Editors of Time Out - Time Out Paris

It may not have made it into the natural hazards section of this guide, but it seems only fair to warn readers that there is now a recognised condition called Paris Syndrome, a state of shock brought on when the city of lights fails to twinkle. Considering that the French capital ranks as the most visited city in the world by quite some considerable margin, the reported 12 annual cases may seem rather trifling, but the very fact that such an affliction even exists reveals something that no other destination in the world has quite such a weight of expectation attached to it. Whether its Rollerblading through the streets on a Friday-night skate, maxing out the credit cards in the quirky boutiques of the northern Marais, slipping into Bofinger for a theatrical post-show plateau de fruits de mer or simply staring in awe at the towering sight of 2,500,000 rivets on the banks of the Seine, theres something so overwhelmingly exciting about Paris that it makes you feel truly alive. This is a city where even the clichs are cool.

Obviously, like the 12 poor souls above, some visitors will leave disappointed perhaps unable to cope with the grumpy waiters, lumpy bolsters, unhelpful shop assistants or rude cab drivers, or caught out by the frightening price of a beer on the Champs-Elyses (someone was recently overheard complaining about their 23 bill for a pint of Amstel, which even by tourist rip-offs is going some). But for most, these traditional drawbacks are all part of the charm of one of the worlds most charming cities good news for the estimated two million jobs in the city linked to tourism.

Naturally, no self-respecting leader would change such a successful formula, and charismatic mayor Bertrand Delano has chosen to hold the gherkins and instead accessorise with chic add-ons such as Vlib and Paris-Plage, brilliant urban refinements that keep the capital up with the urban elite. And slowly but surely, Pariss pleasures are spreading beyond the Grands Boulevards, crossing the Priphrique and into the formerly forbidden lands of the banlieue. From art complexes to anatomy museums, 21st-century Paris no longer stops at the 20th arrondissement.

Dominic Earle, Editor