Marais
The Marais (literally; the Marsh); the area of the 4e arrondissement directly north of Ile Saint Louis; was in fact a swamp until the 13th century; when it was converted to agricultural use. In the early 1600s; Henry IV built Place des Vosges; turning the area into the Paris's most fashionable residential district and attracting wealthy aristocrats; who erected luxurious but discreet hotels particuliers (private mansions). When the aristocracy moved to Versailles and Faubourg Saint Germain during the late 17th and 18th centuries; the Marais and its mansions passed into the hands of ordinary Parisians. Today; the Marais is one of the few neighborhoods of Paris that still has almost all of its pre-Revolutionary architecture. In recent years the area has become trendy; but it's still home to a long-established Jewish community and is a major center of Paris's gay life.
Notre-Dame Paris's cathedral is one of the most magnificent achievements of Gothic architecture. Built on a site occupied by a earlier churches - and; some two millennia ago; a Gallo-Roman temple- Notre Dame was begun in 1163 and completed around 1345. Notre Dame is known for its sublime balance; although if you look closely you'll see all sorts of minor dissymmetries introduced; in accordance with Gothic practice; to avoid monotony.
Forum des Halles Les Halles; Paris's main wholesale food market; occupied the area just south of Eglise saint Eustache from around 1110 until 1969; when it was moved out to the suburb of Rungis. In its place; Forum des Halles; a huge underground shopping mall; was constructed in the high-tech; glass-and-chrome style briefly in vogue in the 1970s. The complex's four level of shops; built around an open courtyard; have proved highly popular with Parisian shoppers; especially those in search of reasonable prices. On top of Forum des Halles is a popular park area where people sit; picnic and sunbathe on the lawn while gazing at the flying buttresses of Eglise Saint Eustache. During the warm months; street musicians and other performers display their talents all around Forum des Halles; especially at square des innocents; whose centre is adorned by a multitiered Renaissance Fountain; Fontaine des Innocents (1549).

Bastille
The Bastille; built during the 14th century as a fortified royal residence; is the most famous monument in Paris that doesn't exist : the notorious prison - the quintessential symbol of monarchic despotism - was demolished shortly after a mob stormed it on 14 July 1789 and freed all seven prisoners. The site where it once stood; Place de la Bastille; is marked by an outline of the prison in paving stones. In the centre of Place de la Bastille is the 52-metre; bronze Colonne de Juillet (July column) topped by a figure of Liberty. It was erected in memory of the victims of the July Revolution of 1830 and the February Revolution of 1848; they are buried in vaults under the column. A staircase of 238 steps goes to the top.

Must to sees
Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise : The most visited cemetery in the World is Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise; founded in 1805; whose ornate tombs of famous people form a sort of open-air sculpture garden. Among the one million people buried here are the composer Chopin; the writers Moliere; Appolinaire; Oscar Wilde; Balzac; Marcel Proust Gertrude Stein and Colette; the artists David Delacroix; Pissaro; Seurat... the actress Sarah Bernhardt; the singer Edith Piaf... The only thing most younger visitors come to see is the tomb of 1960s rock star Jim Morrison; lead singer for the Doors; who died of a drug overdose in 1971.

Place des Vosges : In 1605; King IV decided to turn the Marais into Paris's most sought-after residential district. The result of this initiative was Place des Vosges; inaugurated in 1612 as Place Royale; a square ensemble of 36 symmetrical houses with ground-floor arcades; steep slate roofs and large dormer windows.

Opera Bastille : Paris's giant new opera house; designed by the Canadian Carlos Ott; is one of the grandiose public works projects for which France is internationally famous and domestically infamous to those who resent each French president immortalizing himself by commissioning huge public buildings in Paris.

La Samaritaine Rooftop Terrace : There's an amazing 360° panoramic view of Paris from the roof of building 2 of La Samaritaine department store; which is on Rue de la Monnaie (1er) just north of Pont neuf. The 11th-floor lookout has a huge table d'orientation (viewpoint indicator) that shows you what you're looking at. You can have something to drink at the outdoor cafe on the 10th floor; reached by taking the lift to the 9th floor.

