Paris, the cosmopolitan capital of France, is one of the largest groups in Europe and the city is a symbol of French culture, with 2.2 million people living in the dense, central city and almost 12 million people living in the whole metropolitan area. Located in the north of France on the river Seine, Paris has the well-deserved status of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities. It has an annual 30 million foreign visitors, and so is one of the most visited cities in the world. Paris has a typical Western European oceanic climate. The overall climate throughout the year is mild and moderately wet. Summer days are usually warm and pleasant with average temperatures hovering between 15 and 25°C (59 and 77°F) Paris needs no introduction. It’s synonymous with food, culture, fashion, and architecture, rarely unsatisfactory to those who visit. Despite being the dream destination for millions of people each year, the French capital still has plenty hidden secrets to offer beyond the Eiffel Tower and its world-class museums. Paris is the home of imperative museums and cultural institutions and to truly understand Paris you have to immerse yourself in the city’s artistic culture. Beyond the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, you can get your culture fix at the modernized Picasso Museum and the new Foundation Louis Vuitton, not to mention dozens of small museums and galleries. Paris has more than 421 municipal parks and gardens. The city is also a major rail, highway, and air-transport center, served by the two international airports Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris-Orly. Paris has many nicknames, but its most famous is “La Ville-Lumière” (“The City of Light”), a name it owes first to its fame as a centre of education and ideas during the Age of Enlightenment, and later to its early adoption of street lighting. Currency: The official currency of France is the Euro (€). Major credit cards are accepted in most hotels, shops and restaurants. Money can be changed at the main train stations, international airports, major banks, exchange bureaus, most large hotels and the post office. Time Zone: Paris is in the Central European Time Zone (CET). CET is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+1).