At Eifel Tower, Paris, the capital city of France

 “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”

– Ernest Hemingway
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(in north-central France) Paris, the capital city of France is found along the Seine River some 233 miles (375 km) upstream from the river’s mouth on the English Channel. The modern city has spread from the island (the Île de la Cité) and beyond both banks of the Seine. Paris occupies a central position in the Paris Basin, and it is by far the country’s most important center of commerce and culture.

+ For centuries Paris has been one of the world’s most important and attractive cities. It is appreciated for the opportunities it offers for business and commerce, for study, for culture, and for entertainment; its gastronomy, haute couture, painting, and literature especially enjoy an enviable reputation. Its sobriquet “the City of Light” (“la Ville Lumière”), earned during the Enlightenment, remains appropriate (for Paris has retained its importance as a center for education and intellectual pursuits).

+ The city's monument-lined boulevards, museums, classical bistros and boutiques are enhanced by a new wave of multimedia galleries, creative wine bars, design shops, and tech start-ups. The cloud-piercing, wrought-iron Eiffel Tower, broad Arc de Triomphe (guarding the glamorous avenue des Champs-Élysées), lamplit bridges spanning the Seine, and art nouveau cafes' are enduring Parisian emblems. There are also some modern and contemporary icons, too, from the Centre Pompidou to the mur végétal (vertical garden) gracing the Musée du Quai Branly, and the gleaming steel egg-shaped concert venue La Seine Musicale.

+ Whether you seek a neighborhood bistro or a Michelin-starred temple to gastronomy, you will find that every establishment prides itself on exquisite preparation and presentation. Enticing patisseries, boulangeries (bakeries), fromageries (cheese shops), and colorful street markets are great for putting together a picnic to take to the city’s parks and gardens.

+ With an illustrious artistic pedigree -– Renoir, Rodin, Picasso, Monet, Manet, Dalí, and Van Gogh are but a few of the masters who have lived and worked here over the years -– Paris is one of the world's great art repositories. In addition to the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay’s exceptional impressionist collection, and the Centre Pompidou’s cache of modern and contemporary art, scores of smaller museums showcase every imaginable genre.

+ This city's grand stone and wrought-iron buildings, the sidewalks brimming with cozy cafés, and the Seine’s curving riverbanks are downright cinematic. The culinary scene creates an endless list of must-eat French dishes -- rich and hearty coq au vin, golden buttery croissants, etc. The spirit of Paris invites lingering in museums, and exploring lots of shops. Head to the Champ-de-Mars to enjoy great views of the Eiffel Tower, as it glitters into the night.