Tourism that questions...

& emphasizes people

We show what is important although it may not be known, and what matters about what is known

: Porte ("gate") Saint-Denis

: Place de la Concorde

Paris's royal entry-point, Porte Saint-Denis, is a major monument of early modern France, yet tour buses skip it and there is not even a postcard of the site. Parisians themselves may not know what it is doing there.

As for the celebrated Place de la Concorde, it is celebrated for its beauty, but its urban, historic and symbolic significance is often overlooked.

We decode History as a detective might...

who begins with the "official version" and then follows clues. The Opéra, for example, is indeed a masterpiece, but not for the reasons that are usually given ("it is a temple of culture and there are 384 kinds of marble.")

•Groups & events

: The official entry draws one's eye like a cannon-ball...

The gigantic Avenue de l'Opéra and the façade's beckoning doorways incite us to climb a huge stairway, and so miss a discreet side entrance. Iron railings enclose an empty space which, in the heart of the 19th-century's most fashionable neighborhood, is expensive: It must have a purpose. At the rear of the space is a closed portal, which one is unlikely to notice. A colonnade of nudes surrounds the ensemble. Their sensuality surprises... and the ensemble is a first clue to the edifice's genuine, but unstated, 19th-century purposes.

Other visits that decode: "Feudal violence with built-in brakes" at the Renaissance Museum, "Nobles mingle with the gods" at the Louvre, "Versailles, the Sun King's way" and the esplanade in front of Notre-Dame... Almost all our historical visits, in fact, "read between the lines" in one way or another.

A city where art is honored

: The artist has respected the statue and left his can of spray-paint at her feet.

Paris as a major site for art history, and contemporary art is simply part of life. We reveal it through some of the innumerable exhibits and art galeries, certain private collections and so-called "minor arts"... Or it simply sprouts up, as the photo suggests.

The city attracts more artists than any other, London and New York included. Our studio visits discover different movements and suggest new reasons for the city's importance in art's creation.

Legends remain realities

: A distinguished actress presents the story of the Sun King's secret queen in her Versailles salon.

: Its leading cancan choreographer explains the defiant origins France's most famous dance.

France has two great traditions. One is of high culture, luxury and refinement, which comes from the Court. The other tradition, which the Revolution launched, is justice. We explore both traditions through people who live them.

Some minorities' offspring burn cars - most bring vitality

: Singer of a group that is "Black-blanc-beur" (Black-White-Arab)

"One monarch, one faith!" the Sun King declared. But France has never been monolithic. We show the importance of religious and ethnic minorities over centuries and give a positive view of the diversity of France's population now.