Viator Paris

Hot town, summer in the city – but when that city is Paris, dirty and gritty it’s not. Instead, Paris pulls out all the stops to make its residents (and us, the lucky visitors!) feel like they can indeed have it all in the summertime. Below, we review two of Paris’s summer beaches.

For shopaholics, Paris’s marché aux puces (flea markets) are at the top of the must-do list when visiting. But even those who have no interest in shopping shouldn’t discount the flea markets entirely; they can be a fascinating look into the quotidian life of Parisians throughout history, and a fine walk outside on a nice weekend morning!

Paris is arguably the most romantic city on Earth, so it’s no wonder that people go there to stoke the flames of love. But are there specifically romantic things to do in Paris? We sure think so. Here are our favorites.

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is having a big birthday in 2013, and the church has already started hosting celebrations. Will you be in Paris for the remaining events?

Whether you’re visiting Paris and want to know what to do after seeing the sites – or if you just want to know what Parisians are up to these days – take a look at the top things to do this week in the City of Lights!

Paris is not known to be a cheap city but some of its main attractions are free – just another reason we love this city so much.

One thing Paris is famous for is its gardens. For centuries it has excelled at designing and nurturing green places to take refuge from the hectic city. Each year this is celebrated with the Fete Des Jardins, or Garden Festival, which marks the coming of Fall.

July 14 is an important day in Paris. Every year the city celebrates La Fete National, or Bastille Day, the day the French Revolution began in 1789 with the storming of the medieval fortress Bastille Prison.

The prison stood where Place de la Bastille is now and was used largely to house prisoners critical of the King and his government. To an increasingly hungry and dissatisfied French population it became symbolic of the unfairness of the system and storming it seemed a powerful way to make their voices finally be heard, even if, to their surprise, only seven prisoners were inside.

A walking tour of Père-Lachaise is really a stroll in the park with history thrown in. The tombs range from very simple headstones to huge sculptures and mini-chapels.

At first sight, central Paris can seem like a city crammed with buildings. Look closer, though, and you’ll discover the manicured lawns and clipped trees of large gardens like the Luxembourg and Tuileries. And tucked away are smaller stretches of greenery with seasonal plantings of flowers and meandering gravel pathways. Here are our favorite top 5 lesser known gardens in Paris.