Called the "City of Lights", Paris
is truly one of the world's most beautiful cities. This capital
city is made up of 20 districts or "arrondissements".
Each arrondissement has its own character and meaning for
Parisians and offers an abundance of cathedrals, palaces,
parks and gardens.
Legend has it that Paris was named after
Prince Paris, the King of Troy's son who fell in love with
Helen; however, in actual fact, the famous city’s
name is derived from the Parisii, the name of a
tribe of Gauls who settled in the region around the 2nd
century B.C.
Many believe that Paris is referred to
as the City of Lights due to the millions of bulbs illuminating
the romantic city by night. These “lights” however,
are a direct reference to Paris’s illustrious residents,
including writers, artists and other intellectuals.
When it comes to fashion, Paris is on the
cutting edge. Trends are constantly set on Paris runways
and at fashion shows held by the city’s top “haute
couturiers” such as Dior, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent
and Christian Lacroix.
French cuisine is world famous and the French
capital has been dubbed the “gourmet mecca”.
