Paris

Paris is the capital city of France. It sits in the north of the country, along both banks of the Seine River. About 2 million people live inside the city itself. Another 10 million live in the wider area around it. That makes Paris one of the largest cities in Europe. It is also one of the most visited places in the world.

People have lived on this spot for more than 2,000 years. A tribe called the Parisii built a village on an island in the Seine around 250 BCE. The island is still there today. It is called the Île de la Cité, and it holds the famous Notre Dame Cathedral. The Romans took over the town and called it Lutetia. Over the centuries, it grew into the capital of the kings of France.

Paris has been at the center of huge events in world history. In 1789, the French Revolution began here when angry crowds stormed a prison called the Bastille. The revolution ended the rule of kings in France. Later, Napoleon Bonaparte made Paris the capital of a large empire. In the 1800s, the city was rebuilt with wide streets and grand buildings. This is the Paris most visitors still see today.

The Eiffel Tower is the most famous building in the city. It was built in 1889 for a world's fair. At 1,083 feet tall, it was the tallest structure on Earth for 41 years. Many people in Paris hated it at first. They thought it was ugly. Today it is the symbol of the city.

Paris is often called a capital of art. The Louvre, once a royal palace, is now one of the biggest museums in the world. It holds the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. In the 1800s, painters like Claude Monet worked in and near the city and started a new style called Impressionism. Writers, musicians, and chefs from all over the world have come to Paris to learn and create.

The city is also known for its food. Bakeries called boulangeries sell fresh bread every morning. Cafés line the sidewalks, and people sit outside for hours to talk and watch the street. French cooking, from buttery croissants to long meals of many courses, was shaped in Paris kitchens.

Most of old Paris has never been torn down. Walking its streets, you can still see buildings that stood during the Revolution more than 200 years ago.