Paris dresses up as the Olympics come to town
The City of Light staged a spectacular Games, with events against a backdrop of its most famous monuments.
Paris transformed itself into a vast stage this summer as it hosted the Olympic Games, setting sporting competition against the backdrop of some of the world's most famous monuments and reimagining how a modern Games could showcase a host city.
In a break with tradition, the opening ceremony unfolded not in a stadium but along the River Seine, with athletes parading by boat past landmarks as crowds lined the banks. Throughout the Games, iconic settings became arenas: beach volleyball beneath the Eiffel Tower, equestrian events at the palace of Versailles, and urban sports in the heart of the city.
For visitors, the Games offered a chance to experience Paris in a heightened, festive state, though the crowds, security and high prices also tested the patience of some, and many residents left the city for the summer as they often do.
The organisers made sustainability and the use of existing and temporary venues a centrepiece, seeking to avoid the white-elephant stadiums that have burdened some past hosts, and efforts were made to clean the Seine enough to stage swimming events in its waters.
Beyond the sport, the Games were a showcase for a city that remains one of the world's most visited, reaffirming the enduring allure of Paris. For travellers, they were a reminder of how a great city can reinvent its familiar beauty, turning its streets and monuments into the setting for a global celebration.