Royal Palace. One of the most quintessentially Parisian sights, the Palais-Royal is an irresistible bundle of contrasts. The sober stone columns of its historic arcades are echoed in the modern, black-and-white-stripe truncated columns in the courtyard, a favorite scrambling spot for children. Large silver spheres slither around in two fountains, while in the formal gardens beyond, lovers whisper and senior citizens crumble bread for the sparrows among carefully trimmed trees.

The palais dates from the 1630s (parts of the original building still remain) and is royal because all-powerful Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) magnanimously bequeathed it to Louis XIII. In his early days as king, Louis XIV preferred the relative intimacy of this place to the intimidating splendor of the nearby Louvre (of course, he soon decided that his own intimidating splendor warranted a more majestic home -- hence, Versailles). During the French Revolution it became Le Palais Egalité (the Palace of Equality), because its owner, Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, the king's cousin, professed revolutionary ideas, one of which was to convert the arcades of the palace into boutiques and cafés. Before one of these shops Camille Desmoulins gave the first speech calling for the French Revolution in 1789.

Today the Palais-Royal contains the French Ministry of Culture, which is closed to the public, and a block of apartments. Former residents include Jean Cocteau and Colette, who wrote her final books while looking out over her "province à Paris." Back in the early 19th century the arcades were the haunt of prostitutes and gamblers, a veritable sink of vice. Now it's hard to imagine anything more sinful than a splurge in the boutiques or at the restaurant Le Grand Véfour. Métro: Palais-Royal.