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00:00.
00:13Paris is a city of world-class attractions,
00:15perhaps the most popular city in Europe.
00:17But more fundamentally, it's a city of locals, of Parisians.
00:22As a visitor, it's rewarding to see this city,
00:25beyond its great sights, as a place millions call home.
00:30Enjoying the Paris of the Parisians,
00:33we'll cruise the River Seine and share in French pride.
00:38We'll shop for a dinner party the way Parisians do
00:42and enjoy vibrant life on the riverbanks.
00:45And we'll groove with the locals at an underground jazz club
00:50before finishing by celebrating the city of light in vintage style.
00:56We start with a sight near and dear to the Parisians,
01:00the Eiffel Tower.
01:02They built it in 1889
01:04to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution
01:07and to show off at a world's fair.
01:10And this muscular symbol of the industrial age
01:13has been showing off ever since.
01:15This 1,000-foot-tall tower was a marvel in its day,
01:22an engineering feat trumpeting progress and ingenuity.
01:26And today, it's a major tourist attraction.
01:29Lines can be long,
01:31but we've booked online in advance and can go right up.
01:35In its day, this elevator must have been a marvel.
01:39We're checking out all three levels.
01:43The first level, at about 200 feet,
01:46has a restaurant, a few amusements, and nice views.
01:51But my favorite view is from the second level.
01:54At about 400 feet, it's plenty high.
01:58From here, I can spot the big sights we'll be visiting
02:01and take a moment to get the lay of the Parisian land.
02:06And for a price, you can go all the way to the top.
02:10Imagine the spectacle a century ago
02:13atop what was the world's tallest structure,
02:16enjoying an airplane view before there were airplanes.
02:21After summiting, I enjoy walking down from the second level
02:25without the elevator for a close-up look
02:27at Eiffel's erector set construction.
02:31Thousands of iron beams and countless rivets.
02:35Talk about a confident age.
02:42They built this entire thing on schedule in about two years
02:46with prefabricated parts.
02:48And when the fair was over, they planned to tear it all down.
02:51Thank goodness they reconsidered.
02:54For perhaps a more relaxing overview of the city,
02:58I like a touristic cruise up and down the river.
03:02Boats go all the time and come with a light narration.
03:07The Seine is the lifeblood of Paris.
03:10It's busy with boatloads of both cargo powering
03:13from the Atlantic deep into France,
03:16and tourists, enamored with the parade of Parisian landmarks.
03:21The bridges, bestowed on the city by kings and emperors
03:28over the centuries, tell a story.
03:31N means thanks to Napoleon.
03:35The delightfully ornamented Alexander III Bridge
03:38celebrates a French-Russian alliance from 1892.
03:42And Pont Neuf, that means the new bridge,
03:46is actually the oldest.
03:48From 1607, it was the first stone bridge crossing the Seine.
03:54The city was born in ancient times,
03:56on an island in the middle of the river.
03:58It was here, on the Ile de la Cité, centuries before Christ,
04:02that the Romans conquered a local fishing tribe called the Parisi
04:06and founded a city named for them, Paris.
04:10And on that island, built upon the ruins of a Roman temple,
04:13was the Notre Dame Cathedral.
04:16Imagine the faith of the people who built this,
04:19breaking ground in 1163
04:21on a building which wouldn't be finished for 200 years.
04:26And the faithful have been worshiping in this church,
04:29inspired by its art and architecture,
04:31for more than 800 years.
04:35Gothic architects incorporated the latest technology,
04:38flying buttresses, to support the heavy rooftop,
04:41and its ghoulish gargoyles multitask.
04:45They serve as fancy rain spouts
04:47and scare away the evil spirits.
04:51The church is dedicated to Our Lady,
04:53or Notre Dame in French.
04:56Mary cradles the baby Jesus,
04:59while the rose window provides a majestic halo.
05:05Heroically rebuilt and looking brand new
05:08after the tragic fire of 2019,
05:11today the beloved Notre Dame is, as much as ever,
05:15a beacon of hope for the city of light.
05:20Just upstream from the Ile de la Cité is another island,
05:24the Petite Ile Saint-Louis,
05:26connected to its big sister by a cute pedestrian bridge.
