I have visited Paris last month and I can say one thing: Paris is more charming than ever.

What makes this wonderful city so special? Hard to answer. It is a similar question to: why is Marylin Monroe so attractive? Is a special air in the city, specially in Montmartre where, between the World War I and World War II, you could meet many Russian refugees (among them the brilliant composer Stravinsky), the spanish genial painters Dali and Picasso, the American writer Hemingway. La Boheme parisienne.

Paris is a very old city, but you will not notice that. It is very dynamic and businesslike, much nearer to New York than to London. In the big metropolitan area it counts 12 000 000 inhabitants (20 % of the France population) and produces 40 % of the land BIP. If Paris were a country, it were the fourteenth on the list of the most productive countries.

Paris was grounded by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe, in the year 4200 B.C.on the Seine banks. During the roman occupation it was called Lutetia, than Luthece and later regained its actual name. In 1789 Paris was the stage of the French Revolution symbolized through Storming of Bastille, and of the overthrowing monarchy in 1792.

Exactly a century later Paris payed tribute and homage to the French Revolution by hosting the International Exhibition from 1889. As a city symbol, The Tour Eifel was build and prepared to be showed to the visitors. Before the Exhibition the locals were fast all agreeing the fact, that Paris never has an uglier building, and it should be demolished after the Expo. But the Tour Eiffel was a smashing succes, and is even today Paris tallest building and its iconic city

mark.
Man, you have a lot to see, experience and taste in this Ville lumiere (City of light) : exquisite luxury hotels (Ritz), haute cuisine, Opera House, Musee du Louvre, modern and old architecture, shopping at the flea market. You need at least 1 week of intensive walk for this eclectic city. You will not not be lonely there: Paris is one of the world’s most visited cities with 30 millions travelers every year!

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