Ascenseur pour l'échafaud Filming Locations

Paris, France's capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Its 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Beyond such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre-Dame cathedral, the city is known for its cafe culture and designer boutiques along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

The 15th arr. is an eclectic residential area where quaint shops around La Motte Grenelle metro station give way to the Tour Montparnasse skyscraper. The Musée Bourdelle features sculptor Antoine Bourdelle's studio and garden where artists like Chagall also worked. The sprawling Parc André Citroën along the Seine draws tourists and families to greenhouses and a tethered hot-air balloon that offers city views.

The swanky 16th arrondissement is home to foreign embassies and renowned museums, including the Fondation Louis Vuitton and the Palais de Tokyo with its contemporary art. Hilly Passy, home to the city's wealthiest residents, features trendy restaurants and the Maison de Balzac, a house museum where the novelist once lived. Families head to the Bois de Boulogne for its boating lakes and kids' theme park.