Rick Steves' Europe

Steves: Hey, I'm Rick Steves, back with more of the best of Europe.

This time we're in a city that puts the sparkle in life like none other--Paris.

Thanks for joining us.

Paris is a city of world-class attractions, perhaps the most popular city in Europe, but more fundamentally, it's a city of locals, of Parisians.

As a visitor, it's rewarding to see this city beyond its great sights as a place millions call home.

Enjoying the Paris of the Parisians, we'll cruise the River Seine and share in French pride.

We'll shop for a dinner party the way Parisians do... Woman: Yeah.

Steves: and enjoy vibrant life on the riverbanks, and we'll groove with the locals at an underground jazz club before finishing by celebrating the City of Light in vintage style.

We start with a site near and dear to the Parisians-- the Eiffel Tower.

They built it in 1889 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and to show off at a World's Fair, and this muscular symbol of the Industrial Age has been showing off ever since.

This thousand-foot-tall tower was a marvel in its day, an engineering feat trumpeting progress and ingenuity, and today it's a major tourist attraction.

Lines can be long, but we've booked online in advance and can go right up.

In its day, this elevator must have been a marvel.

We're checking out all 3 levels.

The first level, at about 200 feet, has a restaurant, a few amusements, and nice views, but my favorite view is from the second level.

At about 400 feet, it's plenty high.

From here, I can spot the big sights we'll be visiting and take a moment to get the lay of the Parisian land, and for a price, you can go all the way to the top.

Imagine the spectacle a century ago atop what was the world's tallest structure, enjoying an airplane view before there were airplanes.

After summiting, I enjoy walking down from the second level without the elevator for a closeup look at Eiffel's Erector-set construction, thousands of iron beams and countless rivets.

Talk about a confident age, they built this entire thing on schedule in about two years with prefabricated parts, and when the fair was over, they planned to tear it all down.

Thank goodness they reconsidered.

For perhaps a more relaxing overview of the city, I like a touristic cruise up and down the river.

Boats go all the time and come with a light narration.

The Seine is the lifeblood of Paris.

It's busy with boatloads of both cargo powering from the Atlantic deep into France and tourists enamored with the parade of Parisian landmarks.

The bridges, bestowed on the city by kings and emperors over the centuries, tell a story.

N means thanks to Napoleon, the delightfully ornamented Alexander III bridge celebrates a French-Russian alliance from 1892, and Pont Neuf-- that means the "new bridge"-- is actually the oldest.

From 1607, it was the first stone bridge crossing the Seine.

The city was born in ancient times on an island in the middle of the river.

It was here on the Ile de la Cit, centuries before Christ, that the Romans conquered a local fishing tribe called the Parisii and founded a city named for them--Paris, and on that island, built upon the ruins of a Roman temple, was the Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Imagine the faith of the people who built this, breaking ground in 1163, on a building which wouldn't be finished for 200 years, and the faithful have been worshiping in this church, inspired by its art and architecture, for more than 800 years.

Gothic architects incorporated the latest technology, flying buttresses, to support the heavy rooftop, and its ghoulish gargoyles multitask: They serve as fancy rain spouts and scare away the evil spirits.

The church is dedicated to Our Lady, or Notre Dame in French.

Mary cradles the baby Jesus while the rose window provides a majestic halo.

Heroically rebuilt and looking brand-new after the tragic fire of 2019, today the beloved Notre-Dame is, as much as ever, a beacon of hope for the City of Light.

Just upstream from the Ile de la Cit is another island, the petite Ile St.

Louis, connected to its big sister by a cute pedestrian bridge.

This smaller, more residential island is a reminder of how, even in the historic core of the city, Paris is a collection of neighborhoods.

The island gives us a first taste of this city's love of good living.

It seems to specialize in that joie de vivre , from thriving bistros to decadent ice cream shops to families and friends gathering on the banks of the river.

Centuries ago, the banks of the Seine were just miserable mud, like a mucky cesspool.

Then in the 1800s, these embankments were built, and today the city no longer turns its back on its river.

Its renovated banks are now thriving, a great equalizer where all citizens can enjoy a waterfront perch.

All along the river, Parisians savor the moment, gathering with friends and enjoying a picnic dinner.

Summer evenings bring out the crowds, young and old, enjoying urban living at its best.

Once-busy expressways along the riverbank are now closed to cars, and each summer, the city government creates an urban beach for its people.

They truck in potted palm trees, hammocks, lounge chairs, and 2,000 tons of sand to make a popular fun zone, a virtual riviera in the city center.

And the fun spills all along the riverbanks.

Here, it's a multigenerational, free-for-all... people dancing their hearts out like an impromptu music festival.

Inviting scenes like this offer a perfect chance to see Paris at play and play with Paris.