05:29This smaller, more residential island is a reminder of how,
05:33even in the historic core of the city,
05:35Paris is a collection of neighborhoods.
05:38The island gives us a first taste of this city's love of good living.
05:42It seems to specialize in that joie de vivre,
05:45from thriving bistros,
05:47to decadent ice cream shops,
05:49to families and friends gathering on the banks of the river.
05:56Centuries ago, the banks of the Seine were just miserable mud,
05:59like a mucky cesspool.
06:01Then, in the 1800s, these embankments were built,
06:04and today the city no longer turns its back on its river.
06:08Its renovated banks are now thriving,
06:11a great equalizer where all citizens can enjoy a waterfront perch.
06:16All along the river, Parisians savor the moment,
06:20gathering with friends and enjoying a picnic dinner.
06:23Summer evenings bring out the crowds, young and old,
06:27enjoying urban living at its best.
06:30Once-busy expressways along the river bank
06:33are now closed to cars,
06:35and each summer, the city government
06:37creates an urban beach for its people.
06:40They truck in potted palm trees, hammocks, lounge chairs,
06:44and 2,000 tons of sand to make a popular fun zone,
06:49a virtual Riviera in the city center.
06:55And the fun spills all along the river banks.
06:58Here, it's a multi-generational free-for-all.
07:03People dancing their hearts out,
07:05like an impromptu music festival.
07:19Inviting scenes like this offer a perfect chance
07:23to see Paris at play and play with Paris.
07:33Paris can be overwhelming.
07:35To feel more settled,
07:36I like to choose a neighborhood and make it home.
07:38And it seems like each neighborhood has a market street
07:41that gives it a small-town charm.
07:44For those learning the fine art of living Parisian style,
07:48market streets can be ideal.
07:50My local friend, Natalie,
07:52is shopping for a dinner party on Rue Claire,
07:54and I'm tagging along.
07:58So in France, I like the way it's all about seasonal,
08:01and that means good flavor.
08:02It's almost like a religion.
08:04You have to have the best flavor.
08:05Yeah, you have to have the best flavor,
08:07the best colors, and for example, like tomatoes.
08:10You don't eat tomatoes during the winter
08:12because they are faceless.
08:14If it's in season, it's local.
08:16Oh, yeah.
08:17Most of them come from the Ile de France.
08:19You know, it's around Paris.
08:21And especially, look at this.
08:22These are beautiful.
08:23Yeah, look at these tomatoes.
08:24You can have this one, this color,
08:27little ones like this, you know.
08:30This one, for example, you see?
08:31I can see that now.
08:32So we know it's going to be flavorful,
08:33but also you're thinking how it looks.
08:35Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:36So you're raising the bar.
08:37It's seasonal and it's pretty.
08:39Yup.
08:40Okay, it's time for the meat course.
08:41There's a lot of options.
08:42Yeah, yeah.
08:43But as it's summer, we don't want to eat too much meat.
08:46So lamb chops are perfect.
08:48Bonjour, Monsieur.
08:49Bonjour.
08:50Bonjour.
08:51Je voudrais des petites cĂ´tes d'agneaux lĂ .
08:53Je les cuis pendant combien de temps?
08:55Ok.
08:56Deux, trois minutes.
08:57Ok.
08:58Deux, trois minutes.
09:01So what did he tell you?
09:02I asked him how long should I cook them.
09:05He said, if you like them, rosé.
09:07He said, not to cook, you know, two, three minutes
09:11on each side, that's it.
09:12So I love this.
09:13You know this man, you trust his advice.
09:16Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, because they know.
09:18Ce sera tout aujourd'hui, merci.
09:21Ah, yes, the cheese shop.
09:22This is just a festival of molds.
09:24Smell how good that is.
09:27In a French meal, you really have to have cheese.
09:30Oh, we'll take this.
09:32Camembert Ă la truffe, un morceau.
09:34That's beautiful.
09:36It's truffle camembert.
09:38Oh, it's a new thing.
09:41Before, they started with the brie,
09:43but now they do the camembert.
09:44It's so good.
09:45It's so good.
09:47Oh, cheese now, you see.
09:48Un morceau de comté, vous avez du...
09:50Moi.
