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This article is about the capital of France. For other uses, see Paris (disambiguation).
| Ville de Paris | ||
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| City flag | City coat of arms | |
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Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur | ||
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| The Eiffel Tower in Paris, as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. | ||
| Location | ||
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| Time Zone | CET (GMT +1) | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Administration | ||
|---|---|---|
| Country | France | |
| Region | Île-de-France | |
| Department | Paris (75) | |
| Subdivisions | 20 arrondissements | |
| Mayor | Bertrand Delanoë (PS) (2001-2008) | |
| City Statistics | ||
| Land area¹ | 86.9 Excluding Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes km² | |
| Population² (Jan. 2006 estimate) | 2,167,994 | |
| - Ranking | 1st in France | |
| - Density | 24,948/km² (2006) | |
| Urban Spread | ||
| Urban Area | 2 723 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 9 644 507 (1999) | |
| Metro Area | 14,518.3 km² (1999) | |
| - Population | 12,067,000 (2007) | |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | ||
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel). | ||
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Paris (pronounced /paʁi/ in French; /ˈpaɹɪs/ in English) is the capital city of France. It is situated on the River Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (aka "Paris Region"; in French: Région Parisienne or RP). The City of Paris has an estimated population of 2,167,994 within its administrative limits (January 2006).(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. " Estimation de population par département, sexe et grande classe d’âge - Années 1990 à 2006". Retrieved on 2008-02-16. The Paris unité urbaine (or urban area) extends well beyond the administrative city limits and has an estimated population of 9.93 million (in 2005),(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. "Population des villes et unités urbaines de plus de 1 million d\'habitants de l\'Union Européenne". Retrieved on 2006-04-10. while the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of nearly 12 million(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. "Aire Urbaine \'99 - pop totale par sexe et âge". Retrieved on 2006-04-10. and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe.Stefan Helders, World Gazetteer. "World Metropolitan Areas". Retrieved on 2007-01-18.
An important settlement for more than two millennia, Paris is today one of the world\'s leading business and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world\'s major global cities.Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Study Group and Network, Loughborough University. "Inventory of World Cities". Retrieved on 2007-10-04. The Paris Region (Île-de-France) is France\'s foremost centre of economic activity. With €500.8 billion (US$628.9 billion), it produced more than a quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP) of France in 2006.(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. Produits Intérieurs Bruts Régionaux (PIBR) en valeur en millions d\'euros (XLS). Retrieved on 2007-09-01. The Paris Region hosts 36 of the Fortune Global 500 companiesFortune. Global Fortune 500 by countries: France. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. in several business districts, notably La Défense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe.Logistics-in-Europe.com, Vertical Mail. "Paris Ile-de-France, a head start in Europe". Retrieved on 2007-10-04. Paris also hosts many international organizations such as UNESCO, the OECD, the ICC and the informal Paris Club.
Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world, with over 30 million foreign visitors per year.(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. Le tourisme se porte mieux en 2004 (PDF). Retrieved on 2007-01-16. There are numerous iconic landmarks among its many attractions, along with world famous institutions and popular parks.
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The name Paris, pronounced /ˈparɪs/ in English and [paʁi] in French, derives from that of its pre-Roman-era inhabitants, the Gaulish tribe known as the Parisii. The city was called Lutetia (/lutetja/) (more fully, Lutetia Parisiorum, "Lutetia of the Parisii"), during the first- to sixth-century Roman occupation, but during the reign of Julian the Apostate (361-363) the city was renamed as Paris. The City of Antiquity, official history of Paris by The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau
Paris has many nicknames, but its most famous is "The City of Lights" (La Ville-lumière), a name it owes both to its fame as a centre of education and ideas and its early adoption of street lighting. Paris since the early 20th century has also been known in Parisian slang as Paname ([panam]; Moi j\'suis d\'Paname , i.e. "I\'m from Paname").