Must to goes
Parc de la Villette : one of the city's most ambitious green-space projects of recent decades; stretches along both sides of the Canal de l'Ourcq (the continuation of Canal Saint Martin) in Paris's far north-eastern corner. This 30-hectare expanse of grass; trees; themed gardens; whimsical monumental sculpture; walkways; bridges and modern buildings; was designed by the Swiss Bernard Tshumi and completed in 1993. Geode : In the geode; the giant; gleaming; stainless-steel ball at the back of the main building; you can see films projected on a wraparound screen every hour.

Musee Carnavalet : Also known as the Musee de l'histoire de Paris; this museum of Paris's history is housed in two hotels particuliers : the mid-16th-century; Renaissance-style Hotel Carnavalet; once home to the late 17th century writer Madame de Sevigne and the late 17th-century Hotel Le Peletier de Saint Fargeau. The museum has the most important collection anywhere of documents; paintings; books and other objects from the French Revolution.

Musee Picasso : The Picasso Museum is one of Paris's best loved art museums. Displays include engravings; paintings; ceramic works; drawings and an unparalleled collection of sculptures that the heirs of Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) donated to the French government in lieu of inheritance taxes. You can also see part of Picasso's personal art collection; which includes works by Braque; Cezanne; Matisse and Degas.

Centre Pompidou : also known as the centre Beaubourg; is dedicated to displaying and promoting modern and contemporary art. Thanks in part to its vigorous schedule of outstanding temporary exhibitions; it is by far the most visited sight in Paris. The square on the centre's west side attracts buskers; street artists; musicians; jugglers; mimes... Ile de la cite : Paris was founded sometime during the 3rd century BC; when members of a Celtic tribe called the Parisii set up a few huts on Ile de la Cite. By the Middle Ages; the city had grown to encompass both banks of the Seine; but Ile de la Cite remained the centre of royal and ecclesiastical power. The middle part of the island was demolished and rebuilt during Baron George Eugene Haussmann's great urban renewal work of the late 19th century.

Hotel de ville : Paris's city hall was rebuilt in the Neo-Renaissance style between 1874 and 1882 after having been gutted during the Paris commune of 1871. The ornate façade is decorated with 108 statues of noteworthy Parisians.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont : For many this is the most pleasant and unexpected park in Paris. Urban planner Baron Haussmann converted the hilly site from a rubbish dump and quarry with gallows at the foot; the English-style gardens in the 1860s. He created a lake; made an island with real and artificial rocks; gave it a Roman-style temple and added a waterfall; streams; and footbridges leading to the island. Today; in summer; visitors will also find boating facilities; donkey rides and sun worshippers on the beautifully kept lawns.

Canal Saint-Martin : A walk along the quays on either side of the Canal Saint Martin gives a glimpse of how this thriving; industrial; working-class area of the city looked at the end of the 19th century. The 5 km (3 mile) canal; opened in 1825; provided a short-cut for river traffic between loops of the Seine. A smattering of brick-and-iron factories and ware-houses survive from this time along the Quai des Jemmapes. Here; too; you will find the legendary Hotel du Nord which featured in Marcel Carne's 1930s film of the same name. The canal itself is quietly busy with barges and anglers; around it the tree-lined quays; iron footbridges and public gardens are ideal for a leisurely stroll.

Ile Saint Louis : The smaller of Paris's two islands; Ile Saint Louis; is just upstream from Ile de la Cite. It consisted of two uninhabited islands - sometimes used for duels - until the early 1600s; when three enterprising men (a building contractor and two financiers) worked out a deal with Louis XIII : they would create one island out of the two and build two stone bridges to link it to the mainland and in exchange would receive the right to subdivide and sell the newly created real estate. This they did with great success; and between 1613 and 1664 the entire island was covered with fine new houses. Little has changed since then except that many of the buildings are now marked with plaques detailing when some person of note lived there.

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