My Paris

When people think about France, Paris is the first thing that comes to mind.

As a French person, it's important to remind you that France is not just about Paris; it's more about its eighteen main regions, divided into 101 departments.

Each of them offers a unique cultural, culinary, and social heritage.

France is a small country with astonishingly incredible and unparalleled diversity and beauty, and Paris is only its capital.

Unlike, for example, Russia, the French prefer the provinces to the big cities because they have so much more to offer.

Paris, despite its dirtiness and sometimes its lack of security, being a city of immigration, will always remain Paris. A city where every street has a story, where every architectural detail astonishes and fills one with admiration and inspiration.

It had been five years since I'd seen Paris, and for me, this little trip to my native country was an ideal way to revisit this childhood city that I've always loved and to confirm, with my own eyes, the impressions of my foreign friends.

In this article, I'll share some tips to make visiting this city easier and list the top key places to visit.

I was able to tour it in three days, knowing the city like the back of my hand.

You'll need at least four or five days to fully appreciate its grandeur; the best, of course, is to be accompanied by a French-speaking local.

LIFESTYLE

Paris undoubtedly lives up to its reputation: opulent, romantic, timeless, charming, fascinating, old-fashioned, secretive, luxurious, and mysterious.

Each of its twenty arrondissements (districts) has its own unique atmosphere, its own gems, and its own history.

The best way to discover Paris is surely by walking, winding through its old streets, grand boulevards, squares, monuments, bridges, and quays along the Seine, the river that has flowed for centuries, like the time of this city.

To appreciate this city and its French essence, it's not only through its tourist spots but, above all, through its infinite number of terraced cafes and restaurants, its small boutiques, old bookshops, historic covered passages, and its markets, without forgetting its Bateaux-Mouches...

It is a living treasure, waiting to be admired in each of its corners.

THE MUST-SEEN PLACES

I booked my childhood hotel because I love the memories linked to it. It's located on a dead-end street away from the noise, yet easily accessible to everyone; it's called Hotel Le Cardinal.

Of course, there are an incredible number of hotels, so you will have a huge choice, and I hope it will meet your expectations.

The list of historical monuments will be written chronologically, which, for me, seems to be the most logical if you plan to see Paris on foot. It is a multiple loop that you can start from different ends, but the neighborhoods close to each other are written next to each other.

Enjoy!

The Paris Opera, also called "the Opéra Garnier," is a monumental theater that opened in 1875 and is a worldwide center of culture. You must not only admire it from the outside but also come inside for a visit and, even better, to enjoy a performance.
In its area are the famous Galeries Lafayette, the oldest department store, dating from 1893, with its famous Art Nouveau dome and its magical Christmas windows.
From there, you can take the Boulevard des Capucines to arrive at the Place de la Madeleine with its church of majestic columns, or take the Rue de la Paix to reach one of the five royal squares of the city: La Place Vendôme (one of the most luxurious in the world, where the most prestigious boutiques, such as Dior, Chanel, Cartier, etc., are located).
Naturally, you will arrive at the epicenter of culture: the Louvre Museum, which opens onto the Carousel du Louvre and the Tuileries Garden, with its sculptures and its funfair (ferris wheel). To enter the Louvre Museum, buy your ticket in advance on their website!!! In its surroundings, don't miss the Buren Columns and the Palais Royal Garden.
Go up to the Place de la Concorde with its famous column and bridge.
From there, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées opens; to its right are the Petit Palais and Grand Palais, archetypes of Modern Art, which offer temporary exhibitions. At the end, you will reach the Arc de Triomphe. Don't miss, along the Champs-Élysées, the Ladurée Boutique-café for its atmosphere and its macarons, the Fouquet restaurant, and the windows of the majestic Louis Vuitton store, always in 3D.
From the Arc de Triomphe, take Avenue Kléber to reach Place du Trocadéro, with its esplanade and gardens offering one of the most beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower.
Walk down via the Pont d'Iena and you arrive at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and its Field of Mars.
Enjoy the walk along the Left Bank of the Seine. It will lead to the Quai Branly Museum, a project of former President Jacques Chirac that strives to give the full measure of the importance of the Arts and Civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.
You continue and discover Les Invalides, the Rodin Museum in its surroundings and the famous Orsay Museum, a former railway station. It is best to buy the two-museum pass at the Rodin Museum in person, to avoid queuing at the Orsay Museum.
Discover the beauty of the streets of the Odeon district, active at night, and the Latin Quarter, with its universities. Don't miss the Luxembourg Palace and its gardens, the Pantheon, where Foucault's Pendulum is located, and Place Saint Michel.
Cross the bridge to reach the Île de la Cité. It is considered as the cradle of Paris, which saw the birth of Lutetia (ancient Paris) at the end of the 3rd century BC. There, you will find the monumental Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral (I recommend reading Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo again after or before that.)
Take the Pont Saint-Louis and appreciate all the beauty of the Île Saint-Louis, which offers pretty crêperies and a central pedestrian area of small shops.
Enjoy a walk through the Marais district and its small shopping streets. The oldest street is Rue Vieille-du-Temple, a reference to the Knights Templar, who settled in the area from the mid-13th century.
Also worth exploring nearby is the Georges Pompidou National Centre for Art and Culture, or "Beaubourg," dating from 1977. This is the National Museum of Modern Art, which has been the subject of controversy and is often nicknamed "Notre-Dame des Tuyaux," "the refinery," or "the gas factory."
From Place de Clichy, there is a lovely walk to be taken. Start at the Père Lachaise Cemetery (where great names in painting and French writing are buried, and not only; among them is the Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky). Then, walk up to the famous Moulin Rouge and then climb up Montmartre hill (in the morning or at sunset) to admire the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and a splendid view of Paris.
Book your visit to the Paris Catacombs (metro Pl. Denfert Rochereau) for a very unusual stroll.
For ballet lovers, also check out Place de la Bastille, with the modern Opéra Bastille, as well as the Repetto boutique on Rue de la Paix.
There's still plenty to discover in Paris.
If you're a fan of croissants, pain au chocolat, and more, seek out the oldest bakeries in Paris. If you're a fan of the oldest shops, seek out the twenty-five covered galleries (passages). If you're a book lover, you can discover a number of old bookstores. If you're a fan of art-house cinema, you'll find several small screening rooms.
If you're a culture buff, you'll be in for a treat.

A CITY OF CONTRASTS

Paris has become a city of contrasts that can be more or less pleasing.

As a Frenchwoman, I no longer really recognize the France of my childhood, the one you can fortunately still discover in the countryside with these bucal landscapes and its kind people. The grandeur of Haussmannian architecture is sometimes sullied by the tags and dirt created by certain inhabitants who show little respect or interest in this culture that is not theirs.

For foreigners, the metro is such a practical means of transport in Paris, but it turns out to be a real labyrinth sometimes bad frequented by strange unadequated people...

Paris is known for its neighborhoods with mixed social classes, and at night, think about whether you really want to go to Châtelet-Les Halles, Gare de l'Est, Pigalle (for adults), or the Marais-Saint Paul for its clubs of all kinds.

This is a personal choice, and of course, I only warn and write as it is.