The City of Light at Night

After spending at least two hours absorbing the great masterpieces of the largest museum in the world, exit the museum and pass by the metal-and-glass pyramid created by Chinese-American architect I.M Pei. This ultra-modern construction was completed in 1989 and provoked controversy for its startling contrast to the museum's classical look. Commissioned by the late president Francois Mitterrand, it is now a city landmark.

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Address: 75058 Paris cedex 01
Phone: +33 (0)1 40 20 57 60
Admission: 10€ , (under 18 free)

As you walk from the Louvre to the Tuileries you'll pass underneath the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. Built in 1807 this was the entrance to the Tuileries Palace and a replica of the Arch of Septimus Severe in Rome. The eight statues, four on each side, represent the soldiers of the Napoleonic Empire. A chariot drawn by four Corinthian-style horses sits atop the arch.

Since the 19th century, this 63-acre garden has been where Parisians meet, celebrate, walk and relax. It was first conceived by Queen Catherine de Medicis in 1567 to model the gardens of her native Florence, Italy. The garden was remodeled by royal landscape architect André Le Nôtre in 1664 and still closely follows that same design.

The garden is filled with statues, fountains and mathematically trimmed hedges. At sunset, life abounds. Children sail fleets of model boats on the oval pond while tourists and businessmen alike lounge on park chairs along the pond's perimeter. Stroll leisurely around the open expanse and grab a lemonade or ice cream cone in any of the food stands before continuing on.

This is the city's largest square and where a number of French political figures like Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI and more than 1,000 others lost their life in the midst of the French Revolution. The central monument used to be the guillotine, but is now a 75-foot-tall obelisk covered in hieroglyphics presented as a gift to the city from Egypt in 1833.

The two fountains on the north-south axis of the plaza were completed in 1840 during the reign of King Louis-Philippe and designed by architect Jacques-Ignace Hittorff, who devoted each fountain's design to the river and the sea.

The Fountain of the Rivers, to the north, has large figures representing the major Rhône River and the Rhine River of Europe. The Martitime Fountain, to the south, closest to the Seine, represented the seas, with figures representing the Atlantic and the Mediterranean busy harvesting coral, fish, shellfish and pearls.

At one point in time Parisians used to drink from these fountains.

Continue your tour along the most famous promenade of Paris past haute fashion boutiques and car dealerships toward the looming Arc de Triomphe.

Nighttime is when the Champs-Elysées is at its prettiest. Created in 1616, the Elysian Fields were once meant to be an extension of the Tuilleries Gardens. Over the years the avenue has gone through many changes. In 1828 footpaths, fountains and gas lighting were added to the tree-lined street and commercial businesses were welcomed.

In 1994, the sidewalks were widened to accommodate throngs of sidewalk shoppers and tourists. Today, the first third of the street is still hemmed by chestnut trees and flower beds and retains a bit of its original majestic beauty.

Continue and you'll see the street unfold into a series of two-story palatial hotels, shops, movie houses and sidewalk cafés. Because of the high rents, few people live on the Champs-Elysées; the upper stories tend to be occupied by offices.

At night, the open automobile showrooms and gift shops will be lit up. While not as elegant as it once was, the street is still the best vantage point in which to experience Paris by night.

To reach the biggest triumphal arc in the world, commissioned by Napolean in 1806, at the end of the Champs-Elysées, make sure you take the underground passage instead of attempting to cross through traffic in the busy roundabout.

Once at the arc's center take an elevator or climb the staircase to the arc's top to see an exhibition hall filled with lithographs and photos of the arc through history. The Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.

Napolean's remains passed underneath the arc on the way to his tomb and since then it has been a focal point for state funerals. The names of all French victories and generals are inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I. The observation deck is open until late. After taking in the views of the lit-up city, descend the elevator and proceed to the nearest metro.

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Address:
At the end of the Champs-Elysees in 16th arrondissement on Paris's Right Bank

Hours: April - September 10am - 11pm, October - March 10am - 10:30pm

Admission: Adult €8, Students 18-25 €5, Children and students up to age 17 free

NOTE: According to the website, "the top can ONLY be reached by climbing up its 40 stairs. But before you get to the stairs, you have to get to the monument itself (which isn't as simple as you'd think). DO NOT TRY CROSSING THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE! There is an underground tunnel on the Avenue de la Grande Armee side of the circle. You can access this tunnel from the Wagram exit of the Metro."

Take the Metro to the Trocadero stop to view one of the most recognizable structures in the world and an essential stop on any visit to Paris.

The Eiffel Tower, weighing 7,000 tons but exerting the same pressure on the ground as an average-size person sitting in a chair, caused as much controversy as I.M. Pei's glass pyramid when it was first constructed. The French architect Gustave-Alexandre Eiffel constructed it for the 1889 Universal Exhibition as a temporary structure. It would have been torn down had it not been for the advent of radio and the discovery that the tower's height made an ideal place for radio antennae.

The Eiffel Tower looks especially glamorous lit up against the night sky. At night, the crowds are smaller and you'll be able easily take the elevator up to the top (open until 11:45pm in the summer). From the Metro stop, approach the structure slowly to appreciate the site the most. Walk from the stop to the Seine, cross the Pont d'iena and walk toward the base where you'll reach the elevators and see a wonderful view of Paris by night.

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Address: near Quai Branly and Av. de Suffren

Hours: Daily 9am - 12am (June 17 to Augut 28)
9:30 am - 11 pm during the rest of the year

Admission (prices reflect tickets to the top):
Adult: 13.4€
Ages 12 - 24: 11.8€
Child 4-11: 9.30€
Children 4 and under: FREE