The status might have changed, but the city remains beautiful, and is an amazing place to visit. It’s up there as one of my favourite places. The architecture, museums, galleries, food etc.
The only pre-WWI European capital that remained truly globally relevant is London.
Istanbul and St. Peterburg are also important megacities, though stripped of their capital status.
In 1914, most of the Top 10 cities were in Europe. Today, London and Paris are.
What in your mind are the top 10 intellectual cities of the current era?
Plenty of culture war topics that currently shape the Western civilization originate in Berkeley or Boston.