Right next to it are the Foreign Ministry and the seat of the government. I sneaked a look inside the Foreign Ministry and had to giggle. Most of the old buildings are occupied by banks today. The banks at the Plaza de Metz are a good example. Banking in general seems to be the biggest business in the city.
Many people claim that it is the new Switzerland.
I don't know about that. But I do know why my interest rates are so low. All these banks are housed in palaces and other gorgeous real-estate. No wonder that there is little return on investment left for average folks like you and me. It is unusual to work in buildings like these.