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 an otherworldliness to this city, where beauty and
elegance are favoured 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.
