Tourists and residents say they find Paris magical at night. A dazzling energy fills the air as excited chatter rises from cozy café tables outside, and a social buzz fills the streets with the many people mingling late into the evening.

When the sun sets, Paris doesn’t sleep. Instead, it comes alive with the glow of millions of lights throughout the city. There are nearly 300 illuminated sites around the city, including statues, fountains, monuments, churches and hotels.

In addition, 33 of Paris’ 37 major bridges are illuminated every night. The most famous illuminated object is the iconic Eiffel Tower, which shines brightly each night thanks to more than 20,000 light bulbs. IMB Photo

Tourists and residents say they find Paris magical at night. A dazzling energy fills the air as excited chatter rises from cozy café tables outside, and a social buzz fills the streets with the many people mingling late into the evening.

When the sun sets, Paris doesn’t sleep. Instead, it comes alive with the glow of millions of lights throughout the city. There are nearly 300 illuminated sites around the city, including statues, fountains, monuments, churches and hotels.

In addition, 33 of Paris’ 37 major bridges are illuminated every night. The most famous illuminated object is the iconic Eiffel Tower, which shines brightly each night thanks to more than 20,000 light bulbs. IMB Photo

Situated in the very heart of Montmartre, one of the most famous squares of all of Paris, Place du Tertre, which is world-famous for its painters, cafés and ambiance. IMB Photo

At 324 meters tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889. IMB Photo

A view from the Champ de Mars grounds of the Eiffel Tower. The large public park is a great area for relaxing and walking. The park is named after the Campus Martius in Rome, which was dedicated to the Roman god Mars. At 324 meters tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889. IMB Photo

At 324 meters tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889. A view from the Champ de Mars grounds of the Eiffel Tower. The large public park is a great area for relaxing and walking. The park is named after the Campus Martius in Rome, which was dedicated to the Roman god Mars. IMB Photo

At 324 meters tall, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. The Eiffel Tower was constructed for the Paris Universal Exposition of 1889. IMB Photo

A view of the Eiffel Tower from a street. IMB Photo

Several historic and iconic monuments rise out of the Parisian skyline: the Eiffel Tower, spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Les Invalides’ gold gilded dome that houses the tomb of Napoleon. Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Paris central is now home to 2.2 million people, while the expanding population of the Paris metropolitan area is well over 12 million. IMB Photo

A view from the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the Sacred Heart of Paris on top of Montmartre, a hill that overlooks Paris. Many tourists gather and walk on the hillside despite the gloomy European rain. IMB Photo

Love locks are a modern tradition whereby sweethearts inscribe their names or initials on a padlock, attach it to a public structure and throw away the key, permanently sealing their love. IMB Photo

Sacré-Cœur Basilica, the Sacred Heart of Paris, sits on top of Montmartre, a hill that overlooks Paris. IMB Photo

A view of Paris’ cityscape can be seen from Montmartre, a hill on the northern side of the city. IMB Photo

In French garden design, the chateau, or home, is to be the visual focal point. French formal gardens are based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. IMB Photo

Several historic and iconic monuments rise out of the Parisian skyline: the Eiffel Tower, spires of Notre-Dame Cathedral, and Les Invalides’ gold gilded dome that houses the tomb of Napoleon. Paris, France’s capital, is a major European city and a global center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. Paris central is now home to 2.2 million people, while the expanding population of the Paris metropolitan area is well over 12 million. IMB Photo

The Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation and the Resistance is a memorial to the 200,000 people deported from France to Nazi concentration camps during World War II. It sits on the Seine river in downtown Paris behind Notre-Dame. Not all who were deported were Jews — some were French citizens who opposed Hitler. IMB Photo

The wall outside the Memorial de la Shoah in Paris. Engraved on the wall are the names of the 76,000 Jews, including 11,000 children, who were all deported from France as part of the Nazi plan to annihilate the Jews of Europe. France’s Vichy government collaborated with the Nazis. IMB Photo

The sun sets on people standing in front of the Arc de Triomphe in downtown Paris as they await a parade to pass by. IMB Photo

Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, the Sacred Heart of Paris, sits on top of Montmartre, a hill that overlooks Paris. IMB Photo

The sun sets on Montmartre, a hill in the north of Paris known for the white-domed Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, or the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, shops and nightclubs in the area. Many tourists come to the top to get a view of Paris. IMB Photo