Paris can be overwhelming.

To feel more settled, I like to choose a neighborhood and make it home, and it seems like each neighborhood has a market street that gives it a small-town charm.

For those learning the fine art of living Parisian-style, market streets can be ideal.

My local friend Nathalie is shopping for a dinner party on Rue Cler, and I'm tagging along.

Nathalie: They like to eat.

Steves: So in France, I like the way it's all about seasonal, and that means good flavor.

It's almost like a religion.

You have to have the best flavor.

Nathalie: Yeah.

You have to have the best flavor, the best colors, and, for example, like, tomatoes, you don't eat tomatoes during the winter because they are tasteless.

Steves: If it's in season, it's local.

Nathalie: Oh, yeah.

Most of them come from the Ile de France.

You know, it's around Paris and especially-- Look at this.

Look at this.

Steves: These are beautiful.

Look at this.

Nathalie: Yeah.

Look at this tomato.

You can have this one this color, little ones like this, you know.

This one, for example, you see?

Steves: I can see that now, so we know it's going to be flavorful, but also you're thinking how it looks... Nathalie: Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Steves: so you're raising the bar.

It's seasonal, and it's pretty.

Nathalie: Yup.

Steves: OK.

It's time for the meat course.

There's a lot of options.

Nathalie: Yeah, yeah, but as it's summer, we don't want to eat too much meat, so lamb chops are perfect.

Bonjour, monsieur.

Bonjour .

[Speaking French] Man: [Speaking French] Nathalie: [Speaks French] Steves: So what did he tell you?

Nathalie: I ask him how long should I cook them.

He said, if you like them rose -- this mean not too cooked-- you know, 2 or 3 minutes on each side.

That's it.

Steves: So I love this.

You know, this man.

You trust his advice.

Nathalie: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, because they know.

[Speaks French] Steves: Ah, yes, the cheese shop.

This is just a festival of mold.

Nathalie: Smell.

Smell how good that is.

In a French meal, you really have to have cheese.

Oh, we'll take this Camembert a la Truffle... [Speaks French] That's beautiful.

It's truffled Camembert.

Oh, it's a new thing.

Before, they started with the brie, but now they do the Camembert.

It's so good.

It's so good.

Hard cheese now, you see... [Speaking French] I like 24 months old Comt because it's flavory.

Steves: OK, so older is more flavor.

Nathalie: Oh, the older is better.

Oh, oui, oui.

C'est bien.

C'est bien.

Steves: The street is lined with shops to cover each item on Nathalie's menu, up next--wine.

Nathalie: Bonjour , Chloe.

Bon.

Steves: So we know our meat.

We know our cheese.

Nathalie: Yep, yep.

Steves: Now we select the correct wine.

Nathalie: Absolutely.

You can't have, like, any wine with your food.

You have to pick up the right one because it is combination of wine and food that people enjoy in France.

Steves: For the lamb chops, we select a light red wine and something more robust for the cheese course.

Nathalie: [Speaks French] Chloe: Absolument.

Nathalie: It's a Medoc.

We like that.

Steves: This is so beautiful with the cheese and now with the wine neighboring on the same street with beautiful people who are experts to help us out.

Life is good.

Nathalie: Oh, life is good.

Steves: And no French dinner would be complete without a fresh-baked baguette... Nathalie: OK.

Oui.

Merci.

Steves: and a bouquet of flowers for the table.

Nathalie: This one would be perfect.

Steves: This here?

Nathalie: Yeah, this, like little sunflower... Steves: That's nice.

Nathalie: and this one.

I like this one, the pinky one.

Look how pretty.

Yeah.

Thank you, Rick.

It was fun.

Steves: Bon apptit .

Nathalie: Merci beaucoup .

Steves: Merci , Nathalie.

Au revoir.

Nathalie: Bye-bye.

Steves: I'm hopping the Mtro to visit another neighborhood.

Paris has the most extensive subway system on the continent, and it's clearly the fastest and most convenient way to get around town.

Trains come frequently.

The system is state-of-the-art and easy to use.

It works, and the people here love it.

The Marais is another distinct Parisian neighborhood, and I'm meeting up with my friend and fellow tour guide, Thierry Gauduchon.

I love the Marais.

Gauduchon: Of course you do.

I mean, this is a typical classical neighborhood of Paris.

Look at the beautiful atmosphere.

Look at that architecture everywhere, you know?

Steves: Yeah, yeah.

Gauduchon: And this is my neighborhood.

I live here.

Steves: I love to take a moment just to appreciate Parisian street scenes like this.

Once a mucky slum-- "marais" means swamp-- it was drained and gentrified in the 17th century by King Henry IV.

