Paris

Paris has seen over 2,000 years of action, revolt, and reinvention. It began as a small village on the Seine, settled by a Celtic tribe called the Parisii. When the Romans arrived in 52 BC, they called it Lutetia and built roads, baths, and an arena. Some of those stones still stand near the Latin Quarter.

In 987, Hugh Capet was crowned King of France in Paris, launching a royal line that shaped Europe for centuries. But kings weren’t always safe here. During the French Revolution in 1789, angry crowds stormed the Bastille prison. That bold act helped bring down the monarchy. You can still visit Place de la Bastille, though the prison’s long gone.

Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself emperor in Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1804. A military genius and a complicated figure, he led France to both glory and defeat. His tomb rests at Les Invalides under a gold dome.

The Eiffel Tower wasn’t loved at first. Built in 1889 for the World’s Fair, it shocked Parisians with its iron shape. Today, it’s the city's most famous sight. Not far off, the Louvre once housed kings. Now it's the world's largest art museum, home to the Mona Lisa and Egyptian mummies.

During World War II, Paris fell to Nazi Germany in 1940. Resistance fighters and Allied troops liberated the city in 1944. You can walk where tanks rolled and courage held.

Paris also sparked big ideas. Thinkers like Voltaire and Rousseau debated freedom here. Painters like Monet and Picasso turned city cafés into studios. It’s a place that changed art, science, and politics.

Today’s Paris balances grandeur and grit. Cathedrals, castles, and quiet streets keep its past close. But it’s still alive with energy, just like it’s always been.