While the Eiffel Tower is an instantly recognizable symbol of France, the Notre-Dame Cathedral is an unmistakable symbol of Paris. Notre-Dame de Paris, or "Our Lady of Paris," is a medieval Catholic church renowned for its French Gothic appearance. Among other features, this cathedral showcases period architectural innovations such as the rib vault and flying buttress, as well as large rose windows and rich sculptural decoration. Notre-Dame’s architectural and historical significance is underscored by its vast pipe organs, iconic bells, and its role in hosting significant ceremonies like Napoleon’s coronation, the celebration of the Liberation of Paris in 1944, and the funerals of presidents Charles de Gaulle and François Mitterrand.

Before Notre-Dame, a temple to Jupiter and later a cathedral dedicated to Saint Étienne occupied the site. Construction of Notre-Dame began in 1163 and concluded in 1260, incorporating architectural advancements in four major stages, with additions in the 13th century enhancing stability and light. At the time of its construction, it was the most ambitious cathedral project ever undertaken in France, its vaults rising over 33 meters and holding a national height record for several decades.

In 1431, Notre-Dame saw the coronation of King Henry VI, and during the French Revolution, suffered vandalism when it was repurposed as a warehouse. In the 19th century, Victor Hugo’s novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, spurred its restoration, largely preserving Notre-Dame’s legacy.

Amid the Second World War, upon the Fall of France, there were fears that the German invaders might destroy the freshly renovated stained glass of the rose window. As a result, the lion's portion of it was hidden and re-installed only after the war.

In 2019, a fire severely damaged the cathedral's oak roof and spire. Firefighters saved much of the building, including the world's biggest 13th-century glass window and other artifacts and relics which were temporarily removed for safety. Though many decorations have been removed over time, the cathedral retains Gothic, Baroque, and 19th-century sculptures, altarpieces, and revered relics, including the Crown of Thorns and fragments from the True Cross.

As a symbol of Paris and France, Notre-Dame is renowned for its traditional Lent sermons since the 1830s and attracts annually around 12 million visitors.

Shakespeare and Company, an English-language bookstore in Paris, offers an excellent choice of new, second-hand, and antiquarian books of various genres and periods. Whether you want to stock up on study materials, seek the latest titles from the British press, or perhaps search for some hidden literary treasures, this place has everything you need. And there are plenty of cozy nooks and crannies where you can take a break and just read or peruse books.

The shop was opened in 1951 by American George Whitman under the name "Le Mistral." It was renamed in 1964 in tribute to the original Shakespeare and Company bookstore and William Shakespeare's 400th birthday. This name change cemented the store's connection to its legendary predecessor, which opened in 1919 by Sylvia Beach and welcomed famous writers such as Ernest Hemingway, James Baldwin, and James Joyce. Sylvia famously defied the system by publishing Joyce's "Ulysses" in 1922, but her store closed down in 1941.

After the war, Whitman took up the mantle, celebrating literary giants. The new Shakespeare and Company has been a cultural hub ever since, attracting authors like Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and James Baldwin, who found here not just a place to obtain books but a vibrant community. Described by its founder as a "socialist utopia masquerading as a bookstore," this place has the tradition of hosting aspiring writers-referred to as "Tumbleweeds"-who stay in beds among the bookshelves for free in exchange for helping around the store, committing to reading daily, and writing a single-page autobiography for the store’s archives.

After George Whitman's passing, his daughter Sylvia took over in 2003, continuing the bookstore's legacy of literary fervor and community spirit. Despite facing significant challenges, including an 80% drop in sales in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the store has maintained its role as a literary sanctuary under Sylvia’s stewardship. The store’s motto, "Be Not Inhospitable to Strangers Lest They Be Angels in Disguise," perfectly captures its ethos of openness and hospitality. Since its inception, the store has welcomed over 30,000 guests.

Shakespeare and Company also made its mark in publishing, launching significant literary journals such as Merlin, which first published Samuel Beckett in English. The store's influence extends into popular culture too, featuring in films like Richard Linklater's "Before Sunset," Nora Ephron's "Julie & Julia," and Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris."

The Holy Chapel on the City Island in Paris is a stunning 13th-century example of Rayonnant Gothic architecture. Commissioned by King Louis IX who led the 7th and 8th Crusades to the Holy Land, it was designed as a grand reliquary to house sacred relics, such as the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Jesus himself, which Louis acquired in Constantinople.

This two-story chapel has an upper level with remarkable stained-glass windows, reserved for the royal family, while its lower level, adorned with floral designs, served palace courtiers and staff. The Holy Chapel was once part of the medieval City Palace, the former residence of French kings until the 14th century, alongside the neighboring Conciergerie, which later became a prison.

