As the city is vast and its sights numerous, Paris can seem daunting for even the most seasoned traveler. When faced with limited time and too many options, the best approach to experiencing Paris is to wander through its neighborhoods. In between the many sights, you will stumble on beautiful buildings, delectable restaurants and wonderful little shops that really give you the flavor of the city.

The Seine River divides Paris into the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) to the south of the river, and Rive Droite (Right Bank) to the north. The Rive Droite was historically considered more elegant and sophisticated, replete with fashion houses and grand palaces, as well as the elegant Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera, Place Vendome and the Louvre. The Rive Gauche was more bohemian, artsy and home to the student-y Latin Quarter and Blvd Saint-Germain. However, these days there's fashion, funky bohemian hideouts and art on both sides of the river.

Paris is further divided into twenty arrondissements, or districts, that spiral out from the Louvre in the 1^st arrondissement at the center of the city. Each arrondissement has its own distinct personality and a wealth of sites to visit among its quartiers (neighborhoods).

The everlasting symbol of the city, the Eiffel Tower remains as popular as ever. You can purchase a ticket to one of the three levels and ascend via elevator, or if you have the stamina, you can walk up the stairs for free. The base has become a bit of a carnival over the years, with vendors hawking all sorts of goods and the tower is bedecked with a questionable blinking light show due to never-ending millennium celebrations, but it's still a must visit. After you're done, cross the river and get the best view of the tower anywhere from the top of the Trocadero hill that houses the Palais de Chaillot. Just beware the numerous skateboarders that flock to the hill below the Palais (palace).

The centerpiece of any Paris visit is the Louvre with its stunning collection of art. Housed in a series of connected Palais, the museum is large and worthy of a multiple day visit. Much of the museum has been renovated and expanded, as a decades long project brought the facilities up to modern standards. The well known, formerly controversial inverted pyramid entrance by I.M. Pei is now a signature piece of the complex and the grounds, formerly hardscrabble sand have been integrated with the adjoining Tuileries Gardens. These beautiful gardens are Paris' centerpiece park and run all the way to Place de la Concorde and the Orangerie Museum, home of Monet's famed Water Lilies.

From Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysee makes its way west through parks towards the Arc de Triomphe. Along the way, tourist shops and movie theaters including the Louis Vuitton flagship and a plethora of exclusive clubs line the street, which has been brought more upscale after years of neglect. The wide sidewalks make for a relatively easy walk. Looming far in the distance is La Defense and its signature arch.

Another great walk is up Rue de Castiglione to ritzy Place Vendome with its well-known Napoleonic column and expensive boutiques. The Place is also home to the original Ritz Hotel and a stroll through the lobby allows you to bask in its opulence. Continuing north on Rue de la Paix, you will arrive at the Place de Opera and the Opera House (now called the Palais Garnier). Circle around this gorgeous building and take in its façade. The roof of the building is adorned with sculptures, including Apollo, Poetry and Music. Just north of the Opera is Boulevard Haussmann with the Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores. Even if you are not a big shopper, slip into Printemps de la Mode to gaze up at the gorgeous restored stained-glass cupola in the ceiling.

The gorgeous Notre Dame, on Île de la Cité, justifiably entices thousands of visitors daily. You can climb up the towers to commune with the gargoyles and get a view of the Seine and view the gothic windows inside. Lesser known, and just a five-minute walk away, Sainte-Chapelle is reputed to have even lovelier windows and hosts frequent classical music concerts for about €19 a ticket-making it the perfect way to avoid long lines and to enjoy a stunning church without the pressing throngs of people found at Notre Dame.

Across the river from Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter (5th Arr) throbs with life day and night. It is home to the Sorbonne and thus thousands of students and the requisite cheap eating options they require. West of Boulevard Saint-Michel is the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg, worth a stroll after dealing with the tourist masses. Or walk down Rue de Rennes in the nearby 6th Arr. for mid-to high-end French clothing stores and art deco cafés that were frequented by Hemingway, Stein and the intellectual expats of the 1920s.

North of the Hotel De Ville, which houses the city's administrative offices, Le Marais (named for the marshland it was built on) is a quaint area to walk though with its tiny alleys and streets. The centerpiece of the area is the Place des Vosges, still ringed by original buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries. The area is the center of Jewish life in Paris, as well as home to a growing gay population. The Picasso Museum is located here in the Hotel Sale, a 17th century mansion.

Further afield is the historic district of Montmartre, with its iconic Sacre Coeur Cathedral perched high on a hill. The quaint area was eventually subsumed by the city proper but due to its protected status, remains virtually untouched. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a magnet for artists, including Pissarro, Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh and many others. The well known Moulin de la Galette (windmill) was depicted in many paintings and still stands near the top of the hill. Today, the area houses the works of Salvador Dali at the Espace Dali and is the final resting place for many artists buried in the Montmartre Cemetery (37 Avenue Samson), including Francois Truffaut, the painter Degas and famed Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.

Paris is suffused with history from the medieval buildings on the Île de la Cité to the Gallo-Roman, 1^st- 3^rd century baths at the Musee du Moyen-Age or the little visited Arènes de Lutèce in the 5^th Arr. Take a walk along the Promenade Plantée at the Viaduc des Arts in the 12th Arr.-a 19^th century railway that was renovated in the 1980s to house craftsmen and artists. For an eerie trip into the past, visit the Catacombs, an 18^th century ossuary that houses the remains of six million Parisians. Or search out the graves of Chopin, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in the 20^th Arr.

Mayor Bertrand Delanoë has poured money into public art events throughout the city. During Fête de la Musique taking place during the summer solstice, hundreds of musicians, from high-school bands to stadium-tour headliners, entertain the city throughout the night. During the first weekend in October, Paris Nuit Blanche is an all-night event for artists and their galleries. During summer weekends, the city's parks host classical and jazz ensembles. Stop by a market and spend the afternoon nibbling snacks, sipping wine and enjoying la belle vie.