Paris\' inhabitants are known in English as "Parisians" ([pʰəˈɹɪzɪənz] or [pʰəˈɹiːʒn̩z]) and as Parisiens ([paʁizjɛ̃] ) in French. Parisians are often pejoratively called Parigots ([paʁigo] ) by those living outside the Paris Region, but this is a term sometimes considered endearing by Parisians themselves.
The earliest archaeological signs of permanent habitation in the Paris area date from around 4200 BC. Mairie de Paris. Paris, Roman City - Chronology. Retrieved on 2006-07-16. The Parisii, a sub-tribe of the Celtic Senones, known as boatsmen and traders[citation needed], inhabited the area near the river Seine from around 250 BC[citation needed]. The Romans conquered the Paris basin in 52 BC, with a permanent settlement by the end of the same century on the Left Bank Sainte Geneviève Hill and the Île de la Cité island. The Gallo-Roman town was originally called Lutetia, but later Gallicised to Lutèce. It expanded greatly over the following centuries, becoming a prosperous city with a forum, palaces, baths, temples, theatres and an amphitheatre. Mairie de Paris. Paris, Roman City - The City. Retrieved on 2006-07-16. The collapse of the Roman empire and the third-century Germanic invasions sent the city into a period of decline. By 400 AD Lutèce, by then largely abandoned by its inhabitants, was little more than a garrison town entrenched into the hastily fortified central island. The city reclaimed its original appellation of "Paris" towards the end of the Roman occupation.
The Louvre castle from the 15th century Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Around AD 500, Paris was the capital of the Frankish king Clovis I, who commissioned the first cathedral and its first abbey dedicated to his contemporary, later patron saint of the city, Sainte Geneviève[citation needed]. On the death of Clovis, the Frankish kingdom was divided, and Paris became the capital of a much smaller sovereign state[citation needed]. By the time of the Carolingian dynasty (9th century), Paris was little more than a feudal county stronghold[citation needed]. The Counts of Paris gradually rose to prominence and eventually wielded greater power than the Kings of Francia occidentalis. Odo, Count of Paris was elected king in place of the incumbent Charles the Fat, namely for the fame he gained in his defence of Paris during the Viking siege (Siege of Paris (885-886)). Although the Cité island had survived the Viking attacks, most of the unprotected Left Bank city was destroyed; rather than rebuild there, after drying marshlands to the north of the island, Paris began to expand onto the Right Bank[citation needed]. In 987 AD, Hugh Capet, Count of Paris, was elected King of France, founding the Capetian dynasty which would raise Paris to become France\'s capital[citation needed].
From 1190, King Philip Augustus enclosed Paris on both banks with a wall that had the Louvre as its western fortress and in 1200 chartered the University of Paris which brought visitors from across Europe[citation needed]. It was during this period that the city developed a spatial distribution of activities that can still be seen: the central island housed government and ecclesiastical institutions, the left bank became a scholastic centre with the University and colleges, while the right bank developed as the centre of commerce and trade around the central Les Halles marketplace[citation needed].
Paris lost its position as seat of the French realm while occupied by the English-allied Burgundians during the Hundred Years\' War, but regained its title when Charles VII reclaimed the city in 1437; although Paris was capital once again, the Crown preferred to remain in its Loire Valley castles[citation needed]. During the French Wars of Religion, Paris was a stronghold of the Catholic party, culminating in the St. Bartholomew\'s Day massacre (1572). King Henry IV re-established the royal court in Paris in 1594 after he captured the city from the Catholic party[citation needed]. During the Fronde, Parisians rose in rebellion and the royal family fled the city (1648). King Louis XIV then moved the royal court permanently to Versailles in 1682. A century later, Paris was the centre stage for the French Revolution, with the Storming of the Bastille in 1789 and the overthrow of the monarchy in 1792[citation needed].
