| Before those far-reaching Romans could snatch it up, a Celtic tribe called the Parisii inhabited the region that is today’s Paris, and is, naturally, where France’s beloved capital got its name. Roman rule began in 52 BC, spreading its settlement from Paris’ historical heart, Ile de la Cité (an island in the middle of the Seine River, now home to both the Notre Dame and the Palais de Justice), onto the left bank (Rive Gauche). Because of its strategic location along this major waterway, Paris was constantly at the center of armed power struggles, and changed hands several times; after the Romans came the Franks, the Carolingians, and the Capetians, along with some major attacks by the Huns and Normans. The 12th and 13th centuries saw the beginnings of the cathedral of Notre Dame, the Louvre (a royal fortress before it became a beloved museum), and what is today’s most distinguished French university, La Sorbonne. The celebrated Château de Versailles was constructed for and inhabited by Louis XIV between 1643 and 1715. When all of this monarchical excess came to its unjust head in 1789, the commoners charged the Bastille and commenced the gory and ferocious French Revolution, changing the face of Europe and Parisian class divisions forever. Although it took the good part of a century to end the cycles of continuing tyranny, by 1889 when the Eiffel Tower was built, Paris was enjoying a period of intense prosperity and intellectual production called, fondly, “La Belle Epoque” (the beautiful period). Baron Georges-Eugène Haussman, commissioned by Napoleon III to carry out reforms in Paris’ landscape, had completely redesigned huge sections of the city a few decades earlier and transformed Paris into the boulevard-sliced and façade-studded arrangement we know today. New sewer systems, public buildings, an opera house, and the design of massive parks such as the Bois de Boulogne are among his achievements, although it was necessary to destroy nearly sixty percent of medieval Paris to achieve them. World War II saw Paris fall to the Germans, 1968 saw it (almost) fall to hordes of enraged students and workers, and the latter part of the twentieth century saw many of the city center’s inhabitants journey to the suburbs, although the current administration is trying to reverse this phenomenon.
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| Though the sweat-pouring and bone-chilling extremes of 40 degrees Celsius in summer and negative 23 degrees Celsius in winter in recorded Parisian history may give pause, Paris is generally characterized by mild weather. The average temperatures are much more reasonable: between 5 and 20 degrees Celsius in spring and fall, 13 and 24 in summer, and zero and 10 in winter. There is some snowfall, but more often the winter temperatures stay in the cold, gray, and decidedly wet zone; the summer can be stifling, as the deadly heat of 2003 will attest, but is often balmy and pleasant. |
| Paris is located in north central France in the region of Île-de-France. It is situated on the river Seine, 90 miles from the river’s mouth on the English Channel, and bordered by two large parks, or forests, that are now part of the city: the Bois de Boulogne to the west, the Bois de Vincennes to the east. The city is divided, thanks to Haussman, into 20 arrondissements or districts; they spiral clockwise around the city center. At an average altitude of several hundred feet above sea level, varying depending upon a certain number of prominent hills, the area’s natural terrain is relatively low, damp, and fertile (hence the first name that the Romans gave to Paris: Lutetia, or “marshy place”). |
| Paris is the second most populous urban area in the European Union at 11.5 million inhabitants (including its suburbs and surrounding satellite cities; only 2.2 million people live in the old city, or Paris proper, but those nine million or so who live next door are considered Parisian as well). It may come as no surprise, then, that Paris is also Europe’s largest financial center and boasts its largest business district (la Défense). The majority of France’s banks and corporate headquarters are located in Paris, but the chief industries that thrive in Paris proper tend to be small luxury items such as perfumes, furs, and jewelry, while bigger industries such as automobiles, electronics, chemicals, and machine tools are manufactured in the suburbs. As one may very well guess, tourism is by far its largest source of income. The city accounts for 29% of France’s GDP, although it is only about 19% of its population. |
| The French tend to be extremely active politically, and as Paris is the seat of the French government (a republic currently led by President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin), Paris is home to many political protests, demonstrations, and strikes. Perhaps seated in the bloodbath and brimstone of the French Revolution, the French tend to have a distrust of strong government and a deep love of the democratic republic, thriving on their ability to freely and constantly disagree. French citizens nevertheless tend to be proud nationalists, and are apt to undertake abstract philosophical and political discussions as a matter of course. Though Paris had virtually no mayor for nearly two centuries (between the French Revolution and 1977), it is now headed by the openly homosexual Bertrand Delanoë, who enjoys some of the highest public ratings of any French politician. |
| The arts are certainly thriving in Paris. The city upholds its reputation for topping the charts in fashion by featuring some of the biggest, classiest brand names, in music by filling its bars, clubs, and concert venues with the top DJs and musicians, and in the visual arts by populating itself with art museums, galleries, and public art installations around the city. Many artists flock to the inexpensive yet trendy areas to work on their craft and populate the cafés with their vision; many set up their easels in parks and squares to paint the monuments, picturesque streets, and characters that populate the city with their multicolored magic. Any night of the week can find you a concert, play, film, or dance performance to see, and many of the city’s annual festivals are devoted to the celebration of these very things. |
| Native Parisians can be a tough bunch. Their city moves at a far faster clip than does the rest of France, and since it has been pegged so long and so hard as the epitome of dumb-American-tourist-destination, there can be a bit of antagonism and tension from time to time. Yet, as with any major metropolis whose annual income from tourism far surpasses that of other industries, all it takes is a little effort to remedy any such preemptive disrespect: do your homework beforehand, attempt to speak the language, and opt for the road less traveled (by Anglophone tourists, that is) – it’s liable to be cheaper, quainter, and more fun, anyway. Also, be prepared for the cigarettes: smoking is allowed everywhere, and everyone smokes even where it’s not. Your eyes might tear up if you find yourself in an enclosed bar or restaurant, therefore, but in Paris, there is so much to choose from, such style and richness in all of your choices, and so much of the bon vivant in all who live and travel there, that this is a very small price to pay. |
| The French are predominantly Roman Catholic, but as with any city of 11.5 million, there is a huge diversity of beliefs and practices. Hundreds of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship exist everywhere, from Buddhist and Hindu temples to the English-speaking Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Many national holidays are Catholic, however, (such as Easter or the Assumption), and most shops are generally closed on Sundays. |
| In a word: French. There can be no doubt about that. Paris boasts a français standard and may be tempted to mock – or at least laugh amiably at – France’s other myriad accents and dialects. Nevertheless, about 20 percent of Paris’ population was born outside of France, so in certain neighborhoods, such as the Chinese quarter, you’re likely to hear a variety of languages. International bookstores and foreign newspapers are also relatively easy to come by, and due to so many American expats and Anglophone-francophiles inhabiting Paris, there are almost an inordinate number of publications written in English. Many Parisians, therefore, even the Frenchest of them, do speak English (and will perhaps even persist in speaking it in order to save you the effort of fumbling through their language), but be prepared not to expect it. |
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