DK Travel : Paris

From Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower, Paris holds some of the world's most famous sights and these highlights should be top of the list for any first-time visitor. With the exception of the overtly modern Pompidou Centre, they have been landmarks of this elegant and romantic capital for centuries and remain awe-inspiring sights, no matter how often you visit the city.

More on guided tours in Paris

Blasphème

A stylish shop that sells French-designed jewellery along with all manner of other tastefully made items including pens, photograph frames and a range of stationery.
Boat trip

The best way to see Paris is from a bateau mouche. Just lie back and watch the sights go by.
Boating

Boating lakes in the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes allow you to flex your rowing muscles.
Bofinger

Paris’s oldest brasserie (1864) offers staple dishes such as oysters and peppered steak. Several fixed-price menus.
Bois de Boulogne

At the weekends, Parisians head for this vast park on the western edge of the city, with a boating lake and paths for cycling, jogging and strolling. There are three formal gardens, lakes and waterfalls, and even two horse-racing tracks. A good spot for a break from the city bustle (see Bois de Vincennes).
Bois de Boulogne

Come here at the weekend if you want to join the locals in the “great escape”, and you’ll have 865 ha (2,135 acres) from which to choose your path. The Bagatelle Gardens are a fine place for a walk in spring and summer, when a stunning array of roses and other flowers are in bloom.
Bois de Boulogne

This enormous park is the Parisians’ favourite green retreat, especially on summer weekends when its 865 ha (2,135 acres) can become crowded. There is plenty to do, apart from simply walking and picnicking, such as cycling, riding, boating or visiting the various attractions. These include parks within the park, two race courses and an art and folk museum. The park is open 24 hours a day, but it should be avoided after dark.
Bois de Vincennes

Another great escape from the city, this park is to the east of Paris what the Bois de Boulogne is to the west. A former royal hunting ground, it was landscaped in the 1860s. Now it features ornamental lakes and waterfalls, a zoo, a funfair and horse-racing tracks.
Bois de Vincennes

To the southeast of the city centre lies the vast parkland of the Bois de Vincennes. Amid its greenery are three lakes, including a boating lake, along with the “Parc Floral” and its Four-Seasons Garden, a zoo, Buddhist Centre, and a summer amusement park. The beautiful Château de Vincennes, surrounded by a wall and a moat, was the French royal residence prior to the building of Versailles. After the Revolution Napoleon converted it into an arsenal.
Bon

Wonderful patisserie, with an especially good line in small fruit tarts, such as lemon and strawberry. Fat-free cheesecake for the health-conscious, too.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with half a bottle of wine (or equivalent meal), taxes and charges included.
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