The river Seine has long been an important feature of Paris, both geographically and artistically. It is responsible for much of the French capital’s visual appeal, and during the 19th and 20th centuries, it inspired many painters, including Richard Parkes Bonington, Eugene Boudin, Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet, Charles-Francois Daubigny, Johann Berthold Jongkind, Claude Monet and Joseph Mallord William Turner.

When facing the direction that the Seine flows, the Right Bank (Rive Droite) is on the north side and the Left Bank (Rive Gauche) is on the south. The banks have become standard terms of reference in Paris, and over the years, they have developed distinctive personalities. The Right Bank is more refined, with its broad boulevards, spacious squares and grand architecture, while the Left Bank is somewhat bohemian, populated by Sorbonne students, café habitues and curious tourists. Both banks have much to offer, though, especially to someone with an eye for art.

One place to begin a tour of the Banks of the Seine is the Arc de Triomphe. The Napoleonic monument sits in the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, known to Parisians as L’Etoile (the star) because of the 12 streets that radiate from it. The massive arch, decorated with reliefs by Francois Rude, has an observation platform offering a view along the Avenue des Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde and the Royal-Musee du Louvre in the distance.

The two-kilometer-long Champs-Elysees was laid out in the 17th century as a garden and later became a popular promenade for the wealthy aristocracy. Today, it is perhaps best known for its shops and sidewalk cafes, but some park-like portions survive.

One is the location of the Grand Palais and the Petit Palais, two Belle Epoque stone structures built for the Paris World’s Fair of 1900. Although intended to be temporary, they have survived a century, possibly because they remind Parisians of the joy and prosperity that characterized their city’s fin de siecle spirit. The Grand Palais, with its sloping glass roof, hosts major exhibitions, while the Petit Palais houses a permanent collection of French paintings and furniture.

The Champs-Elysees terminates in Place de la Concorde, a vast cobbled square dating from the 18th century surrounded by elegant 19th century architecture. However, the square’s name and current respectability belie a dark period in its past. Between 1793 and 1795, following the French Revolution, it was the setting for 1,343 executions by guillotine. Among those beheaded were deposed king Louis XVI, his wife Marie-Antoinette and revolutionary leader Robes pierre.

Beyond the square is Jardin des Tuileries, a large formal garden cris-crossed with gravel paths lined with trees and statues. Just within its boundaries is the Musee de l’Orangerie, which displays important works by such artists as Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, Amedeo Modigliani, Monet, Pablo Picasso and Pierre Auguste Renior.

At the far end of the garden is the Louvre. This assemblage of five centuries of art and antiquities is contained in what was built as a fortress around 1200, reconstructed as a royal palace in the mid-1500s, and converted to a public museum in 1793. A new entrance was added in the courtyard in 1990 in the form of a glass pyramid designed by American architect I M Pei. The Louvre is the storehouse of many famous works of art, including the Greek sculptures "Nike of Samothrace" and "Venus de Milo" and such paintings as Leonardo da Vinci’s "Mona Lisa" and Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People." The museum and its contents are so extensive that repeat visits are necessary to see it all.

Two islands sit between the Banks of the Seine: Ile de la Cite and Ile St-Louis. The larger, Ile de la Cite, is the site of Cathedrale Notre Dame, one of the most enduring symbols of Paris. The cathedral was begun in 1163 and completed around 1345. Its Gothic architecture is replete with flying buttresses, gargoyles and stained glass windows.

Also on Ile de la Cite is the Palais de Justice, the law courts. Part of the complex, the Conciergerie, was built as a palace during the 14th century but served as a prison from the time of the French Revolution until 1914. Another part, Sainte-Chapelle (Holy Chapel), is a veritable jewel box of brilliant stained glass consecrated in 1248.

Ile St-Louis remains essentially a residential district. Many of its stone townhouses are part of a 17th century development designed by Baroque architect Louis Le Vau.

The Sorbonne, founded in 1253, may be the oldest university in Paris, but it is not the only school on the Left Bank. There also are the Louis-le-Grand, where Moliere, Voltaire and Robes pierre studied, and the elite College de France. In addition, there is Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, students of which often are found sketching or painting in the area.

Near the Sorbonne is Musee de Cluny, occupying a 15th century mansion that originally belonged to monks. The museum is famous for its tapestries, such as "Lady and the Unicorn," woven in the Netherlands during the 15th or 16th century. However, the mansion itself, with its vaulted chapel and cloistered courtyard, is worth the visit. At the center of the courtyard is the city’s oldest sculpture, the "Boatmen’s Pillar."

The Left Bank also is home to several of Paris’s small museums honoring individual artists. Atelier Delacroix is the house that Delacroix moved to in 1857. Its bedroom contains his chair, desk and souvenirs that he brought back from his trip to Morocco in 1832. The studio that he built in the garden holds some of his art supplies and displays a few of his sketches and drawings.

The last home of sculptor Auguste Rodin is now Musee Rodin. The 18th century building, with its light and airy rooms, makes an ideal gallery for the artist’s bronze and marble works as well as for the paintings of his friend Eugene Carriere. Some of Rodin’s larger works, such as the "Thinker" and a statue of novelist Honore de Balzac, are set among the rose bushes in the garden.

The major museum of the Left Bank is Musee d’Orsay, built as a train station in 1900 and transformed into a museum in 1986. It is devoted primarily to 19th and early 20th century French art, with the main attraction being works of the Impressionists (e.g., Monet, Camille Pissaro, Renior, Alfred Sisley) and Post-Impressionists (Cezanne, Paul Gaugin, Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec, Vincent Van Gogh). Exhibits take up most of its three floors.

Of course, no visit to the Left Bank, or to Paris for that matter, would be complete without a stop at the Eiffel Tower. Gustave Eiffel caused a stir in the city’s artistic community when he designed the massive iron structure for the Paris World’s Fair of 1889, marking the centennial of the French Revolution. It was scheduled to be torn down in 1909, but its usefulness for supporting radio antennae saved it. Now, well past its own centennial, it is one of Paris’s best known landmarks. Its third level observation deck, 276 meters above ground, provides an excellent view back across the Seine to the Right Bank.

A great way to get acquainted with the Banks of the Seine is from the water. Bateaux Mouches operates one-hour cruises with commentary, departing from the Right Bank just east of Pont de l’Alma. The boats circle the islands then head west past the Eiffel Tower, traveling beneath beautiful bridges and past famous monuments.

Because they exemplify the evolution of Paris and its history, the Banks of the Seine were added to the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of World Heritage Sites in 1991.