Tour to Paris

Paris has long ***spir*** op***ionat*** outbursts, from delusional *** denounc***g, but on o*** matter tr**elers rema*** *** agree***nt: it's among the most stimulat***g cities *** the w***ld. Paris ass******s all the senses, demand***g *** be seen, heard, ***uch***, tast*** and s******. From lum***escent landmarks *** fresh poodle dropp***gs on the p**e***nt, the city is everyth***g it ***uld be - the very essence of all French th***gs. If you ****** here expect***g all you've heard *** be true, you won't le**e disappo***t***.

Paris is at its best dur***g the temperate spr***g months (March *** May), with ***tumn ***m***g *** a close se***nd. In w***ter, there are all s***ts of cu***ural events *** tempt the *********, but school ho***days can clog the streets with the ***ttle folk. August is usually hot and st***ky, and it's also when many Parisians take their yearly vacations, so bus***esses are ***kely *** be clos***.

Musée du Louvre

Louvre is probably o*** of the most w***ld-renow***d sightsee***g places *** Paris. This en***mous build***g, ***nstruct*** around 1200 as a f***tress and rebui*** *** the mid-16th century f*** use as a royal palace, began its career as a pub***c mus***m *** 1793. As part of Mitterand's grands projets *** the 1980s, the Louvre was revamp*** with the addition of a 21m (67ft) glass pyramid entrance. Initially dee***d a failure, the ***w design has s***ce won over those who regard ***nsistency as ***excusably b******g. Vast scrums of people puff and pant through the rooms full of pa***t***gs, sculptures and antiquities, ***clud***g the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and W***g*** V******ry (wh***h looks ***ke it's been dropp*** and put back ***gether). If the clam*** be******s unbearable, your best bet is *** p***k a period *** section of the Louvre and pretend that the rest is so***where across ***wn.

Eiffel Tower

This ***wer***g ***if***e was bui*** f*** the W***ld Fair of 1889, held *** ***m***m***ate the centennial of the French Revolution. Na***d after its desig***r, Gust**e Eiffel, it stands 320m (1050ft) high and held the re***rd as the w***ld's tallest structure until 1930. Initially oppos*** by the city's artist*** and ***terary e***te - who were o***y affirm***g their right *** disagree with everyth***g - the ***wer was almost ***rn down *** 1909. Salvation ca*** when it prov*** an ideal platf***m f*** the antennas ********* f*** the ***w science of radio telegraphy. When you're do*** peer***g upwards through the girders, you can ****** any of the three pub***c levels, wh***h can be a***ess*** by ***ft *** stairs. Just south-east of the ***wer is a grassy expanse that was once the ***e of the w***ld's first balloon f***ghts and is now us*** by teens as a skateboard***g arena *** by acti***sts bad-mouth***g Chirac.

**enue des Champs-Élysées

A popular pro***nade f*** the ostentatious aris***s of old, the **enue des Champs-Élysées has long symbo***s*** the style and joie de ***vre of Paris. Encroach***g fast-food jo***ts, car ***wrooms and c***emas h**e so***what dull*** the sheen, but the 2km (1mi) long, 70m (235ft) wide stretch is still an ideal place f*** even***g walks and re***sh***g the food at overpr****** rest***rants.

Centre Ge***ges Pompidou

The Centre Ge***ges Pompidou, display***g and promot***g modern and ***ntemp***ary art, is far and away the most ********* sight *** Paris. Bui*** between 1972 and 1977, the hi-tech though daffy design has recently begun *** age, prompt***g face-***fts and closures of many parts of the centre. Woven ****** this mêlée of renovation are several ***od (though pr***ey) galleries plus a free, three-tier*** ***brary with over 2000 period***als, ***clud***g Eng***sh-language ***wspapers and magaz***es from around the w***ld. A square just *** the west attracts street mus***ians, Marcel Marce*** impersona***rs and lots of uns**oury types sel***ng drugs *** p***k***g pockets.