09:51I like 24 months old comté because it's flavor.
09:57Flavor, okay, so older is more flavor.
09:59The older is better.
10:00Oh, oui, oui, c'est bien, c'est bien.
10:04The street is lined with shops to cover each item
10:07on Natalie's menu.
10:08Up next, wine.
10:10Bonjour, Chloé.
10:13So we know our meat, we know our cheese.
10:15Yeah.
10:15Now we select the correct wine.
10:17Absolutely.
10:18You can't have, like, any wine with your food.
10:22You have to pick up the right one
10:24because it is a combination of wine and food
10:27that people enjoy in France.
10:30For the lamb chops, we select a light red wine
10:34and something more robust for the cheese course.
10:38This is the region of Bordeaux.
10:40Absolutely.
10:41And it's a MĂ©doc.
10:42I like that.
10:43Oh, beautiful.
10:44With the cheese...
10:45Yes.
10:46...and now with the wine neighboring on the same street
10:47with beautiful people who are experts to help us out.
10:49Absolutely.
10:50Absolutely.
10:52Oh, life is good.
10:54Oh, life is good.
10:55And no French dinner would be complete
10:56without a fresh baked baguette...
10:58Okay.
10:59Oui.
11:00Merci.
11:01...and a bouquet of flowers for the table.
11:02This one would be perfect.
11:04This here?
11:05Yeah.
11:06This, like little sunflower.
11:07That's nice.
11:08And this one.
11:09I like this one, the pinky one.
11:10Look how pretty.
11:11Oh, look at that.
11:12Yeah.
11:13Me too.
11:14Thank you, Ray.
11:15It was fun.
11:16Bon appetit.
11:17Merci beaucoup.
11:18Merci, Natalie.
11:19Bye.
11:21I'm hopping the metro to visit another neighborhood.
11:24Paris has the most extensive subway system on the continent,
11:28and it's clearly the fastest and most convenient way
11:31to get around town.
11:33Trains come frequently.
11:34The system is state-of-the-art and easy to use.
11:38It works, and the people here love it.
11:47The Marais is another distinct Parisian neighborhood,
11:50and I'm meeting up with my friend and fellow tour guide,
11:54Thierry Godusol.
11:56I love the Marais.
11:58Of course you do.
11:59I mean, this is a typical classical neighborhood of Paris.
12:02Look at the beautiful atmosphere.
12:03Look at the architecture everywhere, you know?
12:05Yeah, yeah.
12:06And this is my neighborhood.
12:07I live here.
12:08I love to take a moment just to appreciate Parisian street scenes like this.
12:13Once a mucky slum, marais means swamp, it was drained and gentrified in the 17th century by King Henry IV.
12:23With Henry's support, Place des Vosges became the centerpiece of what was the finest neighborhood in town.
12:30The Marais is a pretty small part of Paris, a pretty small neighborhood, but now this is the place to be.
12:35And this would be the center, this Place des Vosges.
12:38Exactly.
12:39We say it's Bobo.
12:40Bobo.
12:41Bobo.
12:42Plus beau stands for bourgeois, second beau for bohemian.
12:46I like the Bobo.
12:47It's very Bobo.
12:48Yes.
12:49The park-like square is a reminder that Paris is more than a collection of world-class museums.
12:57For millions of people, it's home.
13:00A place to raise a family, enjoy a relaxed retirement, or rendezvous with a lover.
13:09The Marais has long been home to Paris's Jewish community.
13:13So historically, they're the oldest Jewish neighborhood of Paris.
13:17Okay.
13:18So why did the Jews settle here?
13:19Because before there was some swamps here.
13:21Swamps.
13:22Okay.
13:23And nobody wanted to come over here.
13:24It was a very poor real estate, you know, a very cheap part of the city.
13:28I remember when I first came here, this was delis and so much Jewish business here.
13:33Still a couple of them left, but most of the time you can see everywhere some trendy shops and boutiques everywhere.
13:40It's a good example of how neighborhoods, they evolve and change their personalities.
13:44The evolution of so many neighborhoods, you know.
13:46If it's cheap, it attracts the Bobo.
13:48Exactly.
13:49You're right.
13:50A new word for you, Bobo.
13:51That's pretty cool.
