Les Quais de la Seine

NileGuide Expert tip:

A walk here is a great way for first-timers to get their bearings in Paris

Description:

• 
  No matter whether you choose the Right Bank or the Left Bank of the Seine, a walk along les quais, as the French call the paths along the banks of the river, is a timeless experience and one of the top ten things to do in Paris. From the riverside you can see some of the best and most historic buildings in Paris and so important are these views that in 1992 Unesco added the banks of the Seine between Pont d'Iéna and Pont de Sully to its list of World Heritage Sites. On either bank you can browse through the wares of les bouquinistes, the booksellers who take their name from the green wooden boxes in which they display their goods and who these days often sell posters, postcards and other souvenirs, too. As well as fine views of the bridges and buildings such as the Conciergerie and Notre-Dame, you will find fancy birds and fish on sale along the quai de la Méssagerie and students buying second-hand books along the quai Saint-Michel.
• © NileGuide2013