The chapel faced considerable damage over the centuries, particularly during the French Revolution when its sculptures were destroyed, royal emblems defaced, and interiors looted. By the 19th century, extensive restoration efforts were undertaken to revive its medieval charm. Skilled craftsmanship was applied to restore the chapel, making it a blend of medieval and 19th-century artistry. Miraculously, around two-thirds of the original stained glass survived, creating a captivating effect, especially when sunlight illuminates the intricate biblical scenes depicted in the windows.

Architecturally, the Holy Chapel is distinguished by its simplicity and harmony. Unlike many Gothic churches, it lacks flying buttresses, relying instead on deep buttresses and metal supports for stability. A rose window on the west front, added in the 15th century, features scenes of the Apocalypse, while a cedarwood spire captures the essence of Gothic style. The chapel was intended to symbolize Jerusalem, a vision of paradise for the saved at the Last Judgment.

Today, Holy Chapel remains a marvel of medieval design and an enduring symbol of King Louis IX’s devotion and legacy.

Saint-Michel is a prominent public square in the Latin Quarter, straddling the boundary between Paris's fifth and sixth administrative districts on the left bank of the Seine. A junction of four major streets, this historical square overlooks the City Island, connected to its northern end by the Saint-Michel Bridge that spans 62 meters across the river.

The square's geographical layout resulted from the extensive renovations during the vast redesign of Paris, between 1853 and 1870.

One of the square’s most notable features is the monumental Saint-Michel Fountain, built in 1860 by the collaborative effort of nine sculptors. Originally intended to feature Napoleon Bonaparte, because of the political pressures associated with the demoted emperor, its central figure was changed to Saint Michael the Archangel. The fountain is also adorned with two dragons and statues representing the four classical cardinal virtues, adding a mythological and moral dimension to its aesthetic.

Apart from offering a picturesque view of the nearby landmarks such as the Holy Chapel and the Palace of Justice, Square Saint-Michel also serves as a cultural hotspot. Over the years, it has been the site of significant historical events, including demonstrations during World War II and the student uprising of May 1968, where it briefly became the symbolic heart of a student-led attempt to declare an independent state.

Today, the square is likened to "Washington Square Park of Paris" due to its popularity among diverse groups including hippies, artists, musicians, and students, reflecting its vibrant, bohemian spirit. The surrounding area, particularly along the Saint-Michel high road, is filled with cafes, bistros, bookstores, and bookstalls. Since the Sorbonne University is just a few blocks away, it is common to see here students scouring through books in search of bargains on their required reading.

Named for the two Chinese figurines, or "magots", inside, Les Deux Magots is a famous Parisian café Located directly on Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés, thus offering an uninhibited view of one of the city's oldest religious buildings, the Abbaye de Saint-Germain.

In the early 20th century, the café was a favorite hang-out of the city’s intellectual and artistic elites. Its historical reputation is derived from the patronage of Surrealist artists, intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and young writers, such as Ernest Hemingway. Other patrons included Albert Camus, Pablo Picasso, James Joyce, Bertolt Brecht, Facundo Fernandez Llorente, Pedro White, El Marce, Julia Child, and the American writers James Baldwin, Alison Machin, Chester Himes, Charles Sutherland, and Richard Wright.

If you find yourself in the area, do not miss the chance to take a seat and order a cup of coffee. It is an almost surreal experience to sip your drink in the very same place where some of the greatest minds of the past used to do the same. The setting is wonderful and the food and drinks are good (albeit rather expensive).

Opened in 1686, Café Procope is widely known as "the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Paris". It was an Italian, Francesco Procopio, who had the idea of opening an establishment near Saint-Germain-des-Prés where people could try coffee, which had only been introduced twenty years earlier in the Paris court. He decorated it luxuriously with mirrors, chandeliers, and gilded objects in order to attract high society.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Voltaire and Rousseau were frequent visitors, as it was the first literary café. Denis Diderot is said to have written his Encyclopedia within its walls; though plenty celebrities of other stripes frequented there too, with some of the most prominent guests being Napoleon, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, and Thomas Jefferson.

What continues to make Café Procope special, in addition to its association with the aforementioned names, is its epic décor that takes you back to the 17th century, as well as the excellent dishes they serve. The café also exhibits some interesting items like Napoleon's hat (which he allegedly left there to pay a debt) and the last letter from Marie Antoinette to Louis XVI. It is believed that this was the place where Marie Antoinette's death warrant was signed.