The Industrial Revolution, the French Second Empire, and the Belle Époque brought Paris the greatest development in its history. From the 1840s, rail transport allowed an unprecedented flow of migrants into Paris attracted by employment in the new industries in the suburbs. The city underwent a massive renovation under Napoleon III and his préfet Haussmann, who levelled entire districts of narrow-winding medieval streets to create the network of wide avenues and neo-classical façades of modern Paris. This programme of \'Haussmannization\' was designed to make the city both more beautiful and more sanitary for its inhabitants, although it did have the added benefit that in case of future revolts or revolutions, cavalry charges and rifle fire could be used to deal with the insurrection while the rebel tactic of barricading so often used during the Revolution would become obsolete.Jones, Colin (2005) Paris: The Biography of a City (New York, NY: Penguin Viking), pp. 318-319
Cholera epidemics in 1832 and 1849 affected the population of Paris — the 1832 epidemic alone claimed 20,000 of the then population of 650,000.(French) Amicale Genealogie, La Petite Gazette Généalogique. "Le Cholera". Retrieved on 2006-04-10. Paris also suffered greatly from the siege which ended the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871): in the chaos caused by the fall of Napoleon III\'s government, the Commune of Paris (1871) sent many of Paris\' administrative centres (and city archives) up in flames while 20,000 Parisians were killed by fighting between Commune and Government forces in what became known as the semaine sanglante (Bloody Week)Jones, Colin (2005) Paris: The Biography of a City (New York, NY: Penguin Viking), pp. 324-325 .
Paris recovered rapidly from these events to host the famous Universal Expositions of the late nineteenth century.Jones, Colin (2005) Paris: The Biography of a City (New York, NY: Penguin Viking), p. 334 The Eiffel Tower was built for the French Revolution centennial 1889 Universal Exposition, as a "temporary" display of architectural engineering prowess but remained the world\'s tallest building until 1930, and is the city\'s best-known landmark, while the 1900 Universal Exposition saw the opening of the first Paris Métro line. Paris\' World\'s Fair years also consolidated its position in the tourist industry and as an attractive setting for international technology and trade shows.
German Wehrmacht soldiers in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, occupied Paris, 1940
During World War I, Paris was at the forefront of the war effort, having been spared a German invasion by the French and British victory at the First Battle of the Marne in 1914. In 1918-1919, it was the scene of Allied victory parades and peace negotiations. In the inter-war period Paris was famed for its cultural and artistic communities and its nightlife. The city became a gathering place of artists from around the world, from exiled Russian composer Stravinsky and Spanish painters Picasso and Dalí to American writer Hemingway.Jones, Colin (2005) Paris: The Biography of a City (New York, NY: Penguin Viking), pp. 388-391 In June 1940, five weeks after the start of the Battle of France, Paris fell to German occupation forces who remained there until the city was liberated in August of 1944, two months after the Normandy invasion.Richard Overy (2006). Why the Allies Won. Pimlico, pp. 215-216. ISBN 1845950658.
Central Paris endured World War II practically unscathed, as there were no strategic targets for Allied bombers (train stations in central Paris are terminal stations; major factories were located in the suburbs), and also because of its cultural significance. German General von Choltitz did not destroy all Parisian monuments before any German retreat, as ordered by Adolf Hitler, who had visited the city in 1940.Kelly Bell. Dietrich von Choltitz: Saved of Paris From Destruction During World War II. www.TheHistoryNet.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
In the post-war era, Paris experienced its largest development since the end of the Belle Époque in 1914. The suburbs began to expand considerably, with the construction of large social estates known as cités and the beginning of the business district La Défense. A comprehensive express subway network, the RER, was built to complement the Métro and serve the distant suburbs, while a network of freeways was developed in the suburbs, centred on the Périphérique expressway circling around the city[citation needed].
Since the 1970s, many inner suburbs of Paris (especially the eastern ones) have experienced deindustrialization, and the once-thriving cités have gradually become ghettos for immigrants and oases of unemployment[citation needed]. At the same time, the City of Paris (within its Périphérique ring) and the western and southern suburbs have successfully shifted their economic base from traditional manufacturing to high value-added services and high-tech manufacturing, generating great wealth for their residents whose per capita income is among the highest in Europe[citation needed]. The resulting widening social gap between these two areas has led to periodic unrest since the mid-1980s, such as the 2005 riots which largely concentrated in the northeastern suburbs.BBC News. Special Report: Riots in France. British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved on 2007-11-17.
