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Paris
Paris is the capital city of France for good reason, serving as an influential center for politics, fashion, business, arts and the sciences. Situated on the banks of the River Seine in northern France, it invigorates the heart of the Île-de-France region.
The city’s iconic emblems abound throughout its cobblestone streets—interspersing an Old World grandeur with fast-paced urban life around every street corner.
Errected in 1889 as a modern achitectural feat, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous landmarks in the world. But other feats of human hands tell the story of Parisian histories, such as the Catacombs’s labyrinthine burial trails underground, the Arc de Triomphe where the grave of the unknown soldier rests and the Pantheon where French republican heroes peacefully lie.
The most prized museum, the Louvre, sees over 6 million visitors a year with collections of art and antiquities. Housing famous artistry such as Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and her mysterious smile, the pyramid-like Louve is a testament to the cultural significance of the city to the rest of the world.
Other venues for cultural sightseeing include the Musée d'Orsay houses fine art from the 19th century (1848-1914), while the Picasso Museum contains the cubist post-modern master's own collections.
Religious architecture, such as cathedrals dating to 4th century BC, is another must-see. Gothic Notre-Dame Cathedral inspired novelist Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” as well as the nearly 12 million visitors a year it greets through its doors.
One of the most romantic cities in the world, springtime in Paris invites strolls in its colorful public parks and aperitifs in side-street cafes. In fall and winer, Paris’s chilly breezes invite long lunches of Parisian cuisine suited for both seafood and game lovers.
Plates of traditional moules frites (steamed mussels and fried potatoes) alongside oysters and sea snails or robust venison (deer) during hunting season are plentiful. The more adveturous travellers can take its cue from fusion cusine of East and West in cosmopolitan haunts downtown.
