Paris is a dazzling city for many reasons: from artistic and intellectual stimulation t to a rich legacy of cuisine excellence, here are the top reasons you should live in Paris at some point in your life.
You’ll become artistically enriched
There is so much art in Paris it’s actually impossible not to get swept away by its artistic abundance once you move here. Take the Musée du Louvre for example. Inside just this one huge building you’ll discover more than 380,000 objects and 35,000 works of art on show across a space of more than 60,600 square metres (652,230 square feet).
It’s a well-known fact that even if you dedicated 100 days to the task of visiting the museum’s artworks, then you might just be able to squeeze in every piece of art on display – but only if you spend 30 seconds on each item. Of course, there are plenty of other museums too, notably the Centre Pompidou – National Modern Art Museum. It’s simply impossible to run out of sights to see.
You’ll find unique treasures at Parisian flea markets
Paris is brimming with fascinating treasures on sale at its many flea markets, and the most famous is at Porte de Clignancourt. The largest Parisian flea market, however, is located in Saint-Ouen, established in 1870 and named after its intensely flea-infested furniture. Nowadays, it’s much more upmarket.
A trip to the flea market has never been so inspiring, as famous Swiss artists Daniel Spoerri has demonstrated. He used to stroll through French flea markets for intriguing objects, which he would buy and assemble into his signature ‘snare-pictures’. A selection of these works are actually on display at the Pompidou Centre.
It’s steeped in literary history, with inspiration at every turn
Shakespeare and Company is the bookstore on everybody’s lips. This incredible shop has been welcoming ‘tumbleweeds’ (bohemian poets and writers) for decades, making it the perfect spot for the book-lover to ponder. There are armchairs and benches with soft-seating throughout the bookstore, actively inviting you to pick up a book and sit down in solitary literary heaven.
There’s a resident cat mooching around in case you get lonely, and the sound of someone playing the live piano often floats through the store, while a host of evening workshops, readings and author talks will keep you busy until late.
It’s the capital of café culture
Parisian cafés have always served as hubs of social life in Paris, being the quintessential Parisian meeting place to relax or refuel. The best time to make the most of this culture is in summertime, when the outdoor terrasses are teeming with people – though there is usually outside heating in winter.
If you take the metro to Les Deux Magots or Café de Flore, nestled next to each other on Boulevard Staint-Germain, then you’ll be hanging out in the spot where famous thinkers and artists – such as Hemingway, Sartre, Fitzgerald, Picasso and other world-changing minds – would sit and draw inspiration.
French food discoveries are unrivaled
Many Parisian restaurants are among the most elegant in the world, with a rich legacy of cuisine excellence. Notably, this includes Le Meurice Hotel’s Le Dali Restaurant, whose five-star facilities boast dreamy interiors with extravagant Louis XVI décor that have been dazzling celebrities for centuries.
Nestled in the heart of the 1st arrondissement, between the Place de la Concorde, Musée du Louvre, and the Tuileries Garden, Le Meurice’s two Michelin-starred restaurant is named in honour of one of its most surreal guests. Wherever you choose to dine, however, you’ll be amazed at the quality of French food.
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