* The Square du Vert Galant, a park and stone outcropping at the western tip of the Île de la Cité, below the Pont Neuf, is a popular place for picnics and taking in the scenery. It’s named for a nickname of Henri IV, whose statue is in the centre of the bridge, just above. He inaugurated the Pont Neuf in 1604.

* When you’re on the Square du Vert Galant, take a look at the faces carved along the sides of the Pont Neuf. Each face is different, and legend has it that they were modeled after nobles of the time…most of whom wouldn’t have been very flattered by the likenesses.

* About a century ago, French writer Alfred Jarry, author of Ubu Roi, lived on Paris’ quais, under a bridge. For food, he often ate fish from the Seine! This would be impossible today; the Seine is too polluted, and, as then, it’s illegal to live under the bridges.

* The long, low boats docked alongside many of the quais are known as péniches. Many of them are homes. Some are concert venues or restaurants. Larger boats can be cabarets and nightclubs (the Batofar, for example)! One péniche near the Bibliothèque Nationale along the Quai Françoise Mauriac, even has a pirate theme and puts on shows for children.

* Some Parisian quais are strongly associated with the institutions that are found on them. For example, the Quai des Orfèvres is synonymous with Police Headquarters; the Quai de Conti is synonymous with the Académie Française.

* Located on the Right Bank between the Pont Neuf and the Pont au Change, the Quai de la Mégisserie is known today for its pet and plant shops.

* The 5 kilometers of quais from the Pont d’Austerlitz to the Pont des Invalides are reserved for pedestrians only.

* The quais are a popular site for lovers, and it’s not uncommon to find a couple happily kissing and gazing into each other’s eyes in the midst of pedestrians and picnicking crowds.

* In September 2002, the quais between the Pont de Sully and the Pont d’Iéna were declared a Unesco World Heritage site.