Grandeur and gourmandise meet at the place de la Madeleine. Dwarfed somewhat by the Église de la Madeleine, this busy square is populated by upmarket traiteurs such as Fauchon and Hédiard, and its splendid art nouveau public toilets merit spending a penny.

The colonnaded church looks strikingly like a temple and, in fact, it very nearly was; Napoleon planned to dedicate it to his glory of the Grande Armée. Inside, a stupendous organ makes this a popular place for concert-goers. Outside, the steps yield a grand view across Concorde to the Assemblée Nationale and les Invalides beyond.

There are Revolutionary echoes in nearby rue Pasquier, where you can visit the 19th century Chapelle Expiatoire. Dedicated to Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, whose remains lay here for decades, it’s a tranquil, leafy spot.

Between Madeleine and Concorde, you’ll meet rues St-Honoré and Faubourg St-Honoré, arguably the city’s most glamorous streets. La Croix, Versace and Galliano are they’re all here, along with hip concept store, Colette. Don’t lose your head, though, without visiting the place Vendôme. Flanked by jewellers and the Ritz, this regal square was built by Hardouin-Mansart, the architect of Versailles. In the centre, a towering column commemorates Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz. More than a thousand enemy cannons were melted down for the purpose (though the present column is a replacement, after the original fell during the 1871 Revolution).