The Sorbonne, a name synonymous with academic excellence in Paris, refers to both a historic building and the legacy of the University of Paris. One of the first institutions of higher education in Europe, it traces its origins back to the Middle Ages, when Robert de Sorbon, the chaplain and confessor to King Louis IX, established Sorbonne College in 1257. Initially intended for poor secular clergy, over the years, it has produced several famous graduates, including Italian priest and Scholastic thinker Thomas Aquinas, Italian poet Dante Alighieri, French theologian John Calvin, French philosopher and writer Simone de Beauvoir, French-Swiss film director Jean-Luc Godard, and President of France François Mitterrand, among others. The modern Sorbonne emerged in 2018 from the merger of Paris-Sorbonne University and the University of Pierre and Marie Curie.

Historically, the Sorbonne has been a center of academic excellence, maintaining a strong alignment with Catholic conservatism. The institution faced closure during the French Revolution but was revitalized by Napoleon in 1808 and remained active until 1882. The re-establishment of the University of Paris in 1896 marked a significant phase, incorporating faculties like Science, Letters, Law, Medicine, and Pharmacy.

The Sorbonne’s architectural ensemble, developed between 1883 and 1901, combines historical Neo-renaissance, Classical, and antique styles with modern elements. The university holds a prestigious reputation, highlighted by its alumni and professors who have won 33 Nobel Prizes. Notably, Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, was also the first woman to become a professor at the Sorbonne. Today, the university ranks among the top in the world in mathematics, earth sciences, and oceanography.

The Sorbonne building houses the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, and the extensive Sorbonne Library with 2.5 million books. The Sorbonne Chapel on the university campus was classified as a French historic monument in 1887, and the amphitheater and the entire building complex became monuments in 1975.

The Panthéon of Paris, originally conceived as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, has evolved significantly since its inception. Constructed between 1758 and 1790, it was intended by King Louis XV to house the relics of Paris's patron saint. The structure stands on a historically rich site, previously home to Roman monuments, and underwent numerous transformations, most notably during the French Revolution when it was repurposed as a secular mausoleum.

The Panthéon was designed to combine the lightness of Gothic cathedrals with the classical grandeur admired in Italian architecture. The architecture of the Panthéon is a striking example of early Neoclassicism, dominated by a triple dome, each layer serving both aesthetic and structural purposes. The middle dome features a painted ceiling, while the outer stone-built dome, completed in 1790, was designed to rival the domes of major basilicas in Rome and London. Initially topped with a cross, the dome has seen various symbols over the years, reflective of France's turbulent history.

Inside, the Panthéon hosts the Apotheosis of Saint Genevieve, surrounded by important figures from French royal history and Christianity. Its peristyle and façade mimic a Greek temple, adorned with Corinthian columns and a pediment that celebrates national gratitude towards illustrious figures, reinstated post-Revolution to honor France's great men and women.

The Panthéon also served as the site for Léon Foucault's famous demonstration of the Earth's rotation in 1851, using a pendulum suspended from the central dome-a copy of which remains on display today.

Throughout its history, the Panthéon's role has shifted between religious and national significance. During its time as the revolutionary "Temple of the Nation", it housed the remains of prominent French figures such as Voltaire and Rousseau. Declared a mausoleum for "National Heroes" in the 19th century, other notables like Victor Hugo and Marie Curie found their final resting place here. More recent additions included French resistance heroes, recognizing their roles in World War II.

Today, the Panthéon is a monument to France's past but also a symbol of its enduring values, reflecting the nation's historical journey and its commitment to honoring those who have shaped its cultural and political landscape.

Ernest Hemingway lived at No. 74 on Cardinal Lemoine Street with his wife Hadley during their first year in Paris in 1922. Back then, he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Daily Star. The two-room flat had neither hot water, nor toilet facilities, and the couple would sleep on a mattress on the floor. Hemingway described it in The Snows of Kilimanjaro: "From the apartment you could only see the wood and coal man's place. He sold wine too, bad wine. The golden horse's head outside the Boucherie Chevaline where the carcasses hung yellow gold and red in the open window, and the green painted co-operative where they bought their wine; good wine and cheap."

During his free time in Paris, Hemingway became friends with some of the city's most prominent writers and artists and forged quick friendships with them. Among these were James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein, Max Eastman, Sylvia Beach, Lincoln Steffens, and Wyndham Lewis. He was also befriended with the painters Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso. These relationships were instrumental in Hemingway's development as a writer and artist, leaving an enduring legacy in literary history.

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You may also peer down the passageway at No. 71, where James Joyce finished "Ulysses" in apartment E.