Paris

We first meet Sandrine in the Louvre, the worlds most famous museum of art and the place where she studied the history of art. Before it was a museum, the Louvre was a splendid palace. That all changed with the French Revolution of 1789 and that is when Sandrine begins her story of Paris.

From the blood-soaked streets of revolution Paris rose up to become the worlds first truly modern city the place where the way we work, live and play in cities today was born during the 19th century.

Paris gave birth to the restaurant, which was literally a place to restore yourself and become healthy. Sandrine meets one of Frances most celebrated chefs, Guy Martin, and savours one of his gastronomic works of art in one of the citys top restaurants. The French language is blessed with an incredible array of words for places to eat out. Paris is famous for fine food, good wine and high-class shopping a tradition which dates back to the 19th century when the first arcades and department stores made their bow alongside the thriving street markets.

The city was transformed at the time by a man known as the demolition artist, Georges-Eugène Haussmann. Medieval slums were swept away to be replaced by the elegant tree-lined boulevards which are the citys hallmark. The wide pavements inspired that great Parisian pastime of promenading and posing. There were plenty of new public parks too. Sandrine takes us to a magical fairytale park which is one of Paris best kept secrets.

Next Sandrine visits two of the great achievements of the 1800s and the contrast between them could not be starker. She delves deep into the subterranean labyrinth of the city sewers, before emerging from a manhole outside the magnificent Opera Garnier, where she sees a rehearsal of the ballet La Dame aux Camélias. This tale of a tragic young courtesan opens the door to a world of sexual excess and glamour and Sandrine heads for a very special restaurant famed for its discreet boudoir lounges, where gentlemen would cavort with courtesans. The courtesans were immortalised in paintings and sculpture and in their own way helped establish Paris as the world capital of art. It was the age of the Impressionists, the sculptor Auguste Rodin and the pioneers of photography, like Nadar and Charles Marville. Sandrine meets one of Frances great photographers, Willy Ronis, and gets some tips on how to take the perfect picture.

Sandrine reveals why two of Paris most photographed landmarks, the Basilica of Sacré Coeur and the Eiffel Tower, were hated when they were first built, but went on to become the great icons of the most beautiful city in the world.

In this episode we explore the history of Paris, from its origins as a small island in the River Seine to its emergence as a centre of cultural richness. Behind elegant squares and romantic bridges lurk rough back streets and a heritage of bloody revolution. Art historian Sandrine Voillet meets the current trend-setters including fashion designer Christian Lacroix, leading porn star Ovidie, and rebel rap band Sniper.

Sandrine Voillet tells how the city embraced technology (the Lumiere Bros, Louis Renault and the Metro), counter-culture (Picasso, Josephine Baker and Serge Gainsbourg) and immigration to preserve its reputation as lighthouse city to the world. But it was not plain sailing: resistance to modernisation, the Occupation and rioting in the Banlieue tell a darker story and reveal problems unresolved to this day. Along the way, Sandrine meets Picasso's grandson and Jane Birkin.