Paris

Paris is the capital of France and the country’s largest city. It is located on the Seine River in northern France, in the center of the Ile-de-France region (also known as the “Paris region”). The boundaries of the city itself have not changed much since 1860, its population is 2,233,818 (as of 2010), so a walk around Paris will not take much time if you compare the city to London or Rome. However, the metropolitan area (Paris unité urbaine), where Paris itself makes up only the central part, has a population of 10,142,977 (2006 data). The Paris metropolitan area, or Paris agglomeration, together with its suburbs, has a population of 12,672,000 and is one of the most populous metropolitan areas in Europe.

An important population center more than two millennia old, Paris today is one of the leading business and cultural centers, and its influence in politics, education, leisure, media, fashion, science and the arts gives it the status of one of the world’s major cities. According to 2005 data, Greater Paris is economically the largest urban region in Europe and ranks fifth among the world’s leading cities in terms of gross domestic product production. The time in Paris is Central European, which means it is one hour ahead of Greenwich and two hours behind Moscow.

Paris is one of the most attractive cities in the world for tourists. 45 million tourists visit Paris every year, 60% of which are foreigners. Among its attractions are world famous places, institutions, popular parks and even just the streets of Paris. All these places, their beauty combined with the rich history of each square meter makes a vacation in Paris truly unforgettable.

Since the 11th century, Paris was a popular place for merchants, students and pilgrims, but a large-scale tourism industry in its pure form began to develop only with the advent of the XIX century railroad, namely after the state reorganization in 1848 of the French railroad network, with Paris at its center. Among the first events that attracted the attention of the world to Paris was the already mentioned World’s Fair, which gave birth to many landmarks of Paris, such as the Eiffel Tower in 1889. These structures, as well as many buildings from the Second Empire period that adorned it, created the charm of Paris that still draws many tourists to it today.

Paris is not only a tourist Mecca, a complete collection of European treasures, it is also a shopper’s paradise. Agree, the phrase “This was bought in Paris” has a very solid weight and makes the purchased thing much more valuable, so shopping in Paris – it is also a status. The choice of goods in the French capital is truly enormous – there are famous department stores, boutiques, antique markets and much more.