Paris, the capital of France, is a major European city and a world center for art, fashion, gastronomy and culture. The 19th-century cityscape is crisscrossed by wide boulevards and the River Seine. Aside from such landmarks as the Eiffel Tower and the 12th-century, Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral, the city is known for its café culture and designer shops along the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.