As the owner of Paris... Bonjour- Bienvenue à Paris!

Paris is the city of a thousand clichés - the ‘City of Lights', and Hemingway's much quoted ‘Moveable Feast' amongst them, but for once it is also a city that justifies the hype. The French capital is one of the world's truly great cities, a metropolis that lavishly satisfies the desires of tourists and business people alike and manages to retain a standard of living that makes becoming a Parisian so alluring.

The city dramatically wears its history on its sleeve, and today it is still centred around the Ile de la Cité, where over 2,000 years ago Celtic tribes first eked out a living. The Romans were later drawn to this strategic location in the middle of the Seine, a natural crossroads between Germany and Spain, and took control in 52BC. Despite English rule between 1420 and 1436, a series of French kings brought about the centralisation of France, with Paris at its cultural, political and economic heart.

Despite its large size and population, almost everything worth seeing is contained within the Boulevard Périphérique (the ring road). The compact centre is easily navigable on foot, with the efficient and comprehensive Métro system always on hand to ease tired limbs. The lifeblood River Seine splits the city neatly in two and the useful arrondissements (districts) system neatly carves Paris into manageable chunks.

Read more: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/city/94/city_guide/Europe/Paris.html#ixzz0u8mJldRE

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PLACES TO GO:

Paris probably has more familiar landmarks than any other city in the world, here are just a handful of those worthy of a visit:

- The Louvre (http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en)

The world's largest museum is a city within the city, a vast, multi-level maze of galleries, passageways, staircases and escalators. It's famous for the artistic glories it contains within, but the very fabric of the museum is a masterpiece in itself - or rather, a collection of masterpieces modified and added to from one century to another.

- Eiffel Tower (http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/)

No building better symbolises Paris than the Tour Eiffel. Maupassant claimed he left Paris because of it, William Morris visited daily to avoid having to see it from afar - and it was originally meant to be a temporary structure. The radical cast-iron tower was built for the 1889 World Fair and the centenary of the 1789 Revolution by engineer Gustave Eiffel.

- Les Catacombes (http://www.catacombes-de-paris.fr/english.htm)

This is the official entrance to the 3,000km (1,864-mile) tunnel network that runs under much of the city. With public burial pits overflowing in the era of the Revolutionary Terror, the bones of six million people were transferred to the catacombes. The bones of Marat, Robespierre and their cronies are packed in with wall upon wall of their fellow citizens. A damp, cramped tunnel takes you through a series of galleries before you reach the ossuary, the entrance to which is announced by a sign engraved in the stone: 'Stop! This is the empire of death.' The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and the temperature in the tunnels is 14°C.

- The Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe is the city's second most iconic monument after the Eiffel Tower - older, shorter, but far more symbolically important: indeed, the island on which it stands, in the centre of the vast traffic junction of l'Etoile, is the nearest thing to sacred ground in all of secular France, indelibly associated as it is with two of French history's greatest men.

- Notre Dame (http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/)

Notre-Dame was commissioned in 1160 by Bishop Maurice de Sully, who wanted to rival the smart new abbey that had just gone up in St-Denis. It replaced the earlier St-Etienne basilica, built in the sixth century by Childebert I on the site of a Gallo-Roman temple to Jupiter. Notre-Dame was constructed between 1163 and 1334, and the amount of time and money spent on it reflected the city's growing prestige.

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PLACES TO EAT:

- Chez Jeanette (http://www.chezjeannette.com/site/index.php?nav=home)

When she sold her café back in March 2007, Jeanette handed over to the young team from Chez Justine because they promised not to change a thing. The monstrous 1940s dust-coated lights, leaky loos, tobacco-stained wallpaper depicting the Moulin Rouge and PVC-covered banquettes have finally been cleaned up, and the café has become one of Paris's hippest spots for an aperitif. There's a plat du jour at lunch and plates of cheese and charcuterie at night; at 8pm, the fluorescent lights go off and candlelight takes over, to a cheer.

- Le Restaurant (http://www.l-hotel.com)

Since being taken over by Oxford-based Cowley Manor, L'Hôtel has rechristened its restaurant (formerly Le Belier) and put the talented Philippe Bélisse in charge of the kitchen. You can choose from a short seasonal menu with dishes such as pan-fried tuna, John Dory or suckling pig. But for the same price you can also enjoy the marvellous four-course menu dégustation or, even better, the menu surprise. Highlights of the autumn menu were the wild Breton crab stuffed with fennel, avocado and huile d'Argan, and a main course of pigeon on a bed of beetroot.

- Angelina

Angelina is home to Paris's most lip-smackingly scrumptious desserts - all served in the faded grandeur of a belle époque salon just steps from the Louvre. The hot chocolate is pure decadence; try the speciality 'African', a velvety potion so thick that you need a spoon to consume it. Epicurean delights include the Mont Blanc dessert, a ball of meringue covered in whipped cream and sweet chestnut, and, for those with a waistline to watch, a brand new sugar- and butter-free brioche aux fruits rouges. The place heaves at weekends, so be prepared to queue.

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PLACES TO STAY:

- Familia Hotel (http://www.hotel-paris-familia.com)

BUDGET HOTEL

This old-fashioned Latin Quarter hotel has balconies hung with tumbling plants and walls draped with replica French tapestries. Owner Eric Gaucheron extends a warm welcome, and the 30 rooms have personalised touches such as sepia murals, cherry-wood furniture and stone walls. The Gaucherons also own the Hôtel Minerve next door - book in advance for both.

- Hotel Amour (http://www.hotelamourparis.fr/)

BOUTIQUE HOTEL

Opened back in 2006, this boutique hotel is a real hit with the in crowd. Each of the 20 rooms is unique, decorated on the theme of love or eroticism by a coterie of contemporary artists and designers such as Marc Newson, M&M, Stak, Pierre Le Tan and Sophie Calle. Seven of the rooms contain artists' installations, and two others have their own private bar and a large terrace on which to hold your own party. The late-night brasserie has a coveted outdoor garden, and the crowd is young and beautiful and loves to entertain.

- Hotel Aviatic (http://www.aviatichotel.com/uk/index.php)

3*

This historic hotel has masses of character, from the Empire-style lounge and garden atrium to the bistro-style breakfast room and polished marble floor in the lobby. New decoration throughout, in beautiful steely greys, warm reds, elegant, striped velvets and toile de Jouy fabrics, lends an impressive touch of glamour, and the service is consistently with a smile.

- Hotel le Bristol (http://www.lebristolparis.com/#/hotel-de-luxe-5-etoiles-paris)

5*

Set on the exclusive rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, near luxury boutiques such as Christian Lacroix, Azzaro, Salvatore Ferragamo, Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana, the Bristol is a supremely luxurious 'palace' hotel with a loyal following of fashionistas and millionaires drawn by the location, impeccable service, larger than average rooms and a three Michelin-starred restaurant with Eric Fréchon at the helm. The Bristol's new seven-storey wing opened in late 2009, with 22 new rooms and four suites, all with views of the Eiffel Tower.