Paris – A City of Romance, Art and Bohemian Life

Paris. Beautiful, romantic Paris. A city of fashion, art and bohemian life. This year, my wife and I decided to visit this extraordinary city, full of history, magnificent architecture, famous works of art, palaces, gardens and the wonderful aromas of French cuisine. Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the Eiffel Tower and, last but not least, the chance to enjoy some excellent food and wine.

We stayed right in the city centre, not far from the Louvre, which was within easy walking distance of our hotel. As with our other trips, we had a long list of places we wanted to visit. And as always, I recommend buying your tickets in advance, preferably with a "skip the line" option. In Paris, this can save you a lot of time.

The Louvre

Our first stop was the Louvre, which we visited with a guide. Skipping the queue was definitely worth it, and during the tour our guide showed us some of the most famous works of art in this magnificent museum while sharing plenty of interesting stories and facts about them.

Considering the enormous size of the Louvre, exploring it properly could easily take several days, so taking a guided tour was a great choice for us. You get to see the highlights, learn the stories behind them and avoid trying to navigate one of the largest museums in the world entirely on your own.

The Eiffel Tower

Of course, we couldn't miss the Arc de Triomphe and, above all, the Eiffel Tower. Even though we had purchased priority-access tickets, we still had to wait for around two hours. However, it was absolutely worth it in the end.

During our visit, our guide told us fascinating stories about the construction of the Eiffel Tower, its history and the work required to maintain it. The journey to the top, the tour itself and, above all, the views across Paris were breathtaking. I would definitely recommend visiting the Eiffel Tower at least once in your lifetime.

There is also an excellent restaurant located directly on the tower, Madame Brasserie, which we can highly recommend. Professional service, wonderful views over Paris and a fantastic culinary experience make it a combination that is definitely worth enjoying.

Versailles

The following day, we travelled to Versailles. Exploring the palace and discovering its history is an amazing experience in itself, but make sure you also leave enough time to walk through the surrounding gardens. The entire estate is enormous, and it is only when you start exploring it on foot that you truly realise just how monumental Versailles really is.

Paris from the Seine

One of our favourite ways to explore Paris was by travelling along the Seine on the hop-on hop-off river boats. With a day ticket, you can get on and off as many times as you like, so the boats work almost like a sightseeing bus – only on the river.

And Paris from the water? It has a completely different kind of magic. The views of the city, its bridges and historic buildings from the Seine are beautiful, and I would definitely recommend this way of getting around to anyone visiting Paris.

Notre-Dame and Paris by Night

We also visited the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral, part of which was still undergoing restoration following the devastating fire. Even so, it is a place with an incredible atmosphere and is definitely worth visiting.

One of the most beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower was from Café de l'Homme. In the evening, once darkness falls and the Eiffel Tower lights up, the view is truly unforgettable. The sparkling light show creates exactly the kind of romantic atmosphere that people associate with Paris.

Paris Surprised Us

Our entire visit to Paris was wonderful. I have to admit that I was also pleasantly surprised by how clean the city was and by the sense of safety we experienced throughout our stay.

The people were friendly, happy to chat, and life seemed to move at its own, slightly slower pace. You sit down, enjoy some delicious food and a glass of wine, and for a while, you simply stop rushing.

Paris is a city of bohemian life, art, history, excellent food and wine. A city with its own unique atmosphere – one that you shouldn't just see, but truly experience.

And we definitely haven't been there for the last time.