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Chef Gilles Choukroun’s iconoclastic approach comes off a treat here in dishes such as foisgras crème brulée.

The grave of this fairly obscure artist of the 1920s attracts attention because of its immensely powerful sculpture of a man and woman joined together and seeming to soar from the grave to the heavens.

Napoleon’s triumphal arch, celebrating battle victories, stands proudly at the top of the Champs-Elysées and, along with the Eiffel Tower, is one of the city’s most enduring images.

The remains of the 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre from the settlement of Lutetia (see Roman Settlement) lay buried for centuries and were only discovered in 1869 during construction of the rue Monge. The novelist Victor Hugo, concerned with the preservation of his city’s historic buildings, including Notre-Dame (see The Man Who Saved Notre-Dame), led the campaign for the restoration. The original arena would have had 35 tiers and could seat 15,000 spectators for theatrical performances and gladiator fights.

Though the remains of Neolithic settlements have been found dating back to 4500 BC, the first inhabitants are considered to be a Celtic tribe called the Parisii, who settled on the Ile de la Cité in the 3rd century BC. Hunters and fishermen, they named the village Lutetia, meaning “boatyard on a river”. The tribe minted their own gold coins and a pagan altar was found beneath Notre-Dame.

Over 800 canons are gathered together inside and in front of the museum.

Indulge yourself in the food shops of the Rue de Buci (see Cacao et Chocolat), then indulge yourself back in this hotel – especially if you have booked the suite with a Jacuzzi from which there are great views of the Latin Quarter.

Built for the daughter of Louis XIV in 1722, the Palais Bourbon has housed the lower house of the French parliament since 1827. The Council of the Five Hundred met here during the Revolution, and it was the headquarters of the German Occupation during World War II. Napoleon added the Classical riverfront façade in 1806 to complement La Madeleine (see Place de la Madeleine) across the river.