National Archives. The National Archives are a history buff's fantasy; they hold thousands of intricate historical documents dating from the Merovingian period to the 20th century. The highlights are the Edict of Nantes (1598), the Treaty of Westphalia (1648), the wills of Louis XIV and Napoléon, and the Declaration of Human Rights (1789). Louis XVI's diary is also in the collection, containing his sadly ignorant entry for July 14, 1789, the day the Bastille was stormed and when, for all intents and purposes, the French Revolution began: "Rien" ("Nothing").

The buildings housing the National Archives have their own attractions, too: the Hôtel de Soubise and the Hôtel de Rohan (originally built for the archbishop of Strasbourg), across the lawn facing rue Vieille-du-Temple, both display the cool, column-fronted elegance of the mid-18th century. The Hôtel de Soubise was one of the grandest houses in Paris when built. Connoisseurs of the decorative arts flock to this museum to see the apartments of the prince and princess de Soubise; their rooms were among the first examples of the rococo -- the lighter, more dainty style that followed the heavier baroque opulence favored in the age of Louis XIV. COST: EUR3. Métro: Rambuteau.