Paris Points of Interest and Places to Visit

Built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 World Fair, held to commemorate the centennial of the Revolution, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) made headlines at the time as the world's tallest structure at 1,050 feet (320 meters). Initially opposed by Paris' artistic and literary elite, the tower was almost torn down in 1909, but its salvation came when it proved an ideal platform for the antennas needed for the new science of radiotelegraphy. Today, the highlight of a visit is the supreme view over Paris. When you're done peering upward through the girders from the ground, head up to the three levels open to the public, one of which features the famed 58 Tour Eiffel Restaurant. Just southeast of the Eiffel Tower is a grassy expanse that served as the site of the world's first balloon flights. Today, the area is frequented by skateboarding teens and activists stating their views on the current state of France.

The Louvre may be the world's greatest art museum. Don't be daunted by its size and overwhelming richness; if you have even the merest interest in the fruits of human civilization from antiquity to the 19th century, then visit you must. The former fortress began its career as a public museum in 1793 with 2,500 paintings; now some 30,000 are on display. The most famous works from antiquity include the Seated Scribe, the Jewels of Rameses II, and the armless duo - the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo. From the Renaissance, don't miss Michelangelo's Slaves, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa and works by Raphael, Botticelli, and Titian. French masterpieces of the 19th century include Ingres' La Grande Odalisque, Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa, and the work of David and Delacroix. The Grand Louvre project has rejuvenated the museum with many new and renovated galleries now open to the public. To avoid queues at the pyramid, buy your ticket in advance.

Paris lies 277 miles (445 km) from the river mouth and the slow-moving river is navigable up to 348 miles (560 km) inland from Le Havre, to Paris and beyond. This made it a lucrative trading route and Paris a prosperous city even back in the days of the Roman Empire. In Paris, many bridges cross the Seine, the oldest being the Pont Neuf dating from 1607 and the newest the Pont Charles de Gaulle completed in 1996. The river forks in central Paris creating two islands: the Ile de la Cité which is one of the most expensive districts to live, and the Ile Saint-Louis. Many of Paris's famous landmarks are beside the Seine: Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and the Musée d'Orsay.

Opened in 1889 by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler, the Moulin Rouge was created in a time when creativity was blooming, and people were filled with the joys of life. With a huge dance floor, mirrors, beautiful showgirls and an atmosphere of total euphoria, the Cabaret was a huge Success. Then Toulouse-Lautrec was a frequent visitor, today over 1000 