13:52And then it becomes trendy.
13:53Exactly.
13:54And trendy Marais boutiques make for fun window shopping.
14:00Paris is famous for its fashion.
14:03So the window is like a work of art.
14:05Yeah, we said in French, like to lick the window.
14:10Literally, you lick the window.
14:13You want to step in, you want to spend money, you want to become French.
14:17Along with classy boutiques, Paris is famed for its elegant department stores.
14:22Invented here in Paris, department stores were the first to offer the convenience and efficiency of a variety of small shops under one roof.
14:30And the Gallery Lafayette's roof is a fine example.
14:34Its centerpiece is a Belle Epoque dome.
14:37Dating from 1912, it's an unforgettable example of Art Nouveau and a hit with shoppers.
14:47The good life in Paris is easy to take for granted.
14:50But today's freedoms and civil liberties didn't come without a struggle.
14:54And the pinnacle of that struggle, an epic event that reverberates in the spirit of its people to this day, was the French Revolution.
15:01It was launched in 1789 with the storming of a prison that stood on this square.
15:07That notorious prison was called the Bastille.
15:10Angry Parisians stormed it, released its prisoners, and then tore it down.
15:15Today, it's one of Europe's great non-sites.
15:21There's nothing left to see.
15:23But what we do see is the modern city that followed that revolution.
15:28A city designed not for kings, but for people.
15:32That urban design goes back to the mid-1800s, when the government commissioned Baron Haussmann to modernize the city, including its riverside embankments.
15:42Along with that, he ripped up most of medieval Paris and created the city's grand boulevards.
15:48And he lined those avenues with what became known as Haussmann architecture.
15:53Stately buildings with uniform facades, wrought iron balconies, and iconic slate rooftops.
16:01Paris is built upon that planning heritage, making the city ever more green and livable.
16:08Creating pedestrian zones, favoring bikes and public transit over cars.
16:14And even turning elevated rail lines of the industrial age into skinny green belts high above street level, ideal for bikers and strollers.
16:25Today, like a city-wide game of connect the dots, wide Parisian boulevards lead to famous landmarks, like the Pantheon, built to honor illustrious Parisians, and to the stately Opera House.
16:37The opera's lobby, as big as the auditorium itself, provided the public an elegant showcase in which to see and be seen.
16:49A dazzling hall, just right for sipping champagne, leads into the grand theater, famously crowned with a wondrous ceiling by Marc Chagall.
16:59Another majestic avenue leads to the Hotel des Invalides.
17:09Built by Louis XIV in the 1600s as a veteran's hospital, this massive building now houses Europe's greatest military museum.
17:18And under a grand dome, which glitters with 26 pounds of thinly pounded gold leaf, lies the majestic tomb of Napoleon.
17:33The Arc de Triomphe was finished just in time for the funeral procession that welcomed Napoleon's body home in 1840.
17:42The stately arch is a memorial to France's many military campaigns and is particularly stirring on national holidays, when it flies the French flag.
17:53And that arch caps the city's main drag, arguably Europe's grandest avenue, the Champs-Elysées.
18:00Built in the 1600s, it originated as a queen's carriageway leading away from the palace gardens.
18:06The boulevard has been redesigned.
18:09With fewer lanes for cars and wider sidewalks, it's a promenade not for royals, but for the people.
18:17Some days, it's the finale of the Tour de France bike race.
18:20Some days, it's decked out for Christmas, for Bastille Day parades.
18:24And some days, it's entirely car-free.
18:27In post-revolutionary France, the people rule, and there's always a garden or park nearby.
18:34Perhaps the finest, originated as the king's backyard, the Tuileries.
18:39The café's gardens and ponds provide a fine place to simply enjoy a quiet moment of contemplation in the middle of the city.
18:47Here in Luxembourg Gardens, there's a tranquility, a refined orderliness enjoyed by young and old alike.
18:55The gardens are impeccably tended, and for generations, children have launched dreams on this pond.
19:03Beyond its glorious monuments and buildings, Paris is a city simply in love with life.
19:12Paris is home to the ultimate café culture.
19:16With thousands of cafés, there's always one nearby.
19:20These are where friends rendezvous, and we're meeting up with Steve Smith, co-author of my France guidebook and a consummate café sitter.
