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People have many stereotypes. Especially towards the other nations. Some of them are not merely stereotypes but the very truth, while the other are a complete falsehood.

Before going to Paris and meeting the Parisians I used to think the capital citizens are all dressed-up, as if they have just went down the catwalk. And I was surprised when I saw the Parisians with my own eyes. They turned out to be dressed like millions of Europeans – each in his or her way. I mean there are people who keep up with the latest fashion trends and wear only Gucci or Prada. But there are many of them who wear inexpensive brands and don’t care about the caprices of vogue.

So I got interested in the subject. I decided to ask people in the Paris streets what they are in and why.

The first mademoiselle I stopped was Linda. She is a designer and names Pierre Cardin her favourite fashion designer. She answered positively when I asked her if she wore her own clothes. She also buys them in different shops. For instance she likes Morgan and drops in at H&M. She said she doesn’t keep up with the latest trends and creates her own style.

Antuan was my next interviewer. He is an extremely interesting personality I should say. Very elegant and stylish in spite of his age (he’s about 70). He said he is cut out to be a man of fashion. He buys clothes in luxurious designer boutiques but doesn’t follow the fashion laws. He said he would never put on a thing at the season he bought it. No sooner than in a couple of years, he added.

A young couple I talked to turned out to be Scandinavians. They stand out against the background of the other people by an impressive appearance: the girl wears leggings and a shirt with a belt over it. The guys buy clothes at second-hand shops and never read fashion magazines.

Fabrice was the next. He is an expatriate Brazilian. The young man is a dancer and works for Jeune Ballet de Paris. He complained that it’s difficult to live in Paris if you wear clothes that are bright and out of style. But he got used to eccentric items and doesn’t care about the opinion of the society. He prefers to buy clothes at open-air bazaars choosing things he likes. He said he doesn’t keep to any style because he’s an actor and he is fond of transformations.

In northeastern regions of the city live expatriates from Arab and African countries people dress quite differently. They prefer to buy clothes in small stores run by their compatriots. The goods at such stores are of a simple cut, gleam with silver and gold and are decorated with different ethnic elements. Golden rings and big bracelets are all the fashion here. Girls wear jeans with strass and flaring tops, guys sport peaked caps and golden bangles, corpulent women prefer to wear African turbans.

I found out that overwhelming majority of the youngsters do the shopping at Etam and Zara. Those who like something more original drop in at H&M. Lots of them like vintage stores. Sometimes the prices there are so high that the youngsters can afford to pay a visit there only on special occasions. Lots of young people favour second-hand shops. All in all I can say that most Parisians combine things: they wear some brand items with interesting accessories, things brought from abroad trips or articles found in the Grandmother’s wardrobe.

One shouldn’t be afraid of experiments, they say. That is the key to the unique style.

