The most romantic and most visited city on the planet, Paris, the 'City of Lights' is one of the world's cultural icons, political centres and historical goldmines – and is in essence all things French.

Baguette-festooned Parisians dash through bustling marketplaces whilst the less hasty sip coffee and wine in the multitude of cafes and restaurants on the shores of the Seine, discussing fashion, politics, or cheese – whilst around them the ancient city buzzes with elegance, life, love and art.

Scenes like this often sum up the endearing qualities of the great city, but Paris has much more to offer than simple French quaintness.

Visitors to Paris are literally overwhelmed with the choice of historical monuments, art galleries, restaurants, bars, theatres, museums, parks and cuisine on offer, as the trendy and cultural capital of France and the continent lavishes itself upon the enchanted guest.

Paris is best enjoyed in the springtime, when the Eiffel Tower is slightly less teeming with tourists and the boulevards can enjoy a gentle spring breeze.

But summer is also becoming popular, as the Parisian restaurateurs and shopkeepers who would once lock up and disappear for most of July and August are cottoning on to the 21st century and staying to cater for the masses.

Most of Paris's best sights can be found along the banks of the Seine, with the Arc de Triomphe, the Basilique du Sacré Coeur, and of course, the Eiffel Tower, drawing in the tourists from all over the globe.

The city is divided into four quarters, each offering a contrast to the next, and fortifying Paris's reputation and style as a city of contrasts.

From the monumental vistas of the Louvre to La Défense to the beautiful tiny lanes of the Quartier Latin and Montmartre, Paris conflicts with itself on a grand and glamorous scale.

Paris, unlike several European cities, is a great city for wandering in, and visitors may well find it difficult to find an area that is not dotted with historic landmark buildings, or modern innovative structures.

Often considered the glamour capital of the world, Paris has uncounted clothes and fashion stores, cinemas, museums and theatres, which, whilst often on the nasty side of expensive, are certainly worth a visit.

At night the city pounds to the sounds of a young and hip nightlife in some areas, whilst in others it sways gently to the romantic classical, puffs the night away in a hip jazz bar or salsas to the early hours.

One of the best ways to get to Paris from the UK is to arrive in style aboard the Eurostar from London. Chilled out and luxurious, the Channel Tunnel offers the traveller a modern link between two ancient capitals.

Those opting to fly will find arrival at the swish new Charles de Gaulle airport an equally fine introduction to Paris, and with flights to the capital leaving from almost anywhere in the world, there is no shortage of transport links.

Paris can hold its head up as one of the world's greatest and most famous cities, attracting lovers, families, historians, clubbers and all manner of guests into its fold.

Paris has the ability to put the joie in anyone's vivre, leaving the intrepid traveller with an Eiffel they will never forget.