View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower
View of the Grand Palais
Paris is located in the north-bending arc of the river Seine and includes two islands, the Île Saint-Louis and the larger Île de la Cité, which form the oldest part of the city. Overall, the city is relatively flat, and the lowest elevation is 35 metres (114 ft) above sea level. Paris has several prominent hills, of which the highest is Montmartre at 130 m (426 ft)[citation needed].
Paris, excluding the outlying parks of Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes, covers an oval measuring 86.928 square kilometres (33.56 square miles) in area[citation needed]. The city\'s last major annexation of outlying territories in 1860 not only gave it its modern form, but created the twenty clockwise-spiralling arrondissements (municipal boroughs). From the 1860 area of 78 km² (30.1 sq mi), the city limits were expanded marginally to 86.9 km² (34 sq mi) in the 1920s. In 1929 the Bois de Boulogne and Bois de Vincennes forest parks were officially annexed to the city, bringing its area to its present 105.397 km² (40.69 sq mi)[citation needed].
Paris\' real demographic size, or unité urbaine, extends well beyond the city limits, forming an irregular oval with arms of urban growth extending along the Seine and Marne rivers from the city\'s south-east and east, and along the Seine and Oise rivers to the city\'s north-west and north[citation needed]. Beyond the main suburbs, population density drops sharply: a mix of forest and agriculture dotted with a network of relatively evenly dispersed éparpillement of satellite towns, this couronne périurbaine commuter belt, when combined with the Paris agglomeration, completes the Paris aire urbaine (or Paris urban area, a sort of metropolitan area) that covers an oval 14,518 km² (5,605.5 sq mi)[citation needed] in area, or about 138 times that of Paris itself[citation needed].
Paris has an oceanic climate and is affected by the North Atlantic Current, so the city has a temperate climate that rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures. The average yearly high temperature is about 15 °C (59 °F), and yearly lows tend to remain around an average of 7 °C (45 °F). The highest temperature ever, recorded on 28 July 1948, was 40.4 °C (104.7 °F), and the lowest was a −23.9 °C (−11.0 °F) temperature reached on 10 December 1879.(French) Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques. "Géographie de la capitale - Le climat". Retrieved on 2006-05-24. The Paris region has recently seen temperatures reaching both extremes, with the heat wave of 2003 and the cold wave of 2006.
Rainfall can occur at any time of the year, and Paris is known for its sudden showers. The city sees an average yearly precipitation of 641.6 mm (25.2 inches).(French) "Géographie de la capitale - Le climat". Retrieved on 2006-05-24. Snowfall is a rare occurrence, usually appearing in the coldest months of January or February (but has been recorded as late as April), and almost never accumulates enough to make a covering that will last more than a day[citation needed].
| Weather averages for Paris | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 7 (45) | 9 (48) | 13 (55) | 16 (61) | 20 (68) | 23 (73) | 24 (75) | 25 (77) | 22 (72) | 16 (61) | 10 (50) | 8 (46) | 15 (59) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 4 (39) | 4 (39) | 6 (43) | 9 (48) | 12 (54) | 15 (59) | 16 (61) | 16 (61) | 12 (54) | 8 (46) | 4 (39) | 4 (39) | 7 (45) |
| Precipitation mm (inch) | 7.2 (0.3) | 10.5 (0.4) | 12.9 (0.5) | 33.3 (1.3) | 27.2 (1.1) | 14.2 (0.6) | 7.9 (0.3) | 8.2 (0.3) | 15.4 (0.6) | 16.6 (0.7) | 9.3 (0.4) | 23.2 (0.9) | 185.9 (7.3) |
| Source: MSN WeatherMSN Weather. Retrieved on Jan 30, 2007. Jan 30, 2007 | |||||||||||||
Panoramic view over Paris, at dusk, from the top of the Montparnasse tower
"Modern" Paris is the result of a vast mid-19th century urban remodelling[citation needed]. For centuries it had been a labyrinth of narrow streets and half-timber houses, but beginning in 1852, the Baron Haussmann\'s vast urbanisation levelled entire quarters to make way for wide avenues lined with neo-classical stone buildings of bourgeoise standing; most of this \'new\' Paris is the Paris we see today. These Second Empire plans are in many cases still in effect, as the city of Paris imposes the then-defined "alignement" law (imposed position defining a predetermined street width) on many new constructions. A building\'s height was also defined according to the width of the street it lines, and Paris\' building code has seen few changes since the mid-19th century to allow for higher constructions. It is for this reason that Paris is mainly a "flat" city[citation needed].
