Paris has long inspired opinionated outbursts, from delusional to denouncing, but on one matter travellers remain in agreement: it's among the most stimulating cities in the world. Paris assaults all the senses, demanding to be seen, heard, touched, tasted and smelt. From luminescent landmarks to fresh poodle droppings on the pavement, the city is everything it should be - the very essence of all things French. If you come here expecting all you've heard to be true, you won't leave disappointed.

Both the capital of the nation and of the historic Île de France region, Paris is located in northern central France, 265km (165mi) south-west of Brussels, 295km (185mi) south-west of Luxembourg and 510km (315mi) west of Stuttgart. The city centre - known as Intra-Muros, or within the walls - is bisected by the River Seine. The area north of the river, the Rive Droite (Right Bank), includes the tree-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées, running west to the Arc de Triomphe. East of the avenue is the massive Musée du Louvre, the Centre Georges Pompidou and a lively district of museums, shops, markets and restaurants. Immediately south of the Pompidou Centre on the Île de la Cité is the world-famous hunchback hangout, Notre Dame. The area south of the river, the Rive Gauche (Left Bank), is home to the city's most prominent landmark, the Eiffel Tower. To the east, in the Saint Germain de Prés and Montparnasse districts, Paris' famous academic, artistic and intellectual milieus waft in and out of focus through a haze of Gitanes smoke.