Recommendations

• You'll find Europe's largest collection of modern and contemporary art at the Centre Pompidou (or Beaubourg as it's often called), housed in a striking 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 Wassily Kandinsky.

• Paris has no shortage of tempting shops, from independent clothing boutiques to sprawling department stores. Don't miss the opportunity to browse the bouquinistes, open-air booksellers on the banks of the Seine, or indulge at the Galeries Lafayette, the luxurious French department store.

• Stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin, for boutique shopping by day and buzzing bars and restaurants by night.