Paris\' unchanging borders, strict building codes and lack of developable land have together contributed in creating a phenomenon called muséification (or "museumification") as, at the same time as they strive to preserve Paris\' historical past, existing laws make it difficult to create within city limits the larger buildings and utilities needed for a growing population[citation needed]. Many of Paris\' institutions and economic infrastructure are already located in, or are planning on moving to, the suburbs[citation needed]. The financial (La Défense) business district, the main food wholesale market (Rungis), major renowned schools (École Polytechnique, HEC, ESSEC, INSEAD, etc.), world famous research laboratories (in Saclay or Évry), the largest sport stadium (Stade de France), and some ministries (namely the Ministry of Transportation) are located outside of the city of Paris. The National Archives of France are due to relocate to the northern suburbs before 2010[citation needed]. The need for a larger Paris is largely acknowledged by the French government. As of November 2007, discussions for such a larger Paris have begun, though which suburbs should be included in this larger Paris is unresolved. In any case, such an extension will not occur before the French city-hall elections, scheduled in the spring of 2008.
Paris Bourse in the financial district
Three of the most famous Parisian landmarks are the twelfth century cathedral Notre Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité, the nineteenth century Eiffel Tower, and the Napoleonic Arc de Triomphe. The Eiffel Tower was a "temporary" construction by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exposition but the tower was never dismantled and is now an enduring symbol of ParisParis/7th arrondissement. Wikitravel. Retrieved on 2007-11-27.. It is visible from many parts of the city as are the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper and the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur on the Montmartre hill[citation needed].
The Historical axis is a line of monuments, buildings and thoroughfares that run in a roughly straight line from the city centre westwards: the line of monuments begins with the Louvre and continues through the Tuileries Gardens, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe centred in the Place de l\'Étoile circus. From the 1960s the line was prolonged even further west to the La Défense business district dominated by square-shaped triumphal Grande Arche of its own; this district hosts most of the tallest skyscrapers in the Paris urban area. The Invalides museum is the burial place for many great French soldiers, including Napoleon, and the Panthéon church is where many of France\'s illustrious men and women are buried. The former Conciergerie prison held some prominent Ancien Régime members before their deaths during the French Revolution. Another symbol of the Revolution are the two Statues of Liberty located on the Île des Cygnes on the Seine and in the Luxembourg Garden. A larger version of the statues was sent as a gift from France to America in 1886 and now stands in New York City\'s harbour.
The Palais Garnier built in the later Second Empire period, houses the Paris Opera and the Paris Opera Ballet, while the former palace of the Louvre now houses one of the most famous museums in the world. The Sorbonne is the most famous part of the University of Paris and is based in the centre of the Latin Quarter. Apart from Notre Dame de Paris, there are several other ecclesiastical masterpieces including the Gothic thirteenth century Sainte-Chapelle palace chapel and the Église de la Madeleine.
Two of Paris\' oldest and famous gardens are the Tuileries Garden, created from the 16th century for a palace on the banks of the Seine near the Louvre, and the Left bank Luxembourg Garden, another formerly private garden belonging to a château built for the Marie de\' Medici in 1612. The Jardin des Plantes, created by Louis XIII\'s doctor Guy de La Brosse for the cultivation of medicinal plants, was Paris\' first public garden.
