèque Française

Theatre/cinema

After a protracted gestation this national cultural institution, better known for screening classic French and cutting-edge foreign films, has moved into its stunning postmodern premises and unveiled exhibition spaces for its permanent collection (Passion Cinéma) and temporary exhibitions (Espace Cinéphile). It also houses screening rooms and the Bibliothèque du Film (Film Library) for researchers. Enter from place Leonard Bernstein.

Musée Édith Piaf

Museum, Celebrity

You need to reserve ahead but it's worth it to visit this small museum cluttered with memorabilia, recordings and video footage of legendary Parisian chanteuse Édith 'Non, je ne regrette rien' Piaf. Born Édith Gassion, the diminutive (142cm) singer was nicknamed la Môme Piaf (the Little Sparrow) by nightclub-owner Louis Leplée, who launched her immortal career.

Arc de Triomphe

Monument

The Arc de Triomphe is the world's largest traffic roundabout and the meeting point of 12 avenues. Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his imperial victories, it was not completed until 1836. From the viewing platform at the top (284 steps up), you can see the avenues - many named after illustrious generals - radiating toward every part of Paris.