Filled with renowned museums, historic landmarks, noteworthy restaurants and curated fashion houses, most travellers visiting the City of Light for the first time struggle not with finding out what they can do, but deciding what they will be able to do in the amount of time they have there.
The world’s most-visited city is filled with world-class attractions, sights and activities, and the most anticipated of the year is the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Five years since it was gutted by a fire, the landmark building has almost returned to its former splendour ahead of its planned reopening in December. While restoration work is continuing throughout summer to meet the reopening deadline, scaffolding at the cathedral has already been removed from the spire, which will be fully visible by the time the Summer Olympics 2024 kick off in Paris in July.
And while travellers won't be able to venture inside the house of worship, its refreshed spire will make a fantastic backdrop for photographs.
If you are headed to the French capital in the coming months or are flying in for the Summer Olympics, here are 10 of the best things to do while you're there – including where to drink in the best views of Notre-Dame.
1. Enjoy coffee with a view of La Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Freshly renovated with only a few jobs remaining – such as roofing, floor and furniture restorations – this magnificent cathedral is a fantastic backdrop for your summer in Paris. And the best way to take in the view is while enjoying a cafe au lait at Le Saint Regis cafe on Ile St Louis. Little wooden outdoor tables offer the perfect sunset spot for seeing the cathedral lit up in golden light and it's a good spot for brunch, lunch, dinner or drinks.
2. Scale the Eiffel Tower
More than seven million people visit the Eiffel Tower every year and if you've not been before, you need to add yourself to that count. The showcase of Paris, the monument is the world's most-visited paid for attraction and there's good reason. It offers a fascinating history and amazing views over the city. At the summit, head to the observatory for incredible vistas but don't miss the secret apartment here that houses the workstation of Gustave Eiffel – the creator of the tower and the same man who created the intricate structure of the Statue of Liberty in New York.
3. Wonder at art at Louvre Museum
On the right bank of the River Seine in the heart of Paris, the Louvre Museum in Paris is a classic must-do. Famed for its glass pyramid wing and elaborate French Baroque architecture, it's the place to delve into the history of France and explore the greatest masterpieces of art – from the Mona Lisa to the Winged Victory of Samothrace. It's also a fit in popular culture having starred in The Da Vinci Code, Wonder Woman and Idris Elba's Lupin and hosted Beyonce and Jay-Z for a private after-hours showcase.
4. See a show at Palais Garnier
There's something special about seeing a show in Paris and there's no better place to do just that than at the historic Palais Garnier. Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III in 1861, this architectural jewel is one of the most famous opera houses in the world and as much as symbol of Paris as Notre-Dame or the Louvre. Dripping in rich reds and glimmering gold, the 1,979-seat theatre invites travellers into an age of pomp and refinement. And it's not only opera that takes the stage – the venue also hosts ballet, dance and other concerts.
5. Cruise the Seine
Rumour has it that preparations for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is going to clean up the River Seine enough that travellers will be able to swim in it come 2025. Until then, it's best explored by boat. Hop on a river cruise and enjoy an afternoon meandering along the water, seeing some of the city's best landmarks and tracing the history of the city's development along its Unesco World Heritage-listed banks.
6. Sip coffee at Cafe de Flore
Channel your inner Hemmingway, Picasso or Truman Capote at Cafe de Flore, one of the oldest and most prestigious coffee houses in Paris. Set on the ever-popular Boulevard Saint-Germain, this hotspot was formerly the place for literary meetings, philosophical debates and artistic dreaming. The Art Deco style cafe with its mahogany walls and dark red seating hasn't changed much since Second World War, and is a great place to enjoy a steaming cup of coffee and a side of people watching.
7. Window shop at The Golden Triangle
An affluent section of Paris's 8th arrondissement, The Golden Triangle is delimited by the avenues Georges V, Montaigne and the Champs-Elysees and is perhaps better known as the city's luxury hub. It's home to haute couture houses such as Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Balenciaga, and Champs-Elysees is lined with upscale picks including a multi-storey Tiffany's and Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysees. If your travel budget doesn't stretch to spending at such stores, most are either design destinations or window-shopping gold.
8. Snap a selfie at the Arc de Triomphe
Towering majestically at the western end of the Champs-Elysees, the grand Arc de Triomphe is one of Paris’s most popular landmarks and a fascinating backdrop for a photograph. Getting to the landmark can involve a game of cat-and-mouse with the heavy traffic, or you can be sensible and opt to use the underpasses like the locals do. Once at the plaza, its easy to spend ages looking at the carvings and inscriptions on the Arc and appreciating its monumental size. It's also a great spot for a photograph, if you're taking a selfie you'll have to head back through the underpass and across the street to capture its mammoth size in your snap.
9. Read a book at Shakespeare and Company
In the atmospheric Latin Quarter, Shakespeare and Company is a little gem of a place to go to spend an hour unwinding with a book. As much a tourist attraction as it is a bookshop, the store is one of just a handful of English bookshops in Paris and it stocks new and second-hand reads. It's starred in plenty of films including Midnight in Paris, Julie and Julia and Before Sunset, and has views over the Seine and is just steps away from Notre-Dame. Today, it's also home to a little cafe that serves specialty coffee and delicious vegan and vegetarian bites.
10. Go underground in the catacombs
About 20 metres below street level, the catacombs are a network of old quarries that exist under Paris and visiting The Paris Catacombs is an intriguing addition to any trip to the City of Light. This mysterious section of the labryinthe-like network of tunnels was upgraded in 1785, when authorities turned it into storage rooms for the exhumed bones of corpses that could no longer fit in the city's overcrowded cemeteries. Dark, ghoulish and spooky, the 1.5km of dim tunnels are best explored with a guide, who can regale you with twisted tales of some of Paris's dark sites.
Race card:
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh195,000 1,400m.
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 1,200m.
8.15pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 1,200m.
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 1,600m.
9.20pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 1,400m.
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 2,000m.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
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THE%20HOLDOVERS
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Squads
Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Babar Azam (vc), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz
Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (c), Danushka Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara
The%20Roundup
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INFO
Everton 0
Arsenal 0
Man of the Match: Djibril Sidibe (Everton)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
High profile Al Shabab attacks
- 2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
- 2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
- 2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
- 2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
- 2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
- 2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
2017%20RESULTS%3A%20FRENCH%20VOTERS%20IN%20UK
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25-MAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi
Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, William Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo, Jamilu Collins, Semi Ajayi
Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu
Forwards: Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alexander Iwobi, Samuel Kalu, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze
On Standby: Theophilus Afelokhai, Bryan Idowu, Ikouwem Utin, Mikel Agu, Junior Ajayi, Valentine Ozornwafor
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
MATCH INFO
Borussia Dortmund 0
Bayern Munich 1 (Kimmich 43')
Man of the match: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
On racial profiling at airports
