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As the world mourns for the Gothic cathedral in Paris, AFAR’s editors reflect on what the cathedral means to them.

After French traveler Laura Pandolfi was diagnosed with diabetes, she launched destination guides that help adventurers with the chronic condition stay healthy on the road.

Why not make your holiday shopping list an excuse for a trip? From a famous record shop to the hippest boutique in Iceland, our editors share the places they’d travel to for unique holiday gifts around the globe.

5 Cafes That Inspired the Literary World

A journey into the ethnic neighborhoods redefining the City of Light

Within the 18th arrondissement in Paris France, high atop the city, resides the wonderfully beautiful, hilly neighborhood of Montmartre. This diverse and eclectic section of the city can be a bit busy with tourists, but the views of Paris and the splendor of the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur are certainly worth it. Riding the funicular is rather novel, but not necessary if you’re willing to climb the 300+ steps to the summit. This is an area to be explored on foot, as is nearly all of Paris. The shops, theaters, and forever famous Moulin Rouge should not be missed. The streets are intimate, the shops unique, and the overall feel of this place speaks of a youthful, colorful Paris.

Step off the beaten path that leads to Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise and head instead to the lesser-known, yet extraordinary Montparnasse Cemetery. Locals bring metro tickets to leave on Serge Gainsbourg’s grave in honor of his song “Le Poinçonneur des Lilas (The Lilas Ticket Taker).” Nearby rest the poet Baudelaire and eternal lovers Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. A married couple by the name of Pigeon share a tomb that is as surprising as their family name. Susan Sontag opted for a minimalist grave, while artist Niki de Saint Phalle chose a rainbow-colored mosaic cat for the grave of her assistant Ricardo. Brancusi’s The Kiss sculpture stands at the head of his grave. Stop at a guardian’s kiosk when you enter the tranquil space and ask for a map of the luminaries who have made this their eternal resting place.

At the summit of Montmartre, the highest point in the city, you’ll find the Basilica de Sacré-Cœur. Contrasting with the Gothic churches like Notre-Dame, the Romano-Byzantine architecture is both beautiful inside and out. While outside, take in the panorama of Paris and while inside, marvel at the Apse Mosaic—one of the largest mosaics in the world. The Sacré-Cœur website has instructions on how to download the free audio guide on your phone before your visit which is recommended. Also, research the well-known (and apparently tried-and-true) scams before traveling to Paris. Overall, the city seems pretty free of tourist scams, but around Sacré-Cœur especially, visitors should be on alert.

This beautiful store is right at base of Montmartre. Fight your way past the crowds and the tacky souvenir shops for a special Paris souvenir. There are embroidered pillows with sights of Paris, unique screen prints of the Eiffel tower, and counters and counters of beautiful perfumes for a scent that can only remind you of your time in Paris. If you can’t find this shop, Fragonard is a chain and you can find it in other neighborhoods, like the Marais.

The area around rue Montmartre pulses with activity after-hours - you’ll have your pick in clubs and late-night bars but be sure to make a stop at Le Social Club. Thanks to owner Arnaud Frisch, the brainchild between Silencio and the new creative space Wanderlust, and his background in the music industry, this night spot quickly rose to become one of the city’s premier venues for electronic music, frequently playing host to both French and international acts.

Even with its formidable summer crowds, Montmartre’s charms are undeniable--the village-atmosphere, the hilltop-views over Paris...But when it comes to dinnertime, finding a ‘Parisian’ restaurant can be a challenge here. No one wants to have a mediocre meal in Paris, but many of the restaurants in this neighborhood--especially around the famed Place du Tertre--are so overwhelmed with visitors from all over the world that their offerings are often ‘standard’ at best. If you want to find a restaurant crowded with Parisians instead of simply being ‘crowded,’ go down the hill a bit. Just beneath the Moulin de la Galette windmill, on a quiet curve of the Rue Lepic, is “Chez Pommette.” A step up from a steak-frites joint, but still unpretentious, this restaurant is what Parisians describe as “convivial” with a “bon rapport qualité-prix"--a tastier way of saying a ‘good value.’ Remember that “entrée” in France is an appetizer--and then the asparagus with ricotta and prosciutto won’t seem like a meager portion...For the “plat principal” a hearty “gigot d’agneau” (leg of lamb) or perfectly succulent scallops might be on hand. Dine inside under whimsical bird-houses or at a sidewalk table, with views down a steep street to the city below...The scene is classy-but-no-tablecloth, the cuisine trendy yet anchored in trusted techniques. (If you read French, check out lafourchette.com for local restaurant reviews and special offers; it even comes as an app for your smartphone.)

Technicolor whisks, mustache mirrors, and whimsical tea towels are some of the fun items that cover every surface of the Pylones home store. This vibrant store stands out among the generic souvenir stores at the base of Montmartre. Why get a chef’s hat embroidered with “Paris” when you can visit Pylones and bring home an Eiffel Tower shaped cheese grater? Your friends and family thank you already.

Paris has the Sacré-Coeur, on top of Montmartre, for catch-your-breath views of the city. Zurich’s answer: the terrace at ETH Zurich. Also known as the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and where Einstein was an alum, it lords high above the city for prime views beyond to the lake, the Uetliberg, and the Alps. The bQm café and bar lets you pair that stellar view with a drink.

This designer budget hotel, set in a former brothel, is the brainchild of Andre Saraiva, a graffiti artist and nightlife entrepreneur who worked with Parisian artists and designers to pull off an edgy balance of style and substance. Rooms, which are on the small side, are painted in unconventional palettes and decorated with graffiti, and curated flea market and auction finds, vary in their level of provocation, though each could double as a contemporary art gallery installation or soft-porn concept store. While traditional services are nonexistent, the hotel is perfectly located for exploring SoPi, the more upper-crust residential part of the 9^th arrondissement just south of the transvestite cabarets and tourist zones of Montmartre, where classical mansions and 19th-century buildings are being colonized by young Parisians and expats opening bars, restaurants, vintage shops, and fashion boutiques. The restaurant that occupies most of the lobby and garden is a perennial favorite among Parisians of all ages for dinner and Sunday brunch.

H&M’s first stand-alone brand debuted in Europe in 2007, selling minimalist, architectural basics that evoke the aesthetic of luxury house Céline—albeit with a few zeroes knocked off the price tag. There are plans to bring the chain to the United States, but until then, Paris, with five shops sprinkled throughout town, is one of the best places to sample the goods. This appeared in the October 2013 issue.