Paris, the 25 Things Not to Miss

25 best tourist attractions in Paris

Paris today is one of the world's leading centres for business, fashion, entertainment, art and culture. The mere mention of Paris conjures up images of the city's famous monuments, museums and cathedrals.

Here we give you an overview of the main tourist attractions of Paris:

25Place des Vosges

The Place des Vosges, previously called Place Royale, was the prototype for all residential squares in Europe. All the houses were built to the same design: red brick with steep blue slate roofs. Not only is it shaped like a real square, it is the first city square designed by a monarch (Henry IV at the beginning of the 17th century). Third, it transformed the Marais into a fashionable place for the French nobility in the decades before the French Revolution.

24Moulin Rouge

The year 1889 is known as the year when France's most famous symbol, the Eiffel Tower, was built. It is also the year when the Moulin Rouge opened its doors as an entertainment venue. When it opened, it was suited to the rich who wanted to "slum it". Courtesans worked there and were responsible for the invention of the can-can, a dance considered racy for the time. The Moulin Rouge is still considered Paris's leading entertainment venue and has been the subject of numerous films.

23Conciergerie

The Conciergerie was built in the 10th century to be the main palace for the French kings, who enlarged it over the centuries. Its Great Hall was one of the largest in Europe; another hall was where 2,000 palace workers ate. Some buildings were converted into a prison in the 14th century. The palace later became a revolutionary court and prison during the Reign of Terror, with famous prisoners including Marie Antoinette and Madame du Barry. Today the Conciergerie is a popular Paris tourist attraction, but it also serves as a courthouse.

22Pantheon

The Pantheon is where famous French citizens are buried. Modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, it was originally a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, and her relics. The church was rebuilt in neoclassical style by King Louis XV to thank God for his recovery from a serious illness. It was turned into a mausoleum during the French Revolution to honour the revolutionary martyrs. Famous figures buried here include Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Marie Curie.

21Père Lachaise Cemetery

The most visited cemetery in the world, Père Lachaise became a municipal cemetery in 1804 under Napoleon. It is the final resting place of many famous people, including Jim Morrison of the Doors, the author Oscar Wilde and the singer Edith Piaf. The cemetery contains many sculptures, as each family of the deceased tried to outdo the monuments placed by the other wealthy families. The result is many spectacular works of art that are just as interesting as the various graves of famous figures.

20Disneyland Paris

When European citizens can't go to Los Angeles to see the original Disneyland, they head to Disneyland Paris, Europe's most visited theme park. Just like its namesake, Disneyland Paris is more than just a theme park with spectacular attractions. It is a resort with hotels, shops and golf among its various activities. In 1992, it became the second Disney park to open outside the United States. It is located about 30 km from the centre of Paris.

19Musée de l'Orangerie

Travellers who appreciate Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art must visit the Musée de l'Orangerie. The museum, located in a corner of the Tuileries Garden, houses eight of Claude Monet's Water Lily murals; these murals are considered the centrepiece of the museum. It also contains works by other Impressionist artists, including Picasso, Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse and Modigliani. The orangerie was originally built in 1852 to protect the orange trees of the Tuileries Palace.

18Palais Garnier

The architect Charles Garnier spared no detail when he designed the Palais Garnier in the 19th century. Perhaps this is why the building was the most expensive of its era. With about 2,000 seats, the Palais Garnier is home to the Paris National Opera. It is the main character of the novel and subsequent films, Phantom of the Opera. The Palais Garnier is still in use today, although mainly for ballet, and also houses the opera library museum.

17Les Invalides

Les Invalides is a complex of buildings that honours the French army. It was built in 1670 as a hospital and retirement home for veterans. It still serves that function today and many others besides. Les Invalides is home to military museums and a church that is the burial place of its war heroes, including Napoleon Bonaparte. Les Invalides is the place where the rioters obtained the cannons and muskets used later that day to storm the Bastille, setting off the French Revolution.

16Seine Cruise

The Seine runs nearly 800 km through France to the English Channel. Sailing on the river as it crosses Paris is one of the most romantic things visitors can do. Seine cruises pass under numerous bridges in Paris, visiting places such as the Louvre, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower. A Seine cruise lasts about an hour, but what a magical hour it is! A Seine cruise is also a good way to experience Paris at night.

15Musée Rodin

Travellers who have seen copies of the famous sculpture The Thinker can visit the real thing when they are in Paris. The statue was sculpted by Auguste Rodin, a famous French artist of the early 20th century. The Thinker and 60,000 other sculptures can be found at the Musée Rodin, founded in 1919 in his former studio, the Hôtel Biron in the centre of Paris. Many of his famous sculptures are found in the gardens surrounding the museum.

14Les Catacombes

In contrast to the city of light, Les Catacombes represents the dark side of Paris. Just under a mile along the streets of Paris, this tourist attraction has a macabre aspect: the remains of millions of Parisians who were moved there when old cemeteries began to close years ago. The bones are arranged artistically; poems and other passages can be found throughout. Some bodies, such as those killed during the French Revolution, arrived here directly, bypassing the cemeteries.

