Best of Paris: Top 10 Attractions
To say that Paris is a city of art and culture, of high fashion and haute cuisine, is an understatement of the case. Because Paris is not only the main tourist destination in France, but one of the most popular destinations in the world. It is visited by more than 30 million people each year and is packed with visitor attractions, including several world-famous iconic landmarks, which, taken together, are enough to overwhelm even the seasoned tourist.
So, you might ask yourself, what should you see in Paris? Well, to do the city justice, you must, absolutely must, take the following into account.
1. Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is the main attraction in Paris. It is both a symbol of the city and one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Designed by Gustave Eiffel, it was built in 1889 for the Universal Exhibition held in Paris in 1900. The tower has 15,000 iron sections, held together with 2.5 million rivets, and rises 324 meters into the Paris sky. There are several elevators here, as well as a flight of stairs that goes to the second platform at 115 meters. There is a stairway entrance fee of €4.50 per person, and to ride the elevators it costs €8 to the second floor and €13 to the top platform, from where you can enjoy 360-degree views of Paris! ! There is a restaurant on the first floor, 58 Tour Eiffel, and another on the second floor, Jules Verne.
2. The Louvre Museum
The Louvre is easily the most famous art museum in the world. It has four spacious galleries that house hundreds of monumental works of art by the best artists in the world. The Richilieu wing has the Flemish, Dutch, German and other Northern European masters such as Vermeer, Rembrandt and Durer; Objets d’Art is packed with French sculpture from the Middle Ages, as well as Renaissance tapestries and ancient Mesopotamian art; the Sully Wing is dedicated to French masters of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries; and the Grande Galerie houses Italian paintings from the 13th to 17th centuries, including the famous ‘Mona Lisa’. The Louvre is not cheap at 9 euros each, but what would a visit to Paris be without a visit to the Louvre!
3. Champs Elysées
Champs Elysees is that wide avenue in the heart of Paris that all things great and illustrious (and even not so great and illustrious) must travel: the motorcade of the French president travels down the avenue; the Tour de France ends here; Bastille Day parades make a splash here. Surrounded by majestic trees, shops and restaurants, it stretches from Place de la Concorde to the ornate 18th-century Arc de Triomphe, tours of which are available for €7 each.
4. Our Lady
Notre Dame is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in Europe and a true tourist attraction. The three-storey cathedral, with its large medieval stained glass windows, dates from 1163 and offers a classic example of a Gothic cathedral façade. It has three portals: the Coronation Portal, where Mary is shown being crowned by an angel; the Portal of the Final Judgment, where Jesus is represented as judge of the world; and the Portal de Santa Ana that leads to the cathedral. The medieval influence here is enormous, from the pillars and vaults inside to the huge flying buttresses outside. The cathedral is located on the larger of the two Seine islands, Ile de la Cite, and is open daily. Oh, and this is a freebee.
5. Montmartre
Montmartre is that Parisian neighborhood that is inextricably linked to bohemian artists, particularly those of the late 19th century, such as Renoir, Monet, Gaugin, Degas and others, who lived and painted here at one time or another. Today, in Montmartre, you can grab a ‘hot chocolate’ at any of the several garden restaurants at ‘La Butte’, have your portrait taken at Place du Tertre and also visit the Sacre Coeur Basilica, a gleaming white Parisian landmark built between 1873 and 1914, incorporating a variety of architectural styles and periods, including Romanesque Revival, Byzantine, Moorish, and Renaissance, offering sweeping views of the city.
6. Place Vendome
Place Vendome, or the ‘Jewellers’ Square’, is virtually synonymous with luxury shopping in Paris. It’s home to the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, Boucheron, Armani and even Cartier, which is actually located on Rue de la Paix, just off the square. Window shopping is the order of the day, and the Cartier windows are the highlight of any visit here. The 100-year-old Ritz, perhaps the most famous hotel in Paris, is also located here. Also nearby is Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, which leads off Place Vendome and forms the heart of Paris’ legendary fashion district. Some of the world’s most famous fashion houses are located here, including Chanel, Cardin, Givenchy, Versace and Hermes.
7. Musée d’Orsay
Musee d’Orsay, located across the Seine from the Louvre, is the ‘Museum of the 19th century’. As an art museum, it is second only to the Louvre. It has more than 6,000 exhibits, covering the period between 1848 and 1914. The Impressionists, in particular, are well represented here, as are all other major art movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum, which opened to the public in 1986, is located in the former train station, Gare d’Orsay, located in the Saint-Germain des Pres neighborhood of Paris. Admission here is 7 euros.
8. The Marais district
The Marais is quintessential Paris, with colorful cafes spilling onto the sidewalks, surprising little boutiques, charming if pricey little hotels and bed and breakfast inns, art galleries running the gamut, bookshops in nooks and crannies. … It is a given place to wander, where you can enjoy lattes and croissants, rummage through quaint shops, and literally breathe Paris. The main attraction here is the Place de Vosges, which dates back to 1604 and was once considered the most beautiful square in Paris. The 19th-century house of author Victor Hugo is also located here, on the southeast corner of the square. The Place de Vosges is now lined with galleries, fashion stores, restaurants and art galleries, with live music in the air.
9. Latin Quarter
Quartier Latin, or the Latin Quarter, is ‘the scholars’ quarter’, home to the Sorbonne University, ‘the intellectual cradle of Paris’, founded in the 13th century. Also of interest in the neighborhood are the historic Place Maubert, which offers visitors a glimpse of original Paris, with its untidy jumble of crooked houses and dark courtyards; Tour d’Argent, a restaurant from the 16th century; Boulevard Saint-Michel, which has Roman ruins and a historic square; and Jardin des Plantes, a historic botanical garden that was originally laid out in the 17th century and where you can now stroll among ancient trees, including a cedar planted in 1734.
10.Versailles
Versailles, located just southwest of Paris, is the setting for Louis XIV’s elaborate 17th-century residence, the Chateau de Versailles. Highlights of any visit to the royal residence, best seen on a day trip from Paris, include the Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), a 70-meter-long hall with long rows of mirrors that reflect light from tall windows; and the labyrinthine park of Versailles which, bisected by the Grand Canal, is perhaps the most perfect example of a French garden. The Château de Versailles is open to the public for self-guided tours. Ticket price: 7.50 euros.