Paris is one of my favorite cities ever, so I may be a little biased as I write this, BUT everyone must visit Paris at least once! Paris is a mecca for culture, experience, and well – feeling “chic.” Everyone feels grand and glamorous in Paris. It’s a place with a wow factor and is one of my favorite European cities. Keep reading to find out why!
Here are our top five reasons everyone must visit Paris!
1. The Parisian rooftops
I put this as number one because I am obsessed with the architecture and design of Parisian buildings. We stayed at a flat through Airbnb with a terrace overlooking rooftops and churches, and it was one of my favorite parts of our trip. Experiencing the culture and lifestyle is one of the best parts of Airbnb. Even if you don’t have time to see all the vast sights of Paris, simply walking around relaxing at café’s and strolling around the cobble stone streets is worth a trip. There’s no other place quite like Paris!
2. The chocolate and pastry shops
I love chocolate – like really really love chocolate. And so does Paris! The pastry shops and chocolate options are endless. However, we did come by one particularly amazing pastry shop with quite a historical background, Stohrer. It is the oldest pastry shop in all of Paris! We learned that it also was the Queen of France’s favorite back in the 1700s!
3. The steak frites (and really all the food)
Growing up, I have always loved steak frites. As an only child, I would often get dragged to “adult” dinners with fancy menus (I preferred mac-n-cheese and chicken strips), so what would I always order? Steak frites (well- and a side of ketchup)! So, when we planned our trip to Paris I could not wait to have the real deal at an authentic French restaurant. I spent hours googling the best place to go since we only had a few nights in Paris. I came across Aux Tonneaus Des Halles and we decided to go for it. Thank goodness we did because we ate there every other night, as well! Not only was the food amazing, the owner was one of a kind!
4. The shopping on Champs Élysées
This street is home to some of the world’s highest end fashion brands and is considered one of the most famous avenues in the world. Some stores you will likely walk into just to “experience” because the price tags are really only geared toward celebrities (there are affordable shops there too, FYI)! Even if you don’t like to shop, you must walk the street and take in the culture and style it brings with it. The street connects from the Louvre through the Tuilerie Gardens all the way to the Arc de Triomphe (discussed more below)! So, you can see quite a lot all on one long stroll!
5. All of the “sights” (there are so many)
There are endless “sights” to see in Paris. No matter what your interests, you can find it in Paris. I grew up dancing, so we even found an amazing local Salsa dance club and spent a half-day there! Zain learned how to Salsa dance in french! No matter what you want to see, there are some places that everyone must experience during a trip to Paris. Our top five sights include: the Arc de Triomphe, The Eiffel tour, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Palace, and the Louvre. These five MUST be on anyone’s list for a first time visit in Paris. This list is not exhaustive by ANY means.
The Arc de Triomphe: Be sure to go up to the top to see the views!
The Eiffel Tower: Hang out on the lawn while taking all the fun pics!
Notre Dame: The inside is equally as gorgeous!
Luxembourg Palace: Loved this place!
The Louvre: One of the world’s most famous museums
If you aren’t convinced yet that a trip to Paris is needed – Zain’s favorite reason to visit is the pigeons – especially so he can get pictures of them posed with the Eiffel Tower!
~Brooke Hartman
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