Why Paris is so Special in the World ?
Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is one of Europe's largest cities, with 2.2 million people living in the dense, central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area. Located in the north of France on the river Seine, Paris has the well deserved reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, brimming with historic associations and remaining vastly influential in the realms of culture, art, fashion, food and design.
France , the land of Napolean , Voltaire , Rousseau and French Revolution , which brought the Slogans of Liberty , Equality and Fraternity to the World , energised and paved the way to revolutionary movements across the Globe and changed the course of Human History.
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Dubbed as the City of Light (la Ville Lumière) , Capital of Fashion World and one of the Financial Capitals of the World. It is also home to the world's finest and most luxurious fashion Brands and cosmetics, such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier , L’Oréal , Hermès, Chanel, Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Guerlain, Lancôme, Clarins, etc. A large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city has the second highest number of Michelin restaurants in the world (afterTokyo) and contains numerous iconic landmarks, such as the world's most visited tourist site the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum, Moulin Rouge, and Lido etc.
Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. This city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques .Paris received 45 million tourists ( 2019 ) annually making it the most popular tourist destination in the world with the largest numbers of foreign visitothe United Kingdom, Germany and China. It was ranked as the second most visited travel destination in the world in 2018, after Bangkok. The footballclub Paris Saint-Germain and the rugby union club Stade Françaisare based in Paris.
1.The beauty
With the grand, Georges Haussman-designed central Paris, as well as the charming cobbled streets of Montmartre and the Marais, it’s no wonder Paris is said to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The city preserves its famous skylines under Unesco heritage protection which limits buildings to six stories and the carefully preserved buildings may go some way to explaining the romantic appeal of Paris.
“Because they’ve capped the stories, you have the old buildings that aren’t towering, they don’t create canyons of obscurity”, Paris-based writer Debra Healy told The Local.
“I think people come because it’s beautiful”.
A stroll through a city hand-in-hand is certainly more romantic than a bus or Metro ride, and Paris’s small size and wide streets mean it’s ideal for walking and taking in the scenery.
“You can’t get lost, and there’s always something beautiful around the next corner,” says Healy.
2. The people
French People created structures of eternal beauty competing with Nature.
The Eiffel Tower is a Engineering Marvel , erected on the Bank of Seine River, seems both are in Romance with each other and are inseperable Forever.
“It’s the beauty of the city, but it’s also the people”, blogger Lily Heise of Je t’aime, me neither told The Local.
The French may mock the classically snobbish capital-dwellers, but for those seeking a romantic experience, Parisians may actually be part of the attraction.
“The French are definitely more passionate, more flirtatious,” Heise told “They do have this seductive quality, they’re not afraid to follow their passions, which I think is key”.
Add this typical French “passion” to an aesthetically charming city, then you’ve got a recipe for a romance.
'Je t'aime'
And it’s not just the personality of the French that makes people swoon, it’s the language itself, which was voted the sexiest in the world in 2013.
A Google translate survey found that 34 of the top 1,000 translated into French were about love, more than the other 5 most popular languages on the translation service.
Indeed the phrase "Je t'aime" was the most requested translation from French. Not conclusive of course, but the French language certainly adds to romantic flavour of the capital.
3. The history
Historically, France was the centre of ideas, art, poetry and revolutionary politics in the Western world. And the Left Bank “intellectuals quarter” retains a sense of romanticism for couples.
Writers (a typically romantic bunch) flocked to Paris from the 19th Century through to the jazz age of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hemmingway, and wrote adoringly about life in the City of Light.
Books such as Hemmingway’s “A moveable feast”, paint a picture of the city as a profound and romantic experience, which may go some way to explaining why people all over the world fall in love with Paris (even if they’ve never been there).
1920's French flappers, Photo: Vintage Lulu/Flickr
.. And does it live up to the hype?
“Paris absolutely lives up to expectation,” says Lily Heise, but others hoping to be wooed by the city have been disappointed.
4. The food
What is any romantic occasion without good food and drink? Paris’s 40,000 restaurants and illustrious gastronomic history make it a top destination for romance-seekers.
Photo: dia4/Depositphotos
“For the British especially, the pull is very much food and wine and champagne” says Larry Davis, owner of romantic Paris tours company Experience Paris told The Local.
Combining traditionally elegant or cosy restaurants with the backdrop of romantic architecture, you can see why dinner for two in Paris is an appealing thought for many couples.
After all, “where else can you do a dinner cruise at night that’s as beautiful as Paris?” says Davis.
5. Other Side of Paris
The much-discussed, and perhaps overblown, “Paris syndrome” supposedly afflicts Japanese tourists who come to Paris expecting Le Vie en Rose, only to discover that The City of Light has all the pitfalls of any other modern city, like traffic, noise, pick-pockets, high prices, litter, dirty and decrepit public transport and pavement dog poo.
Then there's the recent heightened terror alert. The sight of armed soldiers walking down the street and frequent bag checks not really conducive to a romantic stroll by the Seine.
And those who live in the city might be seeing the irony in its reputation for romance too, as Paris is apparently the capital of single people, infidelity and divorce in France.
Some 43% of Parisians are single, which is 10% higher than the rest of the country, and of those in relationships 46% admit to cheating, compared to 40% in the rest of the country.
Paris may not be the place to find your happily ever after either, as only 25% of marriages last over 20 years, drastically lower than the national average of 41%.99
According to the Economist Intelligence Unit Worldwide Cost of Living Survey in 2018, Paris was the second most expensive city in the world, after Singapore, and ahead of Zürich, Hong Kong, Oslo and Geneva.Another source ranked Paris as most expensive, on a par with Singapore and Hong Kong, in 2018.
So, In Totatlity, there's no doubt you can have a wonderfully romantic time in Paris, enjoying the unique combination of beautiful architecture, unspoiled history, fine cuisine and fine wine, surrounded by passionate locals but perhaps don't come expecting to swan through the city like Audrey Hepburn, and may be think carefully about falling for a local. It could end in tears.
In the end of the day, It is really doubtful , whether it is possible to build another Most Pretty and Picturesque City like Paris in any part of the world.
Watch Beauty of Paris in this Video
Epilogue
Paris will be stunning stunning the Future Generations with its Monuments , Wonders, Palaces, Museums , Famous Fashion Brands and Many More Attractions....!!
Paris also will remain as nerve centre of Human Philosophical Thoughts, Provocation , Adventure and Creativity....!!
The Tranquility and Serenity of Paris will never fade into Obscurity....!!
Men may come and Men may go, But, there will be Only One Paris in this World, charming and attracting people forever like a Magnet....!!
MM Rao
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