Founded by the Gauls on the present day Ile de la Cite, Paris can draw upon two thousand years of existence, giving this city an unrivaled cultural legacy. Paris is an architectural wonder, and boasts an artistic heritage matched by no other city in the world. Widely known for its vast array of historic attractions, Paris is also a modern city, consistently responding to new challenges, creating new districts, and socially expanding through new ways of life.

The capital city of France, Paris occupies a strategic geographical position at the center of Europe, and is reinforced by successful airline, railway and highway networks. The city has the largest number of lodging facilities in Europe, and was the first capital city in the world for organizing international conferences. More than 22 million inhabitants live in Paris proper, with about 9,080,257 persons living in greater Paris. 

Paris has often been referred to as the “beating heart” of France, even Europe for that matter. Much of the city’s prosperity is due to its location on the right and left banks of the Seine River, a major European artery since Roman times. Paris is the business, historic, intellectual, artistic, diplomatic, and tourist center of France. And though the city suffered an active military history, most of which entailed enemy occupation, it has consistently adapted and renewed itself to remain one of the most exceptional and accessible metropolises in the world.   

Throughout history Paris has been home to countless artists, writers and other such intellectuals in search of an inspiring sanctuary. More than anywhere in the city, Paris’ left bank served as the perfect locale for many of these artists. Perhaps this area of town is most widely known as the stamping grounds for some of the world's most profound authors, including Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and William Burroughs, to name a few. Artists like Picasso, Gaugin, Monet and countless others also recognized the city for its tremendous aestheticism and cultural magnetism.