A few of Paris\' other large gardens are Second Empire creations: the formerly suburban parks of Montsouris, Parc des Buttes Chaumont and Parc Monceau (formerly known as the "folie de Chartres"), were creations of Napoleon III\'s engineer Jean-Charles Alphand and the landscape and are enjoyed by all ages. Another project executed under the orders of Baron Haussmann was the re-sculpting of Paris\' western Bois de Boulogne forest-parklands; the Bois de Vincennes, to Paris\' opposite eastern end, received a similar treatment in years following.
Newer additions to Paris\' park landscape are the Parc de la Villette, built by the architect Bernard Tschumi on the location of Paris\' former slaughterhouses, and gardens being lain to Paris\' periphery along the traces of its former circular "Petite Ceinture" railway line.
Paris\' cemeteries were to its outskirts since Roman times, but this changed with the rise of Catholicism and the appearance of inner-city churches and their adjoining burial grounds. City growth soon filled these cemeteries to overflowing, creating sometimes very unsanitary conditions; condemned from 1786, the contents of all Paris\' parish cemeteries were transferred to a renovated section of Paris\' then suburban stone mines outside the "Porte d\'Enfer" city gate (today 14e arrondissement\'s place Denfert-Rochereau). As a more definitive solution than a first creation of several smaller suburban cemeteries, Napoleon Bonaparte decreed the creation of three massive Parisian cemeteries to the outside of the city walls; Open from 1804, these were the cemeteries of Père Lachaise, Montmartre, Montparnasse, and later Passy.
When Paris annexed its formerly suburban communes in 1860, it once again included cemeteries within its city walls. New suburban cemeteries were created in the early 20th century: the largest of these are the Cimetière Parisien de Saint-Ouen, the Cimetière Parisien de Bobigny-Pantin, the Cimetière Parisien d\'Ivry and the Cimetière Parisien de Bagneux.
Opera
The Opéra Garnier
Paris\' largest opera houses are the 19th century Opéra Garnier and modern Opéra Bastille; the former tends towards the more classic ballets and operas, and the latter provides a mixed repertoire of classic and modern.
Theatre/Concert halls
Theatre traditionally has had a large place in Parisian culture. This still holds true today, although, perhaps strangely, many of its most popular actors today are also stars of French television. A few of Paris\' major theatres are Bobino, Théâtre Mogador and the Théâtre de la Gaîté-Montparnasse. Some Parisian theatres also doubled as concert halls.
Many of France\'s greatest musical legends such as Édith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Georges Brassens and Charles Aznavour found their fame in Parisian concert halls: legendary yet still-showing examples of these are Le Lido, Bobino, l\'Olympia, la Cigale and le Splendid.
The below-mentioned Élysées-Montmartre, much reduced from its original size, is a concert hall today. The New Morning is one of few Parisian clubs still holding jazz concerts, but the same also specialises in \'indie\' music. More recently, the Zenith hall in Paris\' La Villette quarter and a "parc-omnisports" stadium in Bercy serve as large-scale rock concert halls.
Dancehalls/Discotheques
Guinguettes and Bals-concerts were the backbone of Parisian entertainment before the mid-20th century. Early to mid-19th century examples were the Moulin de la Galette guinguette and the Élysées-Montmartre and Chateau-Rouge dancehalls-gardens. Popular orchestral fare gave way to the Parisian accordionists of lore whose music moved the Apollo and le Java faubourg du Temple and Belleville dance-hall crowds. Out of the clubs remaining from this era grew the modern discothèque: Le Palace, although closed today, is Paris\' most legendary example. Today, much of the clubbing in Paris happens in clubs like Le Queen, L\'Etoile, Le Cab which are highly selective. Electronic music oriented clubs such as Le Rex, the Batofar (a boat converted into a club) or The Pulp are quite popular and some of the world\'s best DJs play there.
