There are 31 national museums, including the Georges Pompidou Centre, and the Musée d’Orsay, known for its collection of Impressionist art. The Rodin Museum and Versailles are also well known in France and abroad, with much of the palace open to visitors.

Most of the Louvre is also open.

Conservationists at the Pompidou Center are concerned over government plans to replace any two civil servants who retire with only one new hire. The rule applies to all government departments, an effort to reduce a massive state work force that largely has guaranteed jobs for life and handsome state pensions. It is supposed to go into effect for museums and similar institutions in January. The state pays for a large portion of the budget of the Pompidou Center, as much as 75 or 80 percent, depending on other annual revenue.

Workers at the Pompidou Centre say that 44 percent of the personnel there will retire in the next 10 years, meaning the disappearance of more than 200 jobs, which they say would make their task of art conservation impossible.

Last year, some 8.5 million people visited the Louvre and 5.5 million visited the Pompidou Center.

Ile de la Cité, Ile St-Louis and Beaubourg

The fourth arrondissment of Paris has everything and more for central Paris breaks. This area is geographically and historically the whole reason why Paris exists where it is now. The two islands in the middle of the Seine river formed the perfect place for settlement, defence and trading. The best place in Europe to found a capital city.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame de Paris the famous landmark dominates the Ile de la Cité and surrounding left bank to some extent as well whereas the Ile St-Louis has aristocratic town houses, courtyards and antiques shops. Also on the Ile de la Cité there is another Gothic church the Sainte Chapelle. Notre Dame seems to be surrounded by more building of authority – the police headquarters and law courts. But you can also find France’s finest bird and flower markets along the side walks of the island banks. Marie Antoinette was sentenced to death here in 1793.

Ile St Louis

The Ile St Louis, was in previous times nothing more than a cow pasture and popular dueling ground, but now is home to dozens of 17th century mansions and 6,000 lucky Louisiens, its permanent residents.

Pompidou Centre

The 4th arrondissement of Paris is also home to the controversial seventies building the Centre Pompidou, which is actually one of the top three attractions in France these days because of the high profile modern art exhibitions held there. let’s not forget the Place des Vosges, a square of perfect harmony and beauty where Victor Hugo lived from 1832 to 1848 and penned many of his famous masterpieces. Victor Hugo’s house is now a museum.

Central Paris Breaks

Wherever you stay on a short paris break you are likely to be visiting or at least wandering past the 4th arrondissement of central Paris so if you can manage to secure a hotel right in the middle of that are it will be fantastically convenient, if somewhat expensive. You could also stay nearby in the Marais or the Latin Quarter and still be just a few minutes walk across some of the most beautiful bridges in the world.