13Champs-Élysées

The tree-lined Avenue des Champs-Élysées is the most famous street in Paris and has even been described as the most beautiful street in the world. Just over a mile long, the avenue connects the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde. Life in Paris centres on the Champs-Élysées. It is an avenue lined with restaurants, luxury boutiques, museums and nightclubs. It hosts the Bastille Day military parade and the finish of the Tour de France.

12Pont Alexandre III

In a city where romance reigns, what could be more romantic than the Pont Alexandre III, a bridge considered the most extravagant and decorated in Paris. Named in honour of the Russian tsar, this single-arch steel bridge crosses the Seine, linking the Champs-Élysées, Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower areas. Seeing the bridge is almost like going to an art gallery, since numerous French sculptors created the statues, including winged horses, nymphs and cherubs that adorn the top.

11Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles began life as a royal hunting lodge, but later became a palace housing the king's court. The mammoth structure is ornate, opulent and beyond its wealth. It is one of the most visited monuments in Paris, with visitors coming to see its magnificent gardens and the Hall of Mirrors with its 357 mirrors decorating 17 arches. The Palace of Versailles ceased to be a royal residence during the French Revolution and today houses a museum of French history.

10Place de la Concorde

At the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées is the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris with fantastic views in every direction. It was in this square that the French king Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and many others were guillotined during the French Revolution. The great 3,200-year-old Egyptian obelisk in the centre of the Place de la Concorde was brought from the Temple of Luxor in the 19th century.

9Sainte-Chapelle

Begun some time after 1239, the Sainte-Chapelle is considered among the highest achievements of Gothic architecture. Its construction was commissioned by King Louis IX of France to house his collection of relics of the Passion, including Christ's crown of thorns, one of the most important relics of medieval Christendom. Although damaged during the French Revolution and restored in the 19th century, it retains one of the largest in-situ collections of 13th-century stained glass in the world.

8Centre Pompidou

Designed in the high-tech architecture style, the Centre Pompidou is a cultural institution in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement. It houses a vast public library, the Musée National d'Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe, a bookshop, a cinema and a panoramic terrace. The library occupies the first three floors of the building, while the museum's permanent collection is on floors 4 and 5. The first and top floors are used for large-scale exhibitions. The Centre is named after Georges Pompidou, the President of France from 1969 to 1974 who commissioned the building.

7Musée d'Orsay

A must for art lovers, the Musée d'Orsay is known for housing the world's foremost collection of Impressionist paintings. Located in a former railway station, this large museum features thousands of works of art and objects covering a period between the mid-1800s and the early 1900s. Visitors can walk through several rooms to admire incredible works of art by many famous artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, Cézanne, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir and Jean-François Millet.

6Luxembourg Gardens

Known as the Jardin du Luxembourg, this public park is the second largest in Paris. Here visitors can have a picnic or stroll peacefully among beautiful lawns, formal gardens and orchards with many artistic statues and fountains. For fun and sport, there are jogging paths, tennis courts and fitness equipment. Children can play in the huge playground, ride ponies, watch a puppet show and sail model boats on a pond.

5Sacré-Cœur

One of the most remarkable monuments in Paris is the striking white-domed basilica of the Sacred Heart. Situated at the highest point of the city, on the hill of Montmartre, this splendid basilica attracts numerous tourists every year to admire its marble architecture and splendid interiors. A tour rewards visitors with views of golden mosaics, colourful stained glass and one of the largest clocks in the world.

4Notre-Dame de Paris

No trip to Paris could be complete without a visit to the famous Notre-Dame Cathedral. Standing over 120 metres high with two tall towers and a spire, this wonderful church is considered a supreme example of French Gothic architecture. A tour of this 13th-century masterpiece allows visitors to admire the majestic rose windows, Gothic carvings, beautiful sculptures and a collection of relics.

3Arc de Triomphe

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe was built in 1806 to commemorate the triumphant battles of Napoleon Bonaparte. Standing 50 metres high and 45 metres wide, the arch features intricate reliefs depicting victorious battles and engraved names of many who died fighting for the emperor. Beneath the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the First World War.

2Louvre

At the top of the list of the world's most visited museums, the Louvre Museum is located in the Louvre Palace with its glass pyramid marking its entrance. With a collection of over 1 million objects, the Louvre boasts some of the world's most famous works of art, such as Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa", Michelangelo's "Dying Slave" and the Greek statue "Venus de Milo". Other popular exhibits include the extravagant apartments of Napoleon III, the ancient Code of Hammurabi, Egyptian antiquities and paintings by masters such as Rembrandt and Rubens.

1Eiffel Tower

Visiting Paris's iconic symbol is usually the number one thing to do for most tourists. Standing over 300 metres high in the Champ de Mars park, this iron structure was built for the 1889 Universal Exposition. One of the most photographed tourist attractions in the world, the Eiffel Tower offers an excellent photography opportunity both by day and by night. Visitors can take the lift to see incredible views of the city or dine in one of the two refined restaurants located inside the tower.