wE Explore Paris 01

Paris, the City of Light, is a place where history, art, romance, and everyday life blend into a living masterpiece. Strolling its streets feels like stepping into a grand stage set, with the Eiffel Tower rising like an exclamation mark against the skyline, the Seine curling gracefully through the city, and bridges that seem designed as much for poetry as for practicality. Paris has been a muse for centuries — inspiring painters like Monet and Picasso, writers like Hemingway and Victor Hugo, and countless dreamers in between. Its very nickname comes from the city’s early adoption of gas street lighting in the 19th century, casting a golden glow that still seems to linger in the air at dusk. Beyond its famous landmarks, Paris is a tapestry of neighborhoods, each with its own personality: the bohemian charm of Montmartre, the elegant boulevards of the 8th arrondissement, the vibrant cafés of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The Louvre, the world’s largest art museum, houses treasures spanning millennia, including the enigmatic Mona Lisa, while the Musée d’Orsay’s collection of Impressionist works is bathed in the light of a former railway station. Beneath the city lies an unexpected underworld — the catacombs — a labyrinth lined with the bones of millions, offering a quiet, eerie counterpoint to the bustling streets above. And Paris isn’t just about the past: its fashion houses, avant-garde galleries, and cutting-edge gastronomy keep it firmly in the present, forever reinventing itself without losing its soul. Here, even simple pleasures feel elevated: sipping coffee at a café terrace, biting into a still-warm baguette, watching the city glow as the Eiffel Tower bursts into sparkle each hour after dark. Paris doesn’t just ask you to see it — it invites you to fall in love with it, one cobblestone street and one lingering moment at a time. Cycling through Paris is a delightful way to see the city from a fresh perspective, with the breeze in your hair and the city’s grand boulevards, cobblestone streets, and hidden lanes unfolding at your own pace. The French capital has embraced bike culture with enthusiasm, and today more than 1,000 kilometers of cycle paths weave through its arrondissements, from the romantic riverside routes along the Seine to leafy trails in the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes. The iconic Vélib’ and Lime bike-sharing system, some of the largest in Europe, makes it easy to hop on and off at over 1,400 stations, whether you’re pedaling past the Eiffel Tower at sunrise or gliding into the Latin Quarter for an evening café stop. Paris is also a city of contrasts for cyclists—on one hand, you can cruise traffic-free along the UNESCO-listed embankments; on the other, you might find yourself dodging the occasional baguette-laden local or weaving around lively market stalls spilling onto the streets.