There are a thousand and one reasons to return to Paris, what is yours?
Paris is one of those cities that, due to its vastness and constant change, it is impossible to know them perfectly.
However, there are elements of this magical city that never change and that they will always deserve a new visit.
Therefore, and trying get away from the topics, We present a short list of reasons why it is worth returning to Paris.
YOUR LIGHT
No one who has seen the lights of Paris has ever been able to forget them. Its magic attracts you, captivates you and no longer abandons you.
Precisely the capital of France is known as the Ville Lumière, The city of the lights, and although it received that name in the past and for other reasons, it still fits perfectly.
The Ville Lumiere
One of the most beautiful spectacles offered by the light of Paris is observe how the glare of the street lamps illuminates the surface of the Seine when the sun has hidden, giving it the candor lost with the arrival of the night. Its sparkles, playful, dance to the rhythm of the flow of the imperturbable river throughout the city.
Another example of this special light is found in its monuments after dark. The careful lighting, nothing strident or invasive, is limited to accompanying the solemnity of the great colossi of Paris, accentuating their greatness when they act as watchmen at night.
Not only do we see that magical light in artificial lighting, but it is also present in a fragile sunrise from the steps of the Sacré-Coeur basilica, in dim lamps Madeleine when looking for a moment of introspection or on a promising sunset on the slopes of Buttes-Chaumont Park equipped with a bottle of wine and a handful of laughs.
THE DINNER
Although sometimes there are disagreements, Paris knows that it is due to the Seine and that its charm would be quite different if it did not have it.
A new day on the Sacre-Coeur
The river splits the city in two but Parisians have never turned their back on him. People visit all its corners despite the cold in winter and look for its freshness when the heat hits.
As of April, if the thermometers are benevolent, the banks of the Seine – first timidly and then without modesty – begin to be populated with people who come to have a few beers or wines (we are in France) in the company of a little music or a good conversation.
And if that was not enough, many of the most famous monuments of the city (the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Grand Palais, the Orsay Museum) they stand by the river, so take advantage and take a quiet walk along the shore, which is possible in almost the entire length of the Seine through Paris, with the background sound of boats making their way through the waters.
The Seine as it passes by the Eiffel Tower
YOUR BRIDGES
A fundamental part of the Seine are the bridges but their value makes them deserve a separate description. If someone has not visited the City of Love, they will be surprised, but Anyone who knows Paris knows the spell of these elements.
The city's bridges, singular and proud, baroque, modern or less transgressive, are an artistic and technical luxury that transcend the mere function of connecting the two banks of the river, they hide many secrets and fit perfectly into the Parisian ecosystem.
The magic of Parisian bridges
The Alexander III Bridge, the New Bridge, the Arts Bridge, the Bir-Hakeim Bridge... Their historical importance, their magnetism or their role in movies attract more cameras and selfies than many of the capital's monuments and earn them a place on all recommendation lists.
YOUR ARTISTIC MUSCLE
The cultural offer of Paris is always a compelling reason to return. The city is home to an outstanding collection of museums –which house some of the most famous works in history–, theaters, concert halls, musicals or exhibitions that they propose from adaptations of the latest global theatrical success to virtually visiting the proud Palmyra before its partial destruction or applauding together with barely a dozen spectators a band that is still underground.
Paris is a city that inspires; is something that the thousands of artists who have inhabited it over the years knew, especially in the neighborhoods until not so long ago bohemian Montmartre or Montparnasse. The city is aware of this and has not neglected its cultural muscle one iota.
By the way, although it now receives an overwhelming influx of tourists, the Montmartre neighborhood continues to be a delight and deserves a deep dive.
Montmartre, a neighborhood to which you always have to return
YOUR NIGHTTIME ATMOSPHERE
It is not as cheap as in Spain go out in paris, but that is not why you should disdain the offer of fun that you have gathered.
The capital has a lot of night to choose from and It reaches out to both the nocturnal adventurer and the more traditional visitor.
You can navigate through very select places or anchor in more alternative ports, such as the combative The General, passing through areas that visit more foreigners such as the streets surrounding the Place de la Bastille or the well-known Rue Mouffetard.
Place de la Bastille at dusk
YOUR SILENCES
They say that if it surprises it is worth twice as much, so finding a moment of silence in the middle of such a populous city is something truly special.
In Paris there are also silences, maybe not the best, but it's a good idea to catch them. One of them collides, being at the Louvre.
Behind the pyramids that give access to the museum there is a patio not very busy, despite being attached to one of the biggest tourist attractions in the capital, isolated from the noise of the mass of vehicles and people.
At night, dimly lit and still less crowded, It wraps you up and allows you to escape for a few moments from the oppressive pace of a big city.
A kind of town within Paris is the protagonist of another silence. The Butte-aux-Cailles area, a few steps from Place d'Italie, it achieves a collected and somewhat rural atmosphere thanks to its low buildings, the practical pedestrian nature of its streets and its isolation from noise.
It is also a good place to have a beer or a coffee in one of its squares, different from the Parisian style but flirty.
The open secret of the Louvre
ITS MULTICULTURALITY
France was a true colonial power at the time and those historical links are noticeable in the large number of people from other countries and cultures that congregate in Paris.
Population from other parts of Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America..., whether they are immigrants or descendants of immigrants, they enrich the great capital with their gastronomy, traditions and languages, thus allowing us to soak up those differences and learn more about other cultures, a highly recommended experience.
Paris, a multicultural city