Paris, capital of France,

the city of lights, is the most visited city in the world.

Enjoy the life of a large city with all its advantages:

Museums, Monuments, Attraction parks.
Where culture meets with amusement.

French in France: Work Exchange and Internship Programs > internships in Paris > the city of Paris

Paris, capital of France: The city of lights

Paris is a city with something new to offer around every corner: monuments, architecture, historic avenues, parks and gardens... Sightseeing in Paris is like plunging into ancient history: remains of the old Roman Lutetia, grand medieval abbeys, gothic masterpieces, classical architecture, collections from Napoleonic times, perspectives defined by Haussmann… a remarkable density of artistic and cultural treasures to choose from at each visit!

180 museums and monuments for your enjoyment: discover internationally-renowned collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, go in search of iconic emblems, symbols of the influence of an era, take inspiration from a wealth of contemporary heritage – all this makes Paris a capital of the arts, both past and present.

Paris at a glance

LOCATION

Almost in the middle of the French hexagon
1.5 hours flight from Nice, Rome, Madrid, Munich and London
6 hours flight from New York and Moscow, 12 hours flight from Tokyo

SIZE

French big size city (2,500,000 inhabitants)
80 kms (65 miles) from one end to another

WEATHER

Quite warm in the summer, rainy and cold in the winter.
Temperatures vary from 15 to 30 °C (60 to 85 °F) during the summer and from -5 to 10°C (25 to 50 °F) during the winter.
See a 4-day forecast

MOVE AROUND TOWN

Paris has several train stations, with regional (inner city and subburbs) and international lines (London and Brussels are only 2 hours away with the Eurostar, Marseilles is only 3 hours away with the TGV).
Around town, a very well developped bus, taxi and tramway infrastructure will take you from one place to another for 1 €. The famous metro is the most developped way of moving around town for cheap.

GO OUT

It would be too long to list all the places to go out in Paris. Obviously, you will find all the advantages of a capital, with a 24/7 set of available services.
Museums and monuments are found at every corner, the Louvre being the most famous museum in the world.
You will find any kind of restaurants, from the cheapest to the most exclusive and refined at any time and in any part of the city (get a jambon-beurre for 2€ or a dinner at Maxim's for 2,000€!)

Some of the most famous monuments and places in Paris

	Arc-de-Triomphe One of the monuments decided by Napoleon I, the Arc de Triomphe offers an admirable perspective of Paris and the twelve avenues converging to it in a star shape.
	Eiffel Tower Built in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition in celebration of the French Revolution and named after its architect, Jean Eiffel. With 2 million visitors the first year and almost 6 million people a year today, the Eiffel Tower is a real crowd pleaser. At the crossroads of the entire world, more than 200 million visitors have come since its construction. It's not surprising when you consider the Eiffel Tower is the monument that best symbolizes Europe. It's also the one tourists prefer.
	Les Invalides Situated along an immense esplanade, the Hôtel des Invalides was founded by Louis XIV for wounded servicemen. It houses several museums, eg. the Musée de l'Armée, and the tomb of Napoléon I.
	La Madeleine Formerly a monumental tribute to Napoleon's army, La Madeleine - constructed to resemble a Greek temple - also served as the first railway station of Paris before it became a church in 1842. Also hosts a few concerts.
	Montmartre and the Sacré-Coeur The old village of Montmartre was home-quartier to cubists Braque, Picasso, and Juan Gris. Today you'll find throngs of sidewalk artists in this picturesque area, as well as intimate cafes, lovely homes and gardens, and the nearby Moulin Rouge cabaret. At the top of the Montmartre hill visit the famous Sacré-Cœur. This Byzantine-style basilic dates from the 19th century and was completed in 1914. From there you have a fantastic panoramic view of the capital!
	Opéra Garnier Built in 1860 by Charles Garnier in the classical architectural style of the Second Empire, the Opera is one of the largest theatres in the world. The ceiling was decorated by Chagall.
	Père Lachaise Cemetery Of the 20 cemeteries of Paris, the Père-Lachaise is the most famous, and also the biggest park in Paris. Opened in 1804, it receives two million visitors a year. Hundreds of famous artists (Edith Piaf, Jean de la Fontaine, Molière, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Proust, Delacroix, Sarah Bernhardt, Yves Montand, Chopin,…), scientists and politicians are buried here and visitors can admire the many tombs built by well-known architects. The most visited tomb, however, is that of The Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971.