Midsummer Fireworks in Paris

Paris celebrates midsummer with a bang on June 24th.

Every year, the city celebrates the shortest night of the year with a massive firework display, held right in the heart of the city.

Also designed to honour Saint John the Baptist, scores of rockets and pyrotechnics are launched of the upstream tip of the Ile Saint-Louis, while spectators watch from the Quai Saint-Bernard.

The display is free to watch and offers a fantastic opportunity to explore Paris like a Parisian, rather than sticking to the more touristy attractions.

Visitors to Paris this summer should also check out Paris Plage, an artificial beach created along the banks of the River Seine.

Every year hundreds of Parisians decamp to this man-made oasis, bringing a little of the beach bum ethos to this famously chic city.