Notre Da***

The city's cath***ral ranks as o*** of the greatest achieve***nts of Goth*** architecture. Notre Da*** was begun *** 1163 and ***mplet*** around 1345; the massive ***teri*** can a***ommodate over 6000 w***shippers. A***hough Notre Da*** is regard*** as a sub****** architectural achieve***nt, there are all s***ts of m****** anoma***es as the French love noth***g better than *** ***ss with th***gs. These ***clude a trio of ma*** entrances that are each shap*** differently, and wh***h are a***ompani*** by statues that were once ***lour*** *** make them m***e effective as Bible lessons f*** the hoi polloi. The ***teri*** is dom***at*** by spectacular and en***mous rose w***dows, and a 7800-pipe ***gan that was recently res***r*** but has not been w***k***g properly s***ce. From the base of the n***th ***wer, *********s with ramrod straight sp***es can c***mb *** the ***p of the west fa&******il;ade and decide how much aesthet*** pleasure they derive from look***g out at the cath***ral's many gar***yles - a***ernatively they can just enjoy the ***ew of a decent swathe of Paris. Under the square *** front of the cath***ral, an archaeolog***al crypt displays *** ***u the rema***s of structures from the Gallo-Roman and later periods.

Sa***te Chapelle

Ly***g ***side the Palais de Just***e (law ***urts), Sa***te Chapelle was ***nsecrat*** *** 1248 and bui*** *** house what was reput***ly Jesus' crown of th***ns and other re***cs purchas*** by K***g Louis IX ear***er *** the 13th century. The gem-***ke chapel, illum***at*** by a veritable curta*** of 13th-century sta****** glass (the oldest and f***est *** Paris), is best ***ew*** from the law ***urts' ma*** entrance - a magnif***ently gild***, 18th-century gate. Once past the airp***t-***ke security, you can wander around the long hallways of the Palais de Just***e and, if you can f***d a ***urt *** session, observe the proce******gs. Ci***l cases are heard *** the m***n***g, while crim***al trials - usually reserv*** f*** larceny *** that French specia***ty cri***s passion***l - beg*** after lunch.

Musée d'Orsay

Spectacularly hous*** *** a f******r railway station bui*** *** 1900, the Musée d'Orsay was re******gurat*** *** its present f***m *** 1986. Inside is a trove of artist*** treasures produc*** between 1848 and 1914, ***clud***g highly regard*** Impressionist and Post-impressionist w***ks. Most of their pa***t***gs and sculptures are found on the ground flo*** and the sky***ght-***t upper level, while the middle level has so*** magnif***ent rooms ***wcas***g the Art-Nouve*** move***nt. Nearby, the Musée Rod*** displays the ***vely bronze and marble sculptures by Camille Cl***del and Auguste Rod***, ***clud***g casts of so*** of Rod***'s most celebrat*** w***ks. There's a shady sculpture garden out the back, o*** of Paris' treasur*** islands of calm.

Ci***tière du Père Lachaise

[R-p5]Estab***sh*** *** 1805, this ***cropo***s attracts m***e *********s than any similar structure *** the w***ld. With*** the man***ur***, evergreen enclosure are the ***mbs of over o*** mil***on people ***clud***g such lum***aries as the ***mposer Chop***; the writers Mo***ère, Apol***naire, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Marcel Proust and Gertrude Ste***; the artists D**id, Delacroix, Pissarro, S***rat and Modig***ani; the ac***rs Sarah Bernhardt, Simo*** Sign***et and Yves Montand; the s***ger Édith Piaf; and the dancer Isad***a Duncan. The most ********* ***mb, however, is that of The Do***s lead s***ger, Jim M***rison, who di*** *** Paris *** 1971. O*** hundr*** years ear***er, the ce***tery was the ***e of a fierce battle between ***mmunard ***surgents and ***vern***nt troops. The rebels were eventually round*** up aga***st a wall and ***t, and were buri*** where they fell *** a mass gr**e.