With Henry's support, Place des Vosges became the centerpiece of what was the finest neighborhood in town.

Gauduchon: The Marais is a pretty small part of Paris, very small neighborhood, but now this is the place to be.

Steves: And this would be the center, this Place des Vosges.

Gauduchon: Exactly.

We say it's "bobo."

Steves: Bobo.

Gauduchon: Bobo.

First bo stands for bourgeois, second bo for bohemian.

Steves: I like that: bobo.

Gauduchon: It's very bobo.

It's very bobo.

Steves: The parklike square is a reminder that Paris is more than a collection of world-class museums.

For millions of people, it's home-- a place to raise a family, enjoy a relaxed retirement, or rendezvous with a lover.

The Marais has long been home to Paris' Jewish community.

Gauduchon: Historically, they're the oldest Jewish neighborhood of Paris.

Steves: OK, so why did the Jews settle here?

Gauduchon: Because it was some swamps here... Steves: Swamps.

OK.

Gauduchon: and nobody wanted to come over here.

It was very poor real estate, you know, very cheap part of the city.

Steves: I remember when I first came here, this was delis and so much Jewish business here.

Gauduchon: Still a couple of them left, but most of the time, you can see everywhere some trendy shops, boutiques everywhere.

Steves: It's a good example of how neighborhoods, they evolve and change their personality.

Gauduchon: Evolution of so many neighborhoods, you know.

Steves: If it's cheap, it attracts the bobo... Gauduchon: Exactly.

You're right, a new word for you, "bobo."

Steves: and then it becomes trendy.

Gauduchon: Exactly.

Steves: And trendy Marais boutiques make for fun window-shopping.

Paris is famous for its fashion.

So the window is like a work of art.

Gauduchon: Yeah.

We say it in French "lche-vitrine," like "to lick the window."

Literally, you lick the window.

You want to step in.

You want to spend money.

You want to become French.

Steves: Along with classy boutiques, Paris is famed for its elegant department stores.

Invented here in Paris, department stores were the first to offer the convenience and efficiency of a variety of small shops under one roof, and the Galeries Lafayette's roof is a fine example.

Its centerpiece is a belle poque dome.

Dating from 1912, it's an unforgettable example of Art Nouveau and a hit with shoppers.

The good life in Paris is easy to take for granted, but today's freedoms and civil liberties didn't come without a struggle, and the pinnacle of that struggle, an epic event that reverberates in the spirit of its people to this day, was the French Revolution.

It was launched in 1789 with the storming of a prison that stood on this square.

That notorious prison was called the Bastille.

Angry Parisians stormed it, released its prisoners, and then tore it down.

Today it's one of Europe's great non-sites: There's nothing left to see, but what we do see is the modern city that followed that revolution-- a city designed not for kings, but for people.

That urban design goes back to the mid 1800s, when the government commissioned Baron Haussmann to modernize the city, including its riverside embankments.

Along with that, he ripped up most of medieval Paris and created the city's grand boulevards, and he lined those avenues with what became known as Haussmann architecture-- stately buildings with uniform facades, wrought-iron balconies, and iconic slate rooftops.

Paris has built upon that planning heritage, making the city ever more green and livable: creating pedestrian zones, favoring bikes and public transit over cars, and even turning elevated rail lines of the Industrial Age into skinny green belts high above street level, ideal for bikers and strollers.

Today, like a citywide game of connect the dots, wide Parisian boulevards lead to famous landmarks, like the Pantheon, built to honor illustrious Parisians, and to the stately opera house.

The opera's lobby, as big as the auditorium itself, provided the public an elegant showcase in which to see and be seen.

A dazzling hall just right for sipping champagne leads into the grand theater, famously crowned with a wondrous ceiling by Marc Chagall.

Another majestic avenue leads to the Htel des Invalides.

Built by Louis XIV in the 1600s as a veterans' hospital, this massive building now houses Europe's greatest military museum, and under a grand dome, which glitters with 26 pounds of thinly pounded gold leaf, lies the majestic tomb of Napoleon.

The Arc de Triomphe was finished just in time for the funeral procession that welcomed Napoleon's body home in 1840.

The stately arch is a memorial to France's many military campaigns and is particularly stirring on national holidays when it flies the French flag, and that arch caps the city's main drag, arguably Europe's grandest avenue-- the Champs-lyses.

Built in the 1600s, it originated as a queen's carriageway leading away from the palace gardens.

The boulevard has been redesigned.

With fewer lanes for cars and wider sidewalks, it's a promenade not for royals, but for the people.

Some days, it's the finale of the Tour de France bike race.

Some days, it's decked out for Christmas or Bastille Day parades, and some days, it's entirely car-free.

