First of all, sorry for the cheesy title. As I literature and art geek I obviously loved Woody Allen’s movie and I honestly wish I could time-travel to Paris of the fabulous 1920ies. But the movie aside, these photos were literally taken at midnight in Paris.

My whole day in Paris was already perfect: I strolled along Canal Saint-Martin at noon and spent the afternoon in the shade underneath the Eiffel Tower picnicking with friends for no less than five hours. After watching the sunset at Champs de Mars, my friend Edna and I strolled along the lively streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, indulging in late-night gelato and watching people in the numerous outdoor cafés enjoy the warm June night.

Around eleven thirty we ended up at  Île de la Cité and saw the glowing Eiffel Tower against the clear dark sky in the distance. We opened a bottle of sweet French cider as we started walking towards Paris’ most gorgeous nighttime landmark, almost like magically drawn towards it.

We passed by hundreds of people sitting on the banks on the Seine, lying on blankets, drinking wine, and being serenaded by street musicians. It’s hard not to fall in love with Paris (over and over again) during daytime, but at night — especially a summery June night on the weekend — Paris is just out of this world!

I know it sounds so much like a cliché, but in my humble opinion, there’s no place with truer clichés than Paris: From chic, skinny women, to old men carrying their baguettes underneath their arms, to all the other details about this wonderful city that will just take your breath away. And I promise, the movies do not exaggerate when depicting Paris at night as this magically glimmering, music-filled, surreal place.

At midnight, Edna and I arrived at the famous Pont des Arts, the famous so-called love-bridge. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower started to sparkle. It was one of those pinch-me-moments — those moments which are so utterly perfect that they almost can’t be true. The smell of a warm summer night, the sound of guitar players on the banks of the Seine, contently smiling people all around me, and the glowing French capital that I just can’t get enough of.

After watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle at midnight, we walked on, passed the Louvre, the arcades of Rue de Rivoli, and the Place de la Concorde — all those famous places, which are even more beautiful at night. I was so enchanted that when I walked through the long hallways of Concorde metro station and heard the music of the most talented violin player, I couldn’t help being moved to tears. Where else in the world in the world can you hear concert hall violin music in a dirty metro hallway at 1 am?

Yes, midnight in Paris is pure magic. In every possible way.

Have you experienced midnight in Paris?