Not only is it the capital of France, Paris has accumulated a laundry list throughout history of self-proclaimed and well-worn titles that place Parisians in a class of their own. Paris is a haven for love and romance, the disputed epicenter of cutting-edge fashion, a global culinary capital, the motherland of fine arts and let us not forget the self-given accolade of an elite culture. The streets of Paris, particularly on spring or summer evenings, are an enchanting mosaic of clanking wine glasses, aromatic espresso and impassioned chatter against a background of softly lit cobblestone. The sprawling metropolis requires careful exploration to properly digest its enticing blend of traditional classy charm and progressive hyper-modernism.
Top to Bottom: Paris at an Angle
An array of sights and attractions offer unique views of Paris from above and, yes, below. The Notre Dame, constructed in the 12th century, offers a spectacular panoramic view of Paris’ skyline from an intriguing, if not distracting, setting situated 387 steps up the north tower. The gargoyles perched around the roof of the cathedral range from haunting and ferocious to contemplative and watchful. In the Montmartre quarter, climb the hill culminating at the Basilique du Sacré Coeur and push through another 234 steps to the top of the cathedral’s dome. This southerly view of Paris is coveted by visitors, locals and artists alike.
While atop Montmartre Hill, stroll through the artists’ sidewalk displays until you come across the entrance to the underground Salvador Dali Museum. Descend the staircase and enter the twisted and fascinating surreal world of Dali’s rarer sketches, sculptures and paintings including a humorous caricature of Picasso, the artist’s contemporary rival. If musty, dark underground passages and 6 million skeletons don’t faze you, then cross the Seine and descend an unassuming spiral staircase into the Empire of the Dead, the Catacombs of Paris. Most visitors assume the Catacombs are a haunted spiritual shrine of sorts, but this underground burial place was simply Paris’ way of solving a problem of overflowing cemeteries in 1785. Strange patters out of skulls can be found in the arrangements of bones that line the passageways 7 feet high on either side.
A Little Level Ground
Once you’ve come up for air, a refreshing stroll through Champs Elysées may be needed. The beautiful gardens that stretch out from the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe are surrounded by one of the most popular shopping districts in Paris. Lalique Crystal and Louis Vuitton adorn the store windows between decadent chocolate and pastry shops. At night, venture into the Bastille quarter where swanky lounges and chic bars line the winding avenues. Enjoy a fresh made crepe from a street vendor or sit down in a romantic restaurant for garlicky escargot and tender Steak au Poivre paired with the best house wine you’ve ever had.
Although detractors may sniffle over the Parisian attitude, any display of gratitude and an attempt at French will earn overwhelming hospitality. Embrace Paris with a willing heart and the city of wine and cheese will swallow you whole.

Politics aside, it’s generally agreed upon that Paris is one of the most charming and culturally rich places to visit anywhere in the world. Its constant presence in literature and song, its popular fashions, and the fact that it serves as the backdrop to so many movies, works of art, and closely-held personal memories cannot be overshadowed by a few international disagreements and spats that go so far as to involve the nomenclature of fried potatoes. Paris grabs everyone’s attention at some point, so if it hasn’t drawn you in yet, expect to feel its pull soon enough.

With its arrondissements, quartiers, and rues, Paris makes the simple act of looking at a map feel like a romantic adventure. It’s true that getting around might be a challenge; but luckily becoming lost along a cobblestone street lined with cafes that serve the finest coffee and pastries you’ve ever had isn’t likely to irk you too much. In fact, go ahead and venture out with no particular itinerary in mind for the quickest way to immerse yourself in the dynamic atmosphere of this delightful city. After this one-of-a-kind getting to know you session, you’ll be ready to see the famous sites in a more traditional way (saving room for more impromptu explorations in between, of course).

There is so much to take note of in Paris; hopefully you’ve stolen enough time away from work to properly fit everything in without having to rush around like a mad person. The museums alone could take years to allow every painting, sculpture, and trinket to be admired for all they are worth. From the Musee d’Orsay, where the impressionist masterpieces dwell, to the Louvre, where the Mona Lisa and a few other familiar faces will welcome you to the City of Light, you will achieve the odd sensation of replacing a dim representation of something with the brilliance of the real thing. This goose bump-inducing feeling is what separates pleasant vacations from marvelous ones.

Let the thrilling chills continue to rise up your spine as you seek out the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, and all the other places you’ll know more intimately from now on. In addition to the attention-grabbing major players, there are also countless Parisian gems that may end up edging out the others as your favorite sights. Take the stairs of Montmartre for example, or the Palais Garnier. If these don’t sound familiar, it’s best to check them out on your own once you’ve unpacked your bags.

Even fashion neophytes know that Paris is a heaven for designers and purchasers of clothing, jewelry, handbags, and shoes. From haute couture to bargain racks, you’ll find what it is you’re looking for in the major shopping districts and sprinkled among the banks and patisseries, so be prepared to spend some time gazing into shop windows at all the awe-inspiring wares. Whether you bring home silly souvenirs, up-to-the-minute fineries, or more likely, a little of both, you’ll find Paris to be highly satisfactory when it comes to delivering the goods.

