Sorbonne, University of Paris

Can you smell the warm, buttery croissants baking in the air. Can you feel the bumpy cobblestone streets under your feet as you walk. Look over there. A sparkly river called the Seine flows gently, with little boats bobbing up and down. High above everything, a giant tower made of iron tickles the clouds and shines with a thousand lights when night falls. People from all over the world come to see me, to walk my streets and hear my stories. They fall in love with my beautiful gardens and my cozy cafes. Hello, little dreamer. I am Paris, the City of Light.

My story began a very, very long time ago. Before I had tall towers or grand buildings, I was just a small village on a little island in the middle of my river, the Seine. As years went by, I grew bigger and bigger. People built a beautiful cathedral with giant, colorful windows called Notre Dame, and its bells would ring across my rooftops. Kings and queens built sparkling palaces with huge gardens where they would have fancy parties. But not everyone was always happy. One day, the people of my city decided they all wanted to be treated fairly. They marched in my streets, and this big change is now celebrated every year with fireworks and parades on July 14th. It was a very important time for me. Much later, a clever man named Gustave Eiffel had a brilliant idea. A huge party, called the World’s Fair, was coming to me in 1889. To show everyone how creative and strong my people were, he built my most famous landmark. People said, ‘It’s too tall.’ but he built it anyway. Now, everyone knows me for my amazing Eiffel Tower.

Aftеr my tower was built, something wonderful happened. Artists with colorful paints, writers with magical stories, and thinkers with big ideas all came to live here with me. They sat in my cozy cafes, walked along my river, and filled my streets with art and music. They created amazing treasures that you can still see today. If you visit, you can go to my famous museum called the Louvre. Inside, a lovely lady in a painting, the Mona Lisa, will give you a secret smile. I became a city where dreams could come true. I love being a home for creativity, friendship, and love. I hope one day you will come visit me. You can climb my tower, taste my sweet treats, and maybe you will share your own special dream with me. I will be waiting to listen.