Visit Paris, France - tourist information
Everyone loves Paris, as much for its shady boulevards, street side cafes and general atmosphere as for the more famous sights such as the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame Cathedral.
Paris tourism - an introduction
So what are the most interesting places to visit in Paris? The 'famous' places listed below only start to scratch the surface of the real Paris. Shopping and restaurants, museums and public gardens, tree-lined boulevards and monuments, architecture and music, everywhere you go in Paris there is something new to discover. If you look at our Paris Map you can see that the majority of the important sites are quite close together, following the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower in the west of the city centre to Notre-Dame cathedral to the east.
You will discover many of the 'smaller' pleasures as you travel around Paris visiting the 'famous' sights. Some of the most popular landmarks, which will surely form part of your visit, include (classified by region of Paris):
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Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Islands of the Seine River
Perhaps the most famous cathedral in the world, the Notre-Dame is on the Ile de la Cité in the Seine River, and is one of the iconic examples of architecture in France. One of the first Gothic cathedrals ever built, construction of the cathedral took almost 200 years - almost as long as the entire gothic period. See Notre Dame cathedral
See also the church of Saint-Chapelle, the 13th century gothic chapel on the same island, and the medieval Conciergerie.
The Latin Quarter and the Pantheon
Originally commissioned as a church in 1744, under Louis XV, the Pantheon in Paris wasn’t actually finished until 1789 - by which time, churches were not popular anymore and instead this building became a temple honouring various historical French figures. See Pantheon.
Other highlights of the Latin Quarter of Paris include the Church of Saint-Severin, the Cluny Museum and the University of Paris - the Sorbonne.
Montparnasse and Saint-Germain
District including the Luxembourg Palace (Palais du Luxembourg - designed by Jacques Lemercier), the remains of the abbey at Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Montparnasse, and the Paris Observatory (architect Claude Perrault).
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The Louvre and the Royal Palace
The main highlight in this part of Paris is of course the Louvre, one of the most extensive art museums in the world and one of the great highlights of a visit to Paris. With hundreds of thousands of items, spanning the entire range of human history, it is also the most visited museum in the world. See the Louvre
Also nearby visit the Royal Palace (Palais-Royal).
Champs-Elysées and Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe is the world’s second largest triumphal arch, and was commissioned by Napoleon to commemorate his important victory at Austerlitz...see Arc de Triomphe.
This quarter of Paris has another great highlight well known to visitors, heading down from the Place de la Concorde - the tree-lined Champs-Elysées.
Le Chatelet and Les Halles
Highlights in this section of Paris are the extensive modern complex of the Pompidou Centre, and also the Hotel de Ville.
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Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower
You can hardly avoid the Eiffel Tower if you visit Paris! Built in 1889 and the most recognised landmark in the city, with magnificent views across Paris from the top of the tower. The story of the construction of the tower as a temporary monument is almost as well known...see Eiffel Tower
Nearby is Les Invalides, museum and the last resting place of Napoleon
Other Paris highlights
A few of the other highlights of your visit to Paris will include:
- the Eglise de la Madeleine and the Paris Opera
- the Saint-Denis Basilica, to the north of Paris
- the hilltop Montmartre district, and the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur
- Pere Lachaise cemetery, with the graves of many, many important people - from Honoré de Balzac to Oscar Wilde, and Edith Piaf to Jim Morrison.
- the Paris catacombs
- moving forward to 20th century Paris, there are some stunning modern buildings. Apart from the Louvre pyramid, a couple of the most notable highlights include La Défense and the Le Monde HQ, both designed by architect de Portzampark.
Gargoyles of Notre-Dame cathedral / street in Montmartre / river Seine at night
Eglise de la Madeleine / Paris Opera House / Basilica of the Sacre-Coeur
The River Seine itself is also a day’s adventure - the views of the monuments of Paris from the glass enclosed tourists’ boats (the popular bateaux mouche) are fantastic. And if you’re visiting Paris on a Sunday and the weather’s fine, join the natives and stroll down the Champs Elysees, starting from the Arc de Triomphe.
Public Transport in Paris
There are loads of places to visit in Paris...so how to see them all? Paris is one of the easiest cities in the world to get around. The Paris Metro is very efficient - the lines go everywhere and the trains are frequent if a little crowded at busy times. Buses too are good and it’s usually just as quick to take a bus as pay out for a taxi - you can see more from the extra height in the bus too. The main rail networks, RER (locally around the suburbs) and SNCF (longer distances) are efficient and reliable.
See details and practicalities of travelling (includes tickets options etc) at Paris Metro tickets
Note: don't miss the entrances to many of the metro stations, themselves often fine Parisian architectural highlights and among the most photographed of the Paris attractions.
Interesting articles about Paris tourism to guide you during a visit to the city
- Some of the best places to take time off from sightseeing in Paris
- Find some of the most romantic places to visit in Paris
- The best places to shop for fashion in Paris
- Visit two of the less known places to visit in Paris
- See Paris from on high - the best viewpoints in Paris
- A good way to see the highlights of Paris - open top bus tour of Paris
- see the sights from the river on the famous bateau mouche boats of Paris
- some famous Films set in Paris ...see Paris before you visit!
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General - places to visit in Paris region
The village of Provins and the classified most beautiful village of La Roche Guyon merit an excursion from Paris if time permits.
The photos on this page can be seen in large version at Photos of Paris, France
