Champs Elysees
The avenue des Champs Elysees is perhaps the most famous street in the World. No one can deny that this ten-lane wonder; flanked by exquisite cafes and luxury shops and crowned by the world's most famous arch; deserves its reputation. Le Nôtre planted trees here in 1667 to extend the Tuileries vista; completing the work begun under Marie de Medicis in 1616. It was only during the Second Empire; after considerable repair; that the street became the den of luxury that it is today. Today; you'll probably see more foreigners than Parisians here; but tourist and French film stars alike share Fouquet's; an outrageously expensive cafenear the Arc de Triomphe. Paris' answer to hollywood's Sunset Strip; this stretch of the Champs Elysees bears golden plaques with name of favorite French entertainers. Street performers move in at night. Six big avenues radiate from the Rond Point des Champs Elysees; including avenue Montaigne; which shelters houses of Haute Couture.

Must sees
Arc de Triomphe: The Arc de Triomphe; looming gloriously above the Champs Elysees; moves every heart not made of stone. The world's largest triumphal arch and an internationally recognized symbol of France; this behemoth was commissionned in 1806 by. Napoleon in honor of his Grande Armee.

Musee du Petit Palais: It built for the Exposition Universelle of 1900; is on Ave. Winston Churchill (8e). The Musee des Beaux-Arts (fine Arts Museum) that it houses specializes in medieval and Renaissance porcelain; clocks; tapestries; drawings; etc. and 19th century French painting and sculpture; all from the collections of the City of Paris.

Palais de Chaillot: The two curved; colonnaded wings of the Palais de Chaillot -built for the World Exhibition of 1937- and the terrace between them afford an exceptional panorama of the Jardins du Trocadero; the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.

The vast complex houses four museums: Musee de l'homme; Musee de la Marine; Musee du cinema et le musee des Monuments Français. The far eastern tip of the Palais de Chaillot contains the Cinemathèque Française; which screens several nondubbed films almost every day.

Must goes
Place de la Concorde: The Place de la Concorde; Paris' largest and most infamous public square; forms the eastern terminus of the Champs Elysees. Constructed between 1757 and 1777 to provide a home for a monument to Louis XV; the vast area soon became the place de la revolution; site of the guillotine that severed 1; 343 necks. Louis XVI; Marie Antoinette; Charlotte Corday (Marat's assassin); Lavoisier; and other celebrated heads rolled into baskets and were held up to cheering crowds right here. In an ironic twist; even Robespierre; leader of the Terror; lost his head here in 1794. After the reign of Terror; the square was optimistically renamed -Concorde means peace. The gargantuan; rose granit Obelisque de Louxor was a gift offered by Mehemet Ali; viceroy of Egypt; to Charles X in 1829.

Parc Monceau: Pass through one of the gates in the elaborate wrought-iron fence around the Parc de Monceau and you're surrounded by classical statues and Paris 's most immaculately tended lawns; flowerbeds and trees.

Jardins du Trocadero: The trocadero gardens; whose fountains and statue garden are grandly illuminated at night; are across Pont d'Iena from the Eiffel Tower. They are named after the Trocadero; a Spanish stronghold near Cadiz captured by the French in 1823.

Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore: The eastern section of Rue du Faubourg Saint Honorehas some of Paris's most renowned couture houses as well as the famous Hermè s shop. Other luxury items available here include jewellery and fine antique. The most noteworthy of the 18th century mansions along Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoreis Palais de l'Elysee; official residence of the French president and symbol of his extensive powers; which is at the intersection of Ave. de Marigny (8e) and Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore. Built in 1718; it has housed 19 French presidents since 1873. The interior is closed to the Public.

Palais de la Decouverte: This fascinating sciences museum has interactive exhibits on astronomy; biology and medicine; chemistry; mathematics and computer science; physics and earth sciences.

Palais de Tokyo: The Palais de Tokyo built for the World Exhibition of 1937; houses the Musee d'Art moderne de la Ville de Paris. Its collections include representatives of just about every major artistic movements of the 20th century (fauvism; cubism; the School of Paris; surrealism and expressionism) as well as the fruits of other less classifiable approaches. The more famous artists with works on display include Matisse; Picasso; Braque; Soutine; Modigliani; Chagall and Dufy.

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