In post-revolutionary France, the people rule, and there's always a garden or park nearby.

Perhaps the finest originated as the king's backyard-- the Tuileries.

The cafes, gardens, and ponds provide a fine place to simply enjoy a quiet moment of contemplation in the middle of the city.

Here in Luxembourg Gardens, there's a tranquility, a refined orderliness enjoyed by young and old alike.

The gardens are impeccably tended, and for generations, children have launched dreams on this pond.

Beyond its glorious monuments and buildings, Paris is a city simply in love with life.

Paris is home to the ultimate cafe culture.

With thousands of cafes, there's always one nearby.

These are where friends rendezvous, and we're meeting up with Steve Smith, co-author of my France guidebook and a consummate cafe sitter.

Cafe sitting... quintessentially Parisian.

Smith: Yeah.

It is.

It is.

I think the first cafes were invented here.

Since the 1600s, people have been coming to places just like this to talk to each other, to get out of their small apartments and enjoy life and be part of it, not be separated from it.

Slowing down is the whole point, Rick.

It is the whole point.

You're not judged by how much you've accomplished in a day by any means in this country.

You're judged by whom you've talked to, how much are you savoring life, however you define that.

Steves: A lot of times back home when I go to my favorite cafe, it seems like a temporary office space.

Everybody's got a laptop.

Smith: It seems like a library to me-- I know what you mean-- but here, there's noise in the cafe because people are talking to each other.

You won't see a laptop.

The point of coming to a cafe is not to work.

It is to visit.

Steves: It's a requirement not to be in a rush.

Smith: And why would you, when you have 5 weeks' paid vacation and a 35-hour workweek, and did I mention every Catholic holiday?

They have time to enjoy doing exactly what we seem to have to wedge into a busy day.

Steves: It's one of the bad things about travel.

You realize how good other people have it.

Smith: Ha ha ha!

Yes.

It's true.

Steves: I got so many friends that I've heard complain about slow service in France.

Smith: Yeah.

Well, slow service is good service over here.

Steves: That's right.

Smith: In fact, you won't get your bill until you ask for it.

It's rude for the waiter to present the bill before you ask for it.

Steves: What's your take on the tipping situation in a place like this?

Smith: 5%.

That's good.

The waiters are paid well.

They get health benefits.

They get retirement.

They're not working for a tip.

A tip is a polite thing to do if the service was good.

Steves: You could just round it up.

Smith: I think rounding up is a really-- If it's 18 euros, leave 20.

Steves: It really is about enjoying the moment, and, you know, for me, it's theater.

I've sat right here many times over the years, and it never gets old.

I mean, look how these seats are set up.

It is a theater, and the stage is Paris.

The leisurely afternoon soon turns into a bustling evening, and much of Paris lights up after dark.

The characteristic lanes of the Latin Quarter thrive with a fun-loving energy popular with tourists, and that includes jazz clubs.

I love how jazz is so American, and at the same time, it's very Parisian and French.

Smith: You're right about that, man.

It was the rage between the wars, thanks to American soldiers.

It still is today.

In fact, there are jazz clubs everywhere.

I'm going to take you to my favorite.

Steves: In this well-established haunt which fills a centuries-old cellar with lovers of jazz and dance, locals and tourists alike mix it up.

[Cheering and applause] Steve and I have a fun ritual for capping any visit to Paris.

We're taking a blitz tour of the city's best nighttime views.

While you can do it by taxi or Uber, we're splurging for a ride in a vintage car--a Deux Chevaux.

Man: Paris is La Ville des Lumire, which means the City of Lights, and it's magic at night.

The French raise floodlighting to an art form, and with a city as beautiful as Paris, it's no wonder.

The stately Arc de Triomphe crowns its boulevard, Les Invalides, with its golden dome marking Napoleon's tomb, is magnifique .

The nostalgic blades of Moulin Rouge keep turning as red lights still tempt lost souls in Pigalle.

Notre-Dame is particularly dramatic after dark.

Sightseeing boats enliven the river and its sparkling bridges.

The pyramid at the Louvre glows from within, and the Eiffel Tower stands like a reliable friend to the millions of Parisians proud to call this, the City of Light, their home.

Traveling here, I realize I could come back to this city for the rest of my life and never get enough, and that's why, to me, Paris is the capital of Europe.

Thanks for joining us.

I'm Rick Steves.

Until next time, keep on travelin'.

Steves: And today the city no longer turns its back-- cha cha--on its river.

Ha ha ha!

I want my snail.

Well, this is fun.

I'm going back and forth like a pinball.

It's the best of a city that puts the sparkle in life like none other--Paris.

Man: It just went off.

Steves: What's that?

Man: It's gone off.

Steves: Did we finish it?

Man: No.