Place des Vosges

The Marais distr***t spent a long ti*** as a swamp and then as agr***u***ural land, until *** 1605 K***g Henry IV decid*** *** tran*****m it ****** a residential area f*** Parisian aris***crats. He did this by build***g Place des Vosges and array***g 36 sym***tr***al houses around its square peri***ter. The houses, each with arcades on the ground flo***, large d******r w***dows, and the requi***e creepers on the walls, were ***itially bui*** of br***k but were subsequently ***nstruct*** us***g timber with a plaster ***ver***g, wh***h was then pa***t*** *** look ***ke br***k. Duels, fought with str***tly observ*** f***ma***ty, were once stag*** *** the elegant park *** the middle. From 1832-48 V******r Hu*** ***v*** at a house at No 6, wh***h has now been tur***d ****** a mun***ipal mus***m. Today, the arcades around the place are o***upi*** by expensive galleries and ***ps, and cafés fill*** with people dr***k***g ***ttle cups of ***ffee and air-kiss***g immaculate passersby.

Bois de Boulog***

The modestly siz*** Bois de Boulog***, on the western ***ge of the city, is endow*** with f***est*** areas, ***ander***g paths, belle époque cafes and ***ttle wells of n***ght***ess. Each night, pockets of the Bois de Boulog*** are taken over by prostitutes and lurkers with pr***acious sexual tastes. In recent years, the po***ce h**e crack*** down on the area's sex trade, but locals still ad***se aga***st walk***g through the area alo*** at night.

Outer Île de France

The relatively small region surround***g Paris - known as the Île de France (Island of France) - was where the k***gdom of France began its 12th-century expansion. Today, it's a popular day-trip dest***ation f*** Parisians and Paris-bas*** *********s. Among the region's many attractions are woodlands ideal f*** hik***g, skyscraper*** distr***ts endow*** with sleekly functional architecture, the much-ma***g***d EuroDis***y, elegant his***r***al ***wns and Versailles, the ***untry's f******r po***t***al capital and seat of the royal ***urt. The latter is the ***e of the Châte*** de Versailles, the grandest and most famous palace *** France. Bui*** *** the mid-1600s dur***g the reign of Louis XIV, the chate*** is a keen rem***der of just how much o*** massive e*** and a nation's wea***h ***uld buy *** days of old (eat your heart out, Bill Gates). Apart from grand halls, b***chambers, gardens, ponds and founta***s ***o elab***ate *** discuss, there's also a 75m (250ft) Hall of Mirr***s, where nobles dress*** ***ke n***nies ***uld watch each other danc***g.

Canal Sa***t Mart***

The ***ttle-***urist*** Sa***t Mart*** canal, runn***g through the n***th-eastern distr***ts of the Right Bank, is o*** of Paris' hidden de***ghts. The 5km (3mi) waterway, parts of wh***h are higher than the surround***g land, was bui*** *** 1806 *** ***nk the Se***e with the much longer Canal de l'Ourcq. Its shad*** ***wpaths - speck*** with su***ight fi***er***g through the pla*** trees - are a wonderful place f*** a romant*** stroll *** bike ride past locks, ***tal bridges and unassum***g but well tur***d-out Parisian ***ighbourhoods.

Paris has two airp***ts, Aérop***t d'Orly, south of central Paris, and Aérop***t Charles de G***lle, *** the n***th, is a maj*** ***ternational hub, so you ***uldn't h**e any trouble f***d***g a f***ght, regardless of where you're fly***g. Paris is also famous f*** its sophist***at*** underground system, known as Metro. No matter where you are, chances are that there's a ***tro station with*** a few blocks.

Europe is famous f*** its fasc***at***g cu***ural background and the sa*** is true *** Paris. Why shall you wait? It's well w***th *********g it.