20 great things to do in Paris

1. Climb the Eiffel Tower

You may own the keyring, but visiting Paris without glimpsing the Eiffel Tower is unthinkable. Built for the 1889 World Fair and centenary of the French Revolution, the 300-metre (985 feet) tower is a radical feat of engineering. It's worth taking a trip to the top, where your line of vision may stretch for over 65km (40 miles) on a good day. To elevate your style, visit the Jules Verne restaurant run by Alain Ducasse, whose scallops are legendary. If the weather is warm, take a baguette, pâté and a bottle of red wine to the grassy area beneath the tower for an impromptu picnic. This is best done in the evening, when the tower is illuminated for five minutes every hour by 20,000 light bulbs.

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2. Discover the artistic treasures of the Louvre

You could spend all weekend in Paris and only see the Louvre. With around 35,000 works of art on display, from Greek and Roman antiquities to Egyptian objects and Renaissance paintings, the museum covers a vast spectrum of civilisation. It's an unmissable attraction, for which it's worth braving gallery fatigue. After entering through the light-filled atrium of IM Pei's glass pyramid, you'll find the art is housed in three wings: Denon, Sully and Richelieu. Must-sees include the Marly horses, Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People, Rubens's paintings for the Medici cycle, Vermeer's Lacemaker and, of course, Da Vinci's Mona Lisa – if you can bear the crowds.

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3. Slurp an ice-cream at Notre-Dame

Paris's Gothic masterpiece is the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. Constructed between 1163 and 1334, but damaged during the French Revolution, the cathedral has been restored to magnificent effect. Its twin towers achieve a perfect balance, the rose window is beautiful and the west façade's three doorways with rows of saints and sculpted tympanums are inspired. Climb from the north tower to the south to appreciate the masonry, and get a close-up view of the gallery of chimeras, the fantastic birds and beasts gazing over the balustrade. Afterwards, cross the road to Berthillon, where you can sample the most celebrated ice-cream in town. Its reputation has been growing since 1954 thanks to natural ingredients, lashings of cream and a host of delicious flavours.

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4. Visit the literary landmarks of Paris

If you're a book lover, then you'll be in heaven. This is the resting place of many literary ghosts, whose great works you'll find lining the shelves of atmospheric bookshops and cafés. To the south, in the Cimetière du Montparnasse, you can take an atmospheric stroll amid the headstones of famous writers: the philosophers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir are buried side by side, and Baudelaire, Beckett and Guy de Maupassant can also be found beneath the trees. Meanwhile, in St-Germain-des-Prés on the Left Bank, there are cafés where you can follow in their footsteps, including Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots and Les Editeurs. The shops La Hune and Galignani offer a wide selection of French literature, and the super cool Librairie 7L proffers a cosmopolitan range of photography titles.

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5. Spend a summer's day with the Sun King at Versailles

Centuries of makeovers have made Versailles the most sumptuously clad château in the world, so it needs a full day to do it justice. The palace we know today was largely designed under the reign of Louis XIV: the two splendid wings of the Cour des Ministres and the Chapelle Royale so pleased the Sun King that he moved his court to Versailles, then rarely set foot in Paris. In the late eighteenth-century, Louis XV added the sumptuous Opéra Royal, used for concerts by the Centre de Musique Baroque. Summer weekends are the best time to see the garden, when the fountains play to music. Indoors, the highlight is the Hall of Mirrors; composed of 357 of them, it's literally dazzling.

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6. Join the Impressionists at the Orsay

At the Musée d'Orsay, you can discover the factors that shaped Impressionism: the birth of the railway, the Barbizon school and the glorious open air. Housed in a former train station, designed to coincide with the 1900 Exposition Universelle, the collection is arranged in a chronological order, from 1848 to 1914. On the ground floor, you can see The Artist's Studio by Courbet and the landscapes of Corot, Daubigny and Millet, forerunners of the Impressionists. Here you'll find provocative works such as Manet's Olympia, which shocked the art establishment, but paved the way for the liberal paintings of Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh in the upper galleries. After sampling the works, get some fresh air and a picture of the city by stepping onto the coffered roof.