If you must, you can boil it down to neo-classical architecture, red wine, and a deeply entrenched cultural heritage, but Paris is so much more. It deserves to be explored with eyes wide open and every other sense acting on highest alert. You’ll taste amazing foods, hear the pleasing lilt of the French language, and smell the aromas of fresh baguettes, flower filled jardins, and the fruits of some of the finest vineyards in the world. Paris deserves some time and attention, so come with the willingness to learn and the energy to wander. You won’t be disappointed by your efforts to become acquainted with one of the world’s most intriguing regions, and you’ll likely return home feeling a bit more understanding and content with the knowledge that you’ve expanded your world view significantly.

To truly embrace this rendezvous with the city of romance, you’ll want to make your lodging experience just so. Paris is filled with hotels that range from modest hostels to luxurious suites, but don’t overlook the possibility of living like a local and reserving an elegant apartment or studio. Especially if you decide to stay for a while in order to truly get a feel for this European jewel, you’ll enjoy the experience of settling into a home-like residence outfitted with conveniences like a cute kitchen and special touches like a décor truly worthy of the adjective chic. Each property is different, so spend a little time picking out the one that best suits your needs, and more importantly, that holds the potential for the most divine enchantments.

No matter how you define the details, your trip to Paris is sure to be a treat. Study the guidebooks, recall the advice you’ve been given from Francophiles, and go online to select one of the many Paris Apartments that will likely speak to your adventurous soul. Everything seems to be coming together for a wondrous trip, so as they say, bon voyage.

Paris, the capital and largest city of France is situated on the river Seine, in northern France. Paris is among the major global cities as this city has great influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and arts. It has also contributed towards making it a leading business and cultural center. Paris is also the head office of many international organizations such as UNESCO, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the International Chamber of Commerce and the Paris Club. This has further leads to the good business opportunity for different hotels of Paris.Paris is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the world due to its iconic landmarks, world renowned institutions and popular parks that tempt over 30 million distant visitors each year to view the city. Paris has always been a tourist’s destination and it is also often visited by traders, students and people on religious pilgrimages. In true sense, tourism in Paris began on a broad scale only with the introduction of rail travel, namely from state organization of France’s rail network from 1848. To cater to the accommodation requirement of this vast number of tourists each year, various hotels were developed across important tourist places in Paris.To experience the most fascinating holiday trip, Paris provides perfect stay to tourists in their different range of hotels so that it can successfully cater to ever growing tourist’s accommodations problem. If one can find a hotel, which is in tune with his budget and requirement, then the tour of Paris will turn out to be one of the best holidays. Paris hotels are situated close to Paris, best known tourist attractions such as the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomph, so that the tourists are never too far to go for a stroll around the shop or a meal to enjoy.Most of the hotels of Paris are ideally located so that tourists can easily stroll and discover the true beauty of Paris. Some of the Paris renowned hotels are Saint James & Albany Hotel, Grand Hotel Francais, Moliere Hotel, Hotel Luxembourg Parc, Hotel Residence Foch, Hotel Elysees Regencia Paris and many others that provide perfect stay to various tourists coming from all parts of the world. These hotels have all the latest facilities and amenities such as restaurants, swimming pool, gym, fitness centre, business centre, high speed Internet facility etc.

