City of Paris is awe-inspiring

You have not earned your stripes as an international traveler until you have been to Paris, the French capital and home to probably the most recognisable monument on the planet — the Eiffel Tower — and a wealth of legendary artistic, historic and cultural attractions.

Eiffel Tower

When I first visited the Eiffel Tower, I saved time and money by walking to the second floor of the 324-metre iron lattice tower that is a global cultural icon of France and the most-visited paid monument in the world.

The few minutes of panting up the stairs not only put me ahead of hundreds of people queuing for tickets to the lifts, but also afforded me the chance to explore the tower from every angle and lap up its history from signs along the way.

From the second floor of this Iron Lady, I bought a less expensive ticket and took the lift to the top of the tower.

The spectacular panoramic view of Paris from the legendary summit of this 10,100-tonne quintessential symbol of the romantic city leaves no doubt as to why climbing the tower is a rite of passage for any visitor to the city.

It is as breathtaking as it is awe-inspiring. Despite my acrophobia, I would take the climb to this magnificent vantage point in Paris any day.

This must-climb tower built by Gustave Eiffel, an engineer, for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 to global wonder and acclaim held the record as the tallest man-made structure in the world for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930.

Eiffel built himself a small cozy apartment on the third level, near the top of the world wonder, and is said to have received a number of sky-high offers from well-heeled Parisians to rent out the space even for one night.

He declined them all, preferring to use the space for quiet reflection, and to entertain prestigious guests such as Thomas Edison, the American inventor who developed the electric light bulb.

This little nest in the sky, which has mannequins of Eiffel and Edison, is on display for visitors to the tower to come and peer into.

Arc de Triomphe

The other iconic and instantly recognisable monument in Paris is the Arc de Triomphe, a triumphal arch in honour of soldiers who fought for France, especially under Napoléon Bonaparte, the French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution.

He commissioned the arch in 1806 but died before it was completed in 1836.

The arch stands 49.5 metres tall, 45 metres wide and 22 metres deep at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, a two-kilometre stretch that is always teeming with tourists and is hailed as the world’s most beautiful avenue. The top and inside of the arch, designed in an ancient Roman architecture style are delicately engraved with the names of military leaders of the French Revolution and wars fought, evoking the country’s military history.

Underneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, interred on Armistice Day in 1920 to commemorate the fallen French soldiers of the First World War.

A flame is lit every evening to pay tribute to the soldiers, making the arch a revered patriotic site.

Louvre Museum

Another Parisian attraction renowned for endless queues is the Louvre Museum, the world’s biggest and busiest museum, as all visitors to Paris want to tick it off their bucket list of must-sees.

A former palace of the Kings of France, this gargantuan treasure house displays 35,000 works of art in 300 rooms — from the 350,000 items among its collections — from Antiquity to 1848. The Louvre, which was originally built as a fortress in 1190 but later reconstructed to be a royal palace in the 16th century, is home to the world-famous Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, Michelangelo’s slaves, among other matchless collections and finds from the ancient world.

One would need several months to sufficiently enjoy the full array of the astonishingly beautiful works of art and seminal collections — from French paintings to Greek Antiquities — on display at the Louvre, so prepare to have tired feet at the end of your visit to this museum.

Not surprisingly, out of the thousands of classic and modern masterpieces on display at the Louvre, smartphone-toting crowds are to be found jostling for space to photograph and take selfies with Leonardo DaVinci’s tiny portrait of the enigmatic Mona Lisa on the museum’s first floor.

The history of the Mona Lisa painting is shrouded in mystery, including aspects such as who commissioned the portrait, how long DaVinci worked on the painting, how long he kept it, and how it came to be in the French royal collection.

The portrait was once stolen in 1911 and returned two years later and then vandalised in 1956, so it is nowadays kept behind a bulletproof screen to shield it from attempts of vandalism.

The Sacré-Coeur

My friend from high school, Evans, stays in the 18th arrondissement (administrative district) of Paris, and I always visit him whenever I go to the City of Light.

This arrondissement is widely known for the 130-metre high hill of Montmartre, where the Sacré-Coeur, a wedding cake-white church, is perched.

Consecrated in 1919, this striking Roman-Byzantine style building is another iconic monument of Paris.

The church’s 83-metre high dome offers a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the city that rivals the Eiffel Tower’s.

The church was built between 1875 and 1914 as an act of penitence for the sins committed during the civil war in which thousands of Communards were executed, as well as for the bloodshed of the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian war that followed.

Montmarte’s narrow winding streets make it one of the historic hearts of Paris.

There are stairs from several directions to the top of the hill, which are popular with athletes or fitness-minded visitors and locals alike. And at the bottom of the hill is the famous Moulin Rouge cabaret.

Food and shopping

Paris offers an eclectic menu of gourmet delights that cement the reputation of French gastronomy.

From classic French cuisine served at traditional brasseries to African food available aplenty at the foot of Montmarte, there is something for everyone.

Renowned delicatessens and fine food stores also provide the perfect opportunity to indulge a passion for all things gourmet.

In each district, wine merchants, confectioners and chocolatiers also offer a selection of treats to take away as a souvenir or gift.

It goes without saying that Paris is also one of the world’s capitals of fashion, design and shopping — in all sorts of stores. From designer accessories to unusual pieces in flea markets, you’ll find everything. The city’s stylish department stores are filled with luxury goods and are an essential destination on any shopping trip.

Shopping centres are perfect places to find fashion, beauty, interior design and more, in sophisticated surroundings, all under one roof.

Another option is the flagship stores of leading brands along the Champs-Élysées, where the favourite haunts of perfumers, jewelers, haute couture designers, high-end antique dealers and luxury artisans can be found.

Then of course there are the 17,000 bohemian, ethnic, concept or more traditional shops in every district throughout Paris.

Visitors from outside the European Union can claim back Value Added Tax (up to 12 per cent) on purchases of Euros 175.01 or more, made from the same shop on the same day.

When leaving the EU, visitors need to scan the barcode on the slip supplied by the store at one of the terminals located near the customs desk at the airport to receive a quick reimbursement.