This week's episode marks the beginning of a series I'm really excited about: La Belle Époque, the Golden Age of Paris. In the years following the destruction of the city by city planners, invading armies and local uprisings, Paris became more wondrous than ever before. By the turn of the twentieth century, Paris was the cultural capital of the world, and the most famous icons of French culture were coming into being. This week, we'll start from the ground up, literally, as we explore Paris's great makeover at the hands of Baron Haussmann, transforming from a crumbling medieval city to a world-class metropolis.