Paris; it’s considered to be one of the most romantic places in the world and is ever-popular as a tourist destination. A great choice for a short break or long-weekend, there’s a dizzying array of sights and places to see and it may seem like there’s never enough time to take it all in.
While it’s certainly impossible to take advantage of all the attractions the city has to offer in a short space of time, this article has come up with a selection of five of the attractions you have to see if you’re in Paris.
It’s seems virtually impossible to escape the landmark with which Paris is most commonly associated; every film with a scene in Paris has it looming in the background, walk anywhere resembling a tourist destination and there’s people with bunches of models on a key chain trying to sell you a miniature version of it; I’m talking, of course, about the Eiffel Tower.
Built for the World Exhibition in 1889, the Eiffel Tower rises 300 metres out of the ground and stands out in the Paris skyline, visible from all over the city. Seeing the Tower up close reaffirms like no other attraction that you are in the French capital and demonstrates just what a feat of engineering it was.
A magnificent iron framework made up of around 12,000 pieces of prefabricated iron fit together with something like 7 million nails. For those that don’t suffer vertigo or get easily bored with queues you can head to the top and get a view of Paris that’s unrivaled.
Another of Paris’ most famous attractions and one of the most visited museums in the world is the Louvre. Nestled in the heart of Paris in the 1st arrondissement on the banks of the Seine, the Louvre displays around 35,000 works of art including some of the most famous pieces in history with the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory amongst its collection.
While you may well have seen the Louvre on television, postcards or in magazines, until you’ve seen it in person there’s no way to appreciate the size of the gallery. Occupying a staggering 60,000 square metres, the Louvre sees around 8.3 million visitors a year through its equally iconic Pyramid entrance and underground lobby which also serves as one of the strangest places to find a shopping centre. Beware, though, if you plan on seeing the Mona Lisa, there’s a bit of a queue and taking in the entirety of the collection is something that could set you back a whole day at least.
If you’re still in the mood for art then it’s worth taking a stroll to the Musee d’Orsay (that’s Orsay Museum) on the left banks of the Seine and it’s collection of French art dating from 1848 to 1915. Built in the Gare d’Orsay, the railway station architecture allows the museum a unique layout with a long, high, ceilinged ground floor gallery perfectly suited for the sculptures it contains. This author suggests a bit of time should be spent taking in the model of the Opera House interior and the miniature Paris through the glass floor in front of it.
The Orsay Museum is home to a breathtaking collection of impressionist masterpieces including works by Vincent Van Gogh (Self Portrait, Starry Night Over the Rhone, The Siesta), Manet (The Luncheon on the Grass), Cezanne, Monet, Whistler (including the famous Whistler’s Mother) and many more with sculptures by Paul Gauguin and Degas’ famous studies of ballet dancers’ movement.
If you make it up the stairs to the collection of impressionist art, be sure to take a look through the large clock and enjoy another great view of the city, on a clear day you can see straight across to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica – another of those sights you should see.
Set in the Montmarte district known for its many artists, the Sacre-Coeur Basilica (which translates as Basilica of the Sacred Heart) was completed in 1914 after a pledge to build a church if Paris emerged unscathed from the Purssian war and as a moral condemnation of the sins of Paris with a basilica true to Christian traditions. The architecture stands as a contrast to the more Romanesque stylings of the city and looks more like an Eastern temple.
The outside of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica is an example of excellence in architecture and the, free to enter, interior is no exception. When you emerge, though, be warned that on a summers day the sudden hit of daylight may leave you squinting for while across yet another jaw dropping view of the city below as the basilica sits atop a hill. The highest point in the city, the butte Montmarte is no small climb even for those in prime health. Give more than a thought to the lift service and save your legs.
Another and perhaps more famous of Paris’ religious buildings is the Notre-Dame Cathedral. The religious heart of the city, the Celts had a sacred ground here, the Romans used the site to build a temple to worship Jupiter and a Christian basilica was built in the 6th century with work on the Cathedral beginning in 1163 and finally completed in 1345.
The first cathedral to be built to such a scale, the Notre Dame Cathedral is a huge testament to faith at 128 metres long with two 69 metre tall towers and a 90 metre spire which was added in the 19th century. While many of the cathedral’s famous sculptures and gargoyles were destroyed during the French Revolution many remain and the Cathedral was restored between 1991 and 2001.
As imposing as the Cathedral’s frontage is, there’s no way to prepare for the size of the interior. Walking into the Notre Dame is like walking into an aircraft hangar. The impact of which is something you can’t experience from a postcard.
There’s plenty to see and do in Paris and, when your feet have tired from walking the streets there’s plenty of coffee shops and cafes to rest and take stock in over a crepe and coffee.