Paris is the capital of France, on the Seine, in the Parisian basin. This city by itself forms a department (no. 75), which covers 105 km² and constitutes part of the Ile de France region.

It is organized like an amphitheatre of hillocks (Chaillot, Montmartre, Chaumont, Belleville, Ménilmontant, Cailles, Ste Geneviève) around a plain formed by the Seine which meanders and which a group of islands, the biggest being the Île de la Cité, separates into several branches.

Paris occupies the heart of an area where navigable rivers converge: the Seine, the Marne and the Oise.

The city brings together all the control levers of the country. It is the political and administrative centre of a centralized State.

But, even more than all that, Paris is a group of small towns, the arrondissements.

Nature/Leisurely walks: +++ Culture : +++ Shopping : +++

Are you a day person ? The first arrondissement is for you then! From dawn to dusk it is a turmoil of life and movement.

Animal sellers, booksellers, the Commodity Market, and the Bank of France, all rub shoulders along the banks of the Seine in a warm atmosphere.

This is a heterogeneous neighbourhood, where all activities are represented. The 1st Arrondissement is a neighbourhood steeped in the Economy but which also conceals some cultural treasures. If you want to enjoy these treasures, the Louvre Museum, the Palais Royal and the Jardin des Tuileries will overwhelm you.

And if you prefer shopping, the Halles forum and the Place Vendôme will delight you.

Finally, you can discover, in the magnificent roads of the Île de la Cité, its small typical restaurants which leave you with a wonderful recollection.

Routes for everyone :

for lovers of leisurely walks :

There are three stages to the visit here, from the Concorde to the Place du Châtelet. A walk around the Jardin des Tuileries will let you start the day gently, exploring the Orangery in a verdant, pleasant setting, before wandering along the paths of the Garden. On leaving, you go back to the Quai des Tuileries along Rue des Pyramides, at the level of the Pont Royal, in order to begin your walk along the embankment.