Paris is a myth and a cliché. A place of longing. The backdrop for countless films and novels. A focal point of European art, fashion, and lifestyle. The birthplace of European modernity. An undisputed yet contested center of a centralist state for centuries. A city of philosophers, writers, and artists. A place to stroll, which Walter Benjamin already wrote about and can (and should) still be explored on foot today. The texts of the most important contemporary authors from France guide us through today's Paris, which is modern yet thoroughly historical. A large portion has been translated for this anthology for the first time.