Paris is the capital of France and is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques

Paris has been one of Europe's major centres of finance, commerce, fashion, science, and the arts.

Paris is often referred to as The City of Light, both because of its leading role during the Age of Enlightenment, and more literally because Paris was one of the first large European cities to use gas street lighting on a grand scale on its boulevards and monuments.