Cafés, restaurants and hotels
Cafés quickly became an integral part of French culture from their appearance, namely from the opening of the left bank Café Procope in 1689 and the café Régence at the Palais Royal one year earlier. The cafés in the gardens of the latter locale became quite popular through the 18th century, and can be considered Paris\' first "terrace cafés"; these would not become widespread until sidewalks and boulevards began to appear from the mid-19th century. Cafés are an almost obligatory stop on the way to or from work for many Parisians, and especially during lunchtime.
Paris\' culinary reputation has its base in the many origins of its inhabitants. With the early-19th century railways and ensuing industrial revolution came a flood of migration that brought with it all the gastronomical diversity of France\'s many different regions, and maintained through \'local speciality\' restaurants catering to the tastes of people from all. "Chez Jenny" is a typical example of a restaurant specialising in the cuisine of the Alsace region, and "Aux Lyonnais" is another with traditional fare originating from its city name\'s region. Of course migration from even more distant climes meant an even greater culinary diversity, and today, in addition to a great number of North African and Asian establishments, in Paris one can find top-quality cuisine from virtually the world over.
Hotels were another result of widespread travel and tourism, especially Paris\' late-19th century Expositions Universelles (World\'s Fairs). Of the most luxurious of these, the Hôtel Ritz appeared in the Place Vendôme from 1898, and the Hôtel de Crillon opened its doors on the north side of the place de la Concorde from 1909.
Cinema
Parisians tend to share the same movie-going trends as many of the world\'s global cities, that is to say with a dominance of Hollywood-generated film entertainment. French cinema comes a close second, with major directors (réalisateurs) such as Claude Lelouch, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Luc Besson, and the more slapstick/popular genre with director Claude Zidi as an example. European and Asian films are also widely shown and appreciated. A specialty of Paris is its very large network of small movie theatres: on a given week the movie fan has the choice between around 300 old or new movies from all over the world.
Many of Paris\' concert/dance halls were transformed into movie theatres when the media became popular from the 1930s. Later most of the largest cinemas were divided into multiple, smaller rooms: Paris\' largest cinema today is by far le Grand Rex theatre with 2800 seats, while other cinemas all have less than 1000 seats. There is now a trend toward modern multiplexes with more than 10 or 20 screens in the same building.
Paris had always been a destination for traders, students and those on religious pilgrimages, but its \'tourism\' in the proper sense of the term began on a large scale only with the appearance of rail travel, namely from state organisation of France\'s rail network from 1848. One of Paris\' first \'mass\' attractions drawing international interest were, from 1855, the above-mentioned Expositions Universelles that would bring Paris many new monuments, namely the Eiffel Tower from 1889. These, in addition to the Capital\'s 2nd Empire embellishments, did much to make the city itself the attraction it is today.
Paris\' museums and monuments are by far its highest-esteemed attractions, and tourist interest has been nothing but a benefit to these; tourism has even motivated both city and State to create new ones. The city\'s most prized museum, the Louvre, sees over 8 million visitors a year, being by far the world\'s most visited art museum. Paris\' cathedrals are another main attraction: its Notre-Dame cathedral and Basilique du Sacré-Cœur receive 12 million and 8 million visitors respectively. The Eiffel Tower, by far Paris\' most famous monument, averages over 6 million visitors per year and more than 200 millions since its construction. Disneyland Resort Paris is a major tourist attraction not only for visitors to Paris, but to Europe as well, with 12.4 million visitors in 2004.
The Louvre is one of the largest and most famous museums, housing many works of art, including the Mona Lisa (La Joconde) and the Venus de Milo statue. Works by Pablo Picasso and Auguste Rodin are found in Musée Picasso and Musée Rodin respectively, while the artistic community of Montparnasse is chronicled at the Musée du Montparnasse. Starkly apparent with its service-pipe exterior, the Centre Georges Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg, houses the Musée National d\'Art Moderne. Lastly, art and artefacts from the Middle Ages and Impressionist eras are kept in Musée Cluny and Musée d\'Orsay respectively, the former with the prized tapestry cycle The Lady and the Unicorn.
Many of Paris\' once-popular local establishments have metamorphised into a parody of French culture, in a form catering to the tastes and expect
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