Christmas window displays
If any city does shopping right it’s Paris, and the department stores know how to go all out at Christmas time. From highly stylised clothing displays to absorbing mechanised toy scenes (complete with viewing platforms for the smaller tots), the inventive and over-the-top window dressing is a joy. Walk around Haussmann’s masterpieces in the Opéra district for the most famous and extravagant department stores, or head to Saint-Germain for something a bit more refined and subtle. Either way, it’s a must on the holiday checklist, whether you go in to buy anything or not.