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Paris

It is impossible not to fall in love with Paris. The city's people are stylish and flirtatious, its architecture seductive, its restaurants and nightlife devoted to the pursuit of pleasure and its streets are scattered with dreams.

There is no 'best time' to visit Paris; in every season the city is always alive. Summer days are spent lazing on the banks of the Seine, sipping coffee at a sidewalk café, or idling in one of the city's many gardens or forests. In autumn afternoons the brisk walk from the Eiffel Tower through the Parc du Champ de Mars and up to the glittering Champs Elysées is accompanied with a carpet of leaves crunching underfoot. Winter nights induce a warm glow ice-skating in the outdoor rink at the Hotel de Ville, and in spring the passions of performers fill the air outside the Pompidou Centre and the nose is tickled with the subtle scents of flowering gardens.

There is otherworldliness to this city, where beauty and elegance are favored over purpose and practicality. Centuries of urban development have the appearance of having being mastered by a single hand with a strong sense of balance, contrast and aesthetics. The views from the Eiffel Tower or Sacré Coeur reveal hundreds of iconic attractions for the snapshot visitor, but the best way to see this city is by tucking your map back in your pocket and allowing yourself to get lost on its streets and avenues, discovering the city for yourself.

However long you spend in Paris, on departure you will know you are sure to return.

Eiffel Tower

Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) could never have guessed that it would become Paris's signature sight and attract more than six million visitors a year. It was built as a temporary structure to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution and was opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England. It was considered an eyesore by many and there were petitions to have it pulled down. It was saved only because it had become an important antenna for telegraphy. It towers 984ft (300m) above the Champ de Mars and until 1930 was the world's tallest building. The highest of its three levels offers a wonderful panoramic view over Paris.

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Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame looms large over the Place de Parvis, on the Isle de la Cité, and is the most enduring symbol of Paris. Built between 1163 and 1345 the Cathedral is considered one of the of the world's Gothic masterpieces. The massive interior can seat 6,000 and it is dominated by three spectacular and enormous rose windows and a vast 7,800-pipe organ. The 387-step climb to the top of the towers is worth the effort for the panoramic view of the city and the close-up views of the famous gargoyles. The tower also holds the great bell that was rung by Quasimodo, the fictional hunchback. Opposite the North door is a museum that displays the Cathedral's history, while under the square in front of the Cathedral is the crypt that houses Notre-Dame's archaeological museum.

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Louvre

One of the world's great art museums, this vast edifice houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities from all over the world. The Louvre was opened to the public in 1793, soon after the Revolution, to display the spectacular treasures looted from the royal palaces. The best-known attraction is Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic Mona Lisa, which is protected by bullet-proof glass within its own room. The permanent collections are divided into Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Asian antiquities, painting, drawings, sculpture and objects d'art. Don't even attempt to see it all in one day.

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Pompidou Centre

Built in the 1970s and named after former French president Georges Pompidou, the futuristic Pompidou Centre is now considered part of the Parisian landscape. The outrageous design complete with its glass elevators, was the inspiration for the Lloyds Building in London and attracts visitors by the million; it is the city's most popular attraction by far. The building houses the Musée National d'Art Modern (MNAM), which displays a vast collection of 20th-century art from Fauvism and Cubism to Abstract and Absurd and its numerous cinemas and theatres have regular musical and dance performances. The square to the West of the building attracts a varied assortment of street performers.

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Musée d'Orsay

This great museum is fairly new by Paris standards. It is situated in a railway station by the Seine and houses a vast collection of works from the significant 1848 to 1914 period. There are important works from the Art-Nouveau movement but the Orsay is best known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The collection is arranged chronologically and contains highly regarded works by Monet, Manet and Courbet. Also on permanent display is the famous painting by Gustave Doré entitled L'énigme and Henri Chapu's marble statue of Joan of Arc in Domrémy.

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Musée Rodin

The Rodin Museum is situated near the Musée d'Orsay and is housed in what was once the Hôtel Biron, the beautiful hotel where Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) once lived and worked. Inside are many of Rodin's great marble sculptures including The Kiss and The Hand of God while outside, in the garden, are famous bronzes including The Thinker. The museum also includes many works by Camille Claudel, Rodin's pupil and mistress, and paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and Rodin himself.

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Musée National Picasso

The Picasso Museum is situated in a 17th-century mansion in the heart of Paris. The collection was started in 1973, after the French government accepted Picasso's own collection in lieu of death duties, and was added to after his widow's death in 1990. All the phases of work from the Paris-based artist are represented including his paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures and even poetry. Memorable works include the self-portrait Paolo as Harlequin and Nude in an Armchair. Most of Picasso's great paintings however are owned by and housed in foreign museums or are in the hands of private collectors.

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