19:30Café sitting, quintessentially Parisian.
19:33Yeah, it is. It is. I think the first cafés were invented here since the 1600s.
19:38People have been coming to places just like this to talk to each other, to get out of their small apartments and enjoy life and be part of it, not be separated from it.
19:50Slowing down is the whole point, Rick. It is the whole point.
19:53You're not judged by how much you've accomplished in a day by any means in this country.
19:57You're judged by whom you've talked to, how much are you savoring life, however you define it.
20:03A lot of times back home, when I go to my favorite café, it seems like a temporary office space. Everybody's got a laptop.
20:09It seems like a library to me. I know what you mean.
20:11But here, there's noise in the café because people are talking to each other.
20:14You won't see a laptop. The point of coming to a café is not to work. It is to visit.
20:21It's a requirement not to be in a rush.
20:23And why would you, when you have five weeks paid vacation and a 35-hour work week?
20:27And did I mention every Catholic holiday? They have time to enjoy doing exactly what we seem to have to wedge in to a busy day.
20:36It's one of the bad things about travel. You realize how good other people have it.
20:41Yes, it's true.
20:43I've got so many friends that I've heard complain about slow service in France.
20:47Yeah, well, slow service is good service over here.
20:50That's right.
20:51In fact, you won't get your bill until you ask for it.
20:54It's rude for the waiter to present the bill before you ask for it.
20:58What's your take on the tipping situation in a place like this?
21:015%. That's good. The waiters are paid well. They get health benefits. They get retirement.
21:07They are not working for a tip. A tip is a polite thing to do if the service was good.
21:11So you could just round it up?
21:12I think rounding up is a really, if it's 18 euros, leave 20.
21:15It really is about enjoying the moment. And it's, you know, for me, it's theater.
21:19I've sat right here many times over the years, and it never gets old.
21:24I mean, look how these seats are set up. It is a theater. And the stage is Paris.
21:30The leisurely afternoon soon turns into a bustling evening. And much of Paris lights up after dark.
21:43The characteristic lanes of the Latin Quarter thrive with a fun-loving energy popular with tourists.
21:49And that includes jazz clubs.
21:53I love how jazz is so American, and at the same time, it's very Parisian and French.
21:58You're right about that, man. It was the rage between the wars, thanks to American soldiers.
22:02It still is today. In fact, there are jazz clubs everywhere.
22:05I'm gonna take you to my favorite.
22:21In this well-established haunt, which fills a centuries-old cellar with lovers of jazz and dance,
22:27locals and tourists alike mix it up.
22:52Steve and I have a fun ritual for capping any visit to Paris.
22:57We're taking a blitz tour of the city's best nighttime views.
23:02While you can do it by taxi or Uber, we're splurging for a ride in a vintage car at Du Chavon.
23:09Paris is la ville des Lumières, which means the city of lights and its magic at night.
23:18The French raise flood lighting to an art form.
23:21And with a city as beautiful as Paris, it's no wonder.
23:27The stately Arc de Triomphe crowns its boulevard.
23:31Les Invalides, with its golden dome marking Napoleon's tomb, is magnifique.
23:36The nostalgic blades of Moulin Rouge keep turning as red lights still tempt lost souls in Pigalle.
23:45Notre Dame is particularly dramatic after dark.
23:50Sightseeing boats enliven the river and its sparkling bridges.
23:55The pyramid at the Louvre glows from within.
23:59And the Eiffel Tower stands like a reliable friend to the millions of Parisians proud to call this, the city of light, their home.
24:14Traveling here, I realize I could come back to this city for the rest of my life and never get enough.
24:19And that's why, to me, Paris is the capital of Europe.
24:23Thanks for joining us.
24:24I'm Rick Steves.
24:25Until next time, keep on traveling.
24:29And today, the city no longer turns its back, cha-cha on its river.
24:36I want my snail.
24:40Well, this is fun.
24:41I'm going back and forth like a pinball.
24:43It's the best of a city that puts the sparkling life like none other, Paris.
24:48It just went off.
24:50What's that?
24:51It's gone.
24:52Did we finish it?
24:53No.
24:54Did we finish it?
24:55No.
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