Very few out-of-towners came here until a French chef opened a restaurant called Au Trou Gascon. The 12th's major attraction remains the Bois de Vincennes, sprawling on the eastern periphery of Paris. This park is a longtime favorite of French families who enjoy its zoos and museums, its royal chateaux and boating lakes, and its Parc Floral de Paris.

Located in Northeastern Paris, this is one of the most tranquil and picturesque spots the city has to offer. On Sundays, the streets surrounding the Canal are reserved for pedestrians: perfect for biking and strolling. The neighborhood features charming and quirky spots for dining, people-watching and offbeat shopping.

Stretching from the Arc de Triomphe to the Egyptian obelisk on place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysees has become a place of fashion houses, elegant hotels, restaurants, and shops. Everything here is the city's best, grandest, and most impressive.

Paris's most famous symbol, la Tour Eiffel, dominates Paris and this Left Bank district of residences and offices. Many other great Paris monuments are here as well, like the Hotel des Invalides, which contains Napoleon's Tomb and the Musee de l'Armee, and the Musee d'Orsay, the world's premier showcase of 19th-century French art and culture.

Lots of tourists swarm the island in Paris, home of Notre Dame Cathedral. But far too many overlook its adorable little sister, the quaint Ile Saint Louis just a few steps away. This small island is like an oasis from the rush of the city. It's almost as if someone dropped a small French village into the center of Paris, as it features markets, bakeries, fromageries and cafes.

Renoir lived here and Toulouse-Lautrec adopted the area as his own. Also the most famous outer quarter of Paris, containing the Moulin Rouge, Sacre-Coeur, and ultratouristy place du Tertre, and the city's most famous flea market, the Marche aux Puces de Clignancourt.

From the Quartier de l'Opera to the strip joints of Pigalle (the infamous "Pig Alley" of World War II GIs), this neighborhood has been celebrated in literature and song for the music halls that brought gaiety to the city. Place Pigalle has many nightclubs and other attractions include the Folies-Bergere, where cancan dancers have been high-kicking since 1868.

This is the heartland of Paris publishing and, for some, the most colorful Left Bank quarter, where waves of young artists still emerge from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. The secret of the district lies in discovering its narrow streets, hidden squares, and magnificent gardens. To be really authentic, stroll with an unwrapped loaf of sourdough bread from the wood-fired ovens of Poilane at 8 rue du Cherche-Midi.

The Latin Quarter is Paris' traditional center of great thinking. Some of the world's most important artists, philosophers, and writers have passed through the area throughout history, frequenting the centuries-old Sorbonne University or the many now-legendary cafes around the area. It's also a lush, picturesque area of Paris, with lots of quiet squares and gardens, winding back streets, and vibrant open-air markets.

Right in the city center, only minutes from the Saint-Eustache Cathedral and the Centre Georges Pompidou, is a quaint, marble-paved pedestrian area whose main thoroughfare is Rue Montorgeuil. One of Paris' oldest streets, it is a vibrant, cheery quarter bursting with some of the city's finest food markets and pastry shops, not to mention a good mix of ultra hip and ultra classic bars, cafes and eateries.