Recommendations

• Spend an afternoon relaxing by a fountain on the public chairs in one of Paris' many parks – the Jardin du Luxembourg is particularly peaceful.

• Browse through the Bouquinistes, the open-air bookshop on the banks of the Seine, or indulge at the Galeries Lafayette, the luxurious French department store.

• You'll find Europe's largest collection of modern and contemporary art at the Pompidou Centre (or Beaubourg as it's often called). Architecturally, it's a striking and unique building, covered in pipes and scaffolding. Inside, you'll find temporary exhibitions alongside the permanent collection that includes masterpieces like Duchamp's Fountain, and recognisable works by Frida Kahlo, Robert Delaunay and Vassily Kandinsky.