The very atmosphere of the boulevards, from the Eternal Light underneath the Arc de Triomphe to the gaiety of the Sheherezade and kindred boites on the hill (Montmartre) make for surefire appeal.

Situated at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, the towering Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Napoléon to honor the Grande Armee during the Napoleonic Wars. The arch, which is the largest ...