https://avxhome.in

Tear out page here then fold along the dotted lines TURN OVER FOR MAP AND NUMBER LOCATIONS

Fold 1

Paris for

oUVWWLPHUV

France’s City of Light has stolen visitors’ hearts

for centuries; prepare to be bowled over by

some of the world’s finest bistros, grandest

gardens and most exquisite architecture.

The Cathédrale

Notre Dame de Paris,

on the Île de la Cité

Food & drink

$UW $UFKLWHFWXUH 2XWGRRUV

EIFFEL TOWER

No-one could imagine Paris today

without it, but Gustave Eiffel only

constructed this 320m-tall

signature spire as a temporary

exhibit for the 1889 World Fair.

Luckily, the Art Nouveau tower’s

popularity assured its survival.

Visitors can walk up to the second

floor via 704 stairs. At the very

top, there’s a champagne bar

(tour-eiffel.fr; Champ de Mars;

9.30am–11pm; lift to top US$19).

This masterpiece of French

Gothic architecture has been the

focus of Catholic Paris for seven

centuries and its interior

accommodates 6,000

worshippers. Highlights include

its rose windows, treasury, and

bell towers, which can be

climbed. From the North Tower,

400-odd steps spiral up to

strange gargoyles and a

spectacular view of Paris

(cathedraledeparis.com; interior

open 8am–6.45pm, to 7.15pm

Sat–Sun; interior free, bell towers

US$11, treasury US$4).

CENTRE POMPIDOU

The Pompidou’s modern art

collection is Europe’s largest,

but the museum is just as well

known for its radical architecture.

Architects Renzo Piano and

Richard Rogers effectively

designed the building inside out,

with plumbing, pipes, air vents

and electrical cables forming part

of the façade. Up top there’s a

roof terrace, while, outside, Place

Igor Stravinsky is a fun place to

linger (centrepompidou.fr; Pl

Georges Pompidou; 11am–9pm,

closed Tue; US$14, free first Sun

of month).

LADURÉE

One of the oldest patisseries in

Paris, Ladurée has been around

since 1862 and was the original

creator of the lighter-than-air

macaron (macaroon). Its

tearoom is a top spot to indulge

on the Champs-Élysées.

Alternatively, pick up some

pastries to go – from croissants

to those trademark macarons,

it’s all quite heavenly (laduree.

com; 75 Av des Champs-Élysées;

pastries from US$2.60).

LE MIROIR

It would be criminal to come to

Paris and not spend time in pretty

Montmartre, the hilly, bohemian

area once notorious for its red

light district, which fed the Moulin

Rouge. It can be touristy, so it’s a

welcome surprise to find Le Miroir

• a modern bistro smack in the
  middle of it all. It serves delightful
  pâtés and rillettes, and other
  well-prepared French staples
  (cafemiroir.com; 94 Rue des
  Martyrs; menus from US$21).

FRENCHIE

Tucked down an inconspicuous

alley, this bijou bistro with stone

walls and wooden tables is a

classic. Frenchie is always packed

and for good reason: excellent-

value modern dishes prepared

with just the right dose of

unpretentious, creative flair. Book

in advance, or try tapas across the

street at no-bookings Frenchie Bar

à Vins (frenchie-restaurant.com;

5–6 Rue du Nil; closed weekends;

five-course menu US$75).

THE SEINE

Nicknamed la ligne de vie de Paris

(the lifeline of Paris), the Seine

cuts through the city centre and

its riverbanks are inscribed on the

Unesco World Heritage list. On

the Right Bank, east of the Hôtel

de Ville, walkways and cycleways

whizz past the water. On the Left

Bank, a 1½-mile stretch from the

Pont de l’Alma to the Musée

d’Orsay is dotted with bars,

restaurants and floating gardens.

Sacré-Cœur is a veritable

experience: the view from the

terrace is one of those perfect

Paris postcards and it’s said you

can see up to 20 miles on a clear

day. Ivy-clad streets climb the hill

of Montmartre to a funicular that

glides up to the church and white

domes (metro tickets can be

used). Below, musicians perform

on the steps and people picnic on

the hillside park (6am–10.30pm).

The silhouette of the Eiffel Tower,

the defining symbol of Paris

A peach tart with crème fraîche

and lavender served at Frenchie

The illuminated façade of the

Basilique du Sacre-Cœur

Fold 2

MINI GUIDE

Filled with fountains, ponds and

sculptures, the formal 28-hectare

Tuileries Garden, which begins

just west of the Jardin du

Carrousel, was laid out in 1664

by André Le Nôtre, who also

created the gardens at Vaux-le-

Vicomte and Versailles. The

Tuileries became the most

fashionable spot in Paris for

parading about in one’s finery. It’s

still a wonderful place to lounge

in a deckchair or regroup after a

trip to the nearby Louvre.

CATHÉDRALE NOTRE

DAME DE PARIS BASILIQUE DU

SACRÉ-CŒUR

JARDIN DES TUILERIES