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7. Max out the plastic in the Marais

The Marais's reputation for great shopping is rising thanks to the young designers who have set up their atelier galleries here. Gaspard Yurklevich was one of the first to open up a shop, and now established names have joined the avant-garde upstarts in a golden triangle delineated by rues Charlot, Poitou and Turenne. Here, you'll discover the adventurous multi-label boutique Shine, which stocks funky togs, from Luella's chunky knits to Earl Jeans fabulously cut jackets. Les Belles Images is a chic boutique, which exudes a retro 60s vibe and showcases collections of obscure and big-name French and international labels, from Ambali to Vivienne Westwood and Antik Batik sells lusciously printed silk gowns and kaftans. Start your trip at the Rue des Rosiers, not just for its boutiques and bars, but because it's a handy place to set your compass in this Jewish neighbourhood.

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8. Dig some bones at the Catacombs

'Stop! This is the empire of death!' This isn't the door policy at Paris's premier heavy metal club, but the inscription above the entrance of Les Catacombes. Its origins lie in the eighteenth-century Parisians' response to an accommodation crisis in the cemeteries. In the era of Revolutionary terror, they dug deep into miles of unused subterranean passages that had existed since Roman times and transferred the remains of six million people to the catacombs. The bones of Marat and Robespierre and their fellow citizens are all here. Bear in mind that you have to climb down a 20 metre (66 foot) staircase to reach the mass of bones. It's an extraordinary sight, but can be disturbing, especially it you have AC/DC on your iPod.

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9. Lose yourself in the legendary jazz scene

Paris is jazz central, with a rich host of venues at which to see live gigs. Sprinkled across the left bank are traditional clubs like the Caveau de la Huchette – a medieval cellar that has been a mainstay on the jazz scene for 60 years. Across the river, in Les Halles, you'll find the legendary Au Duc des Lombards. This wood-panelled, yellow-walled club is lined with posters of some of the greats who have played here: Kenny Burrell, Johnny Griffin, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. As well as international stars, it brings in plenty of local talent. For cutting-edge jazz, visit the New Morning, which embraces chanson, blues and world music.

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10. Get saucy at the Moulin Rouge

Toulouse-Lautrec posters, glittery lampposts and fake trees lend tacky charm to the Moulin Rouge, while 60 Doriss dancers cavort with faultless synchronisation. Costumes are flamboyant and the entr’acte acts funny.

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11. Corner cutting-edge cultural centres

Paris's brilliant cultural centres will encourage you to look with fresh eyes. The trendsetter is the Centre Pompidou. Designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, its glass envelope with coloured service pipes holds a modern art museum, library, performance space and repertory cinema. More recently, Jean Nouvel has built the Musée du Quai Branly to house a 300,000-strong collection of Arts Premiers from Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas. With adventurous displays, a prime riverside site near the Eiffel Tower, lush gardens and an open-air amphitheatre, it transports you into a series of new worlds. The museums are among the venues that open for free on the pan-European, biannual Night of Museums (www.nuitdesmusees.culture.fr).

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12. Have a hammam at the Paris Mosque

For an authentic hamman experience, visit Hammam de la Grande Mosquée, a beautiful 1920s building, with a stunning green-and-white tiled square minaret inspired by the Alhambra. You can enjoy a steam session at a number of different temperatures in the exquisitely tiled interior of the domed hamman. Bear in mind that swimwear is compulsory, though your fellow Parisiennes may happily lounge around in bikinis. After you have sweated away some of your impurities, get scrubbed up with a gommage (an exfoliation), and then a massage. Afterwards, you can relax at a mosaic table beneath green foliage in the pretty courtyard of the mosque's café and even smoke sheesha. The hamman has become very popular with the locals, so avoid the weekends because they might be particularly busy.

13. Stroll around St-Sulpice and the Luxembourg

For a slice of civilized Paris, visit the quarter south of St-Germain-des-Prés, between Odéon and Luxembourg. Nestling amid the historic buildings, fashion boutiques, patisseries and antiquarian bookshops is the Eglise St-Sulpice. Construction of the beautiful church began in 1646, but took 120 years and six architects to complete: the Italianate façade was designed by Jean-Baptiste Servandoni, but he died before the second tower could be finished, leaving it five metres shorter than the other. Art buffs should check out the three murals by Delacroix in the first chapel. Close by is the Jardin du Luxembourg, which offers both a stylish place to relax and a playground for the children. They can enjoy the traditional merry-go-round, ride ponies and sail toy boats across the lake.

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14. Stock up on designer labels

This city has some legendary department stores, where you can fill your wardrobe with chic designer clothes, perfumes and jewellery. The oldest is Le Bon Marché, which opened in 1848. Owned by conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, it has seven luxury boutiques, occupied by Dior and Chanel among others; and its fashion floor stocks global designer labels, along with the Balthazar men's section. For a bit of relaxation, head to the comfort zone, Théâtre de la Beauté and for lunch, try the adjoining La Grande Épicerie. Other super department stores include Printemps and Galeries Lafayette. There's a growing number of concept shops which bring together fashion, art and music all under one roof, including Colette, Surface to Air and the hip LE66 in the glamorous district of the Champs Élysées.

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15. House hunt with Le Corbusier

You can literally tick off some of Corb's five points of Modern architecture as you walk around this stunning house and garden designed for a Swiss art collector in 1923: the Villa La Roche. Is the house elevated by pilotis? Check. Does it have a free plan that you can easily move around? Check. Are there ocean-liner, horizontal strip windows? Check. Alongside the architecture and built-in furniture, you can also see all the drawings, plans, notes, objects and artworks that he bequeathed to the Fondation Le Corbusier (the Villas La Roche and Jeanneret) on his death in 1965. The collection offers a fascinating insight into the life of this visionary Modern architect.

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16. Admire art set in stone at the Musée Rodin

A gem for art lovers, the Musée Rodin occupies the charming Hôtel Biron, where he lived in the last years of his life. Indoors, you can gaze at the Kiss, the Cathedral and the Walking Man, portrait busts and terracotta models, as well as small groups that appear on the Gates of Hell outside. When you step into the tranquil gardens, you can spot treasures amid the trees like the Thinker and Orpheus. Cast in a similar mould is the museum of his pupil Antoine Bourdelle. Set in his private apartments, the collection features his equestrian monument to General Alvear in Buenos Aires, Hercules the Archer and 21 studies of Beethoven.

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17. Rummage at the flea markets

Paris flea markets are full of curiosities, from stained glass windows to Philippe Starck pieces and Eames chairs and even three-metre clock faces. Key stops on the market trail are the sprawling Marché aux Puces de Clignancourt, the quiet, tree-lined Marché aux Puces de Vanves and the contemporary design market Les Puces du Design. One of the few remaining flea markets where you can uncover gems at bargain prices on bric-à-brac stalls is the Marché d'Aligre. It's where all the serious dealers go when on the hunt for original antiquities from across the country. But watch out for overpriced books and kitchenware. At the adjacent Marché Beauvau, you can stock up on fresh fruit and veg, groceries and meats to prepare a rustic French meal.

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18. Catch a film at La Cinémathèque Française

Take a stroll to the leafy fringes of Parc de Bercy, where you'll discover a Frank Gehry building housing the new Cinémathèque Française. The institute assumes a place at the heart of French film culture: founded in 1936 to conserve films, it was a meeting place for Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) directors of the 1950s and 60s such as François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette and Eric Rohmer. Following its relocation to Bercy, it now boasts four screens, a bookshop, a restaurant, exhibition space and the Musée du Cinéma. In the spirit of its visionary founder, Henry Langlois, the institute hosts major retrospectives, cult movies, classics and experimental cinema, along with Q&A sessions for all budding film directors and aficionados of French cinema.

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19. Indulge in some sexy lingerie

Wine, art-house movies and lingerie are some of the things that the French make best. For the latter, visit the legendary lingerie shop of Sabbia Rosa on Rue des Saints Pères (the premier underwear shopping street in Paris. It's a favourite with Madonna and Catherine Deneuve, among movie stars and models from across the globe. Buzz to enter Rosa's softly lit store and step inside to discover a room full to the brim with desirable lingerie, including silky slips and knickers, chiffon negligees, French-lace trimmed camisoles and satin nightgowns. The garments all come in a range of take-me-to-bed shades, such as lemon, mocha and pistachio. Though prices are not for the faint-hearted, it may be worth the investment for a romantic weekend.

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20. Visit the new star of the art scene

CentQuatre 104 promises to restore the creative spirit of Montmartre, which was once a popular haunt of modern artists like Picasso, Ezra Pound and Getrude Stein, but has since been overrun by gangs. The art space occupies a vast 19th-century building on the rue d'Aubervilliers, which used to house Paris's municipal undertakers. Known as the 'factory of grief', its walls bore witness to the final journey of masses of Parisians. Now they conceal the practice of artists who will renew the spirit of the area. The Memory Room shows black and white footage of events there, while the restaurant celebrates the multi-cultural cuisine of the local community and the Atelier le Balto is a green space that will be landscaped by resident gardeners each year. Among the artists working here in 2009 are Tania Bruguera, who involves migrants in her performances, and Anri Sala, who times his films with the weather. The resident artists will change each year and show their finished pieces in four annual festivals.

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