When he visited Paris in 1844, Charles Dickens was captivated by the art, fashion, culture and cuisine. “I cannot tell you what an immense impression the city made upon me,” he wrote in a letter to a friend. “It is the most extraordinary place in the world.”

Like the famous British novelist, countless tourists have been enchanted by the French capital, which is known as the City of Light because of the hundreds of illuminated statues, fountains, monuments and bridges that dazzle visitors after sunset.

Every year, tens of millions of people ride to the top of the iconic Eiffel Tower or simply gaze at the wrought-iron landmark at night, when it sparkles for five minutes every hour. Many of them also examine the Mona Lisa and other great works of art at the Louvre, and visit Notre Dame, a majestic medieval cathedral on an island in the River Seine.