There are plenty of travel guides in existence: France, after all, is the most-visited country in the world, and its capital city is the main reason why: with world-class museums, wide open boulevards, Belle Epoque architecture, and distinct cuisine, it’s known not just as the cultural capital of Europe, but perhaps the world. Yet it’s not just the reality of Paris that draws you in—it’s the fantasy. The City of Light, after all, has been romanticized for most of us since birth, in books by Victor Hugo and Ernest Hemingway, movies like and , and through photographers like Brassaï and Henri Cartier Bresson.
And while the majority of travelers know the iconic tourist spots of Paris—the Eiffel Tower! The Louvre! Notre Dame!—the spots that encompass the soul of the city that so many of us seek are harder to find. With that in mind, asked its editors where they stay eat, shop, and visit across the arrondissements. Some answers are for the classicists—you can’t go wrong enjoying an evening of soufflé and a night at the ballet.
Others are for those seeking alternative activities, from five Euro dumplings to vintage shops that will “make you look Emmanuelle Seigner straight out of ,” as one fashion writer puts it. (Speaking of vintage: we have a whole guide to the city’s best vintage stores, ) Below, find ’s Paris travel guide. Where to Stay “The feel is 1930s meets 1970s, cool elegance with a bit of grooviness,” wrote of the new Cheval Blanc Par.