paris

We arrived in Paris by bus and found our stay right across from the Jardin du Palais Royal. Our mornings began simply yet perfectly—grabbing breakfast from Happy Caffé and enjoying it in the peaceful surroundings of the Tuileries Garden.

Of course, no visit to Paris feels complete without stepping inside the Louvre, a place where time stands still among masterpieces. To get to know the city better, we joined a free walking city tour, which revealed stories, streets, and corners we might have missed on our own.

The grandeur of the Champ de Mars led us straight to the Eiffel Tower, Paris’s most iconic landmark. Rising over 300 meters, the iron giant has been watching over the city since 1889, once dismissed as a temporary exhibition piece but now a symbol of France itself. Climbing it gave us breathtaking views of the city, rooftops unfolding endlessly beneath us.

From there, the rhythm of the city pulled us to the Arc de Triomphe, where the Champs-Élysées begins. We strolled along Avenue des Champs-Élysées, surrounded by the buzz of cafés, boutiques, and wide Parisian boulevards. Later, the metro carried us to Montmartre, where the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur stood luminous on the hilltop. The nearby Place du Tertre was alive with artists sketching portraits and musicians playing to the crowd. Of course, we couldn’t resist a stop at Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses Bodian for fresh French baguettes.

We also slowed down in Place des Vosges, one of Paris’s most elegant squares, sitting in the park to rest and soak up the atmosphere. Just beside it, the Maison de Victor Hugo reminded us of the city’s literary spirit. Food was another highlight: at Le Mazarin, we warmed ourselves with a traditional French onion soup, and at Café de l’Empire, we enjoyed a casual Parisian meal. On the go, we even grabbed bagels and baguettes from Bagel Baguette.

Paris at night offered yet another kind of beauty—on a Seine River boat tour, the city’s monuments glowed softly in the dark, reflections dancing on the water. The journey also took us past the striking Bourse de Commerce, a masterpiece of architecture that now blends history with contemporary art.

Paris was a swirl of gardens, monuments, flavors, and stories. A city that is both timeless and alive in every corner.

Next stop: Berlin—this time by plane.