"The city of light" The glass pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum

The glass pyramid in front of the Louvre Museum.

As one of the most scenic cities in the world to send a postcard home from, Paris continues to be one of the world's hottest destinations. Its enduring appeal is summed up in the film that opened the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, Paris, Je t'aime - 18 stories that take place in the French capital and that pay homage to the city's people.

For the overseas traveler arriving at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) International Airport, your journey will probably start at the metro system. Although an airport shuttle bus or taxi is available, the metro costing only $12.30 is a cheap and fast way to reach downtown Paris. With a history of more than 100 years, the Paris Metro, with more than 14 lines, covers most of the city's top tourist spots.

Recommended walk

To take in many of the city's wonderful landmarks during this stroll, take the metro to Charles de Gaulle Etoile station where the Arc de Triomphe stands outside. You already stood in one of Paris' most famous streets, the Champs Elysées. It's a fantastic place for window shopping, if you have a tight schedule. Walking east from here, it takes about 40 minutes to reach the Place de la Concorde (or you can take the metro to the Line 1 Concorde station).

Adjacent to the Place de la Concorde is the Tuileries Garden, and strolling across the garden you will arrive at the Louvre Museum. A particular highlight of the museum is the glass pyramid that stands in the courtyard and which was designed by the renowned Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei.

Art for art's sake

Paris has long been praised as the City of Art, and no one should miss out on the Louvre's art treasures. The museum is located on the right bank of the Seine River in the 1st arrondissement (district). Its four-story exhibition space includes eight curatorial departments: Egyptian antiquities; Near Eastern antiquities; Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities; Islamic art; sculpture; decorative arts; paintings; prints and drawings. A whole day here probably still isn't enough to take it all in.

From the pyramid enter through B1 floor, and go straight to the information center to ask for a guide map which is offered in a number of languages. The Mona Lisa, probably the museum's most famous work, is situated in the Denon Exhibition Hall on the second floor. Naturally, it is always surrounded by a large group of visitors, so it may be a good idea to get there early. The Napoleon III Apartments, featuring luxury furnishings in the Baroque style, is also on the same floor.

Metro: Line 1/7, Palais Royal Musée du Louvre

Admission: $13.50

On the opposite side of the river from the Louvre is the Musée d'Orsay which was a former railway station until its refurbishment in 1986. With a collection of more than 4,700 pieces, the museum features paintings, sculptures, furniture and handicrafts all from the Modernist era. The highlight is a large number of Impressionist paintings by masters such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Georges Seurat. Auguste Rodin's sculpture The Gates of Hell is also a top attraction.

Be warned that cameras are not allowed inside the museum. You can rent an audio guide for $6.80.

Metro: Line RER C, Musée d'Orsay

Admission: $14.90

A Gothic miracle

Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame has rendered the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris full of mystery and a sense of romance. This Gothic style catholic cathedral is also the oldest in Paris and is located on the Cité Island in the 4th arrondissement. A Sunday visit to the cathedral will allow you to attend one of the ceremonially ornate masses that take place there. The colorful windows, statues of the saints, pillars and chandeliers all make for a majestic atmosphere.

Walk out of the cathedral, and take a closer look at the exterior relief sculptures which tell compelling stories. In front of the building, meanwhile, you can feed the throng of pigeons that regularly flock to the square.

And if you would like to get the real Quasimodo experience, take a trip up to the bell tower where Hugo's eponymous character famously pleaded for sanctuary.  

Metro: Line 4, Cité

Admission: Free for the cathedral, $7.40 for the cathedral bell tower

Not far away from cathedral lies another Gothic architecture masterpiece - La Sainte Chapelle (or Holy Chapel). Built between 1242 and 1248, the chapel once housed Louis IX's collection of religious relics, including the purported "crown of thorns" from the crucifixion of Christ.

An important example of the Gothic architectural style known as Rayonnant, the two-story chapel is most famous for its stained glass windows - 15 giant mid-13th windows as high as 15 meters each filling the nave and apse. The windows feature some 1,134 paintings inspired by Biblical stories.

Metro: Line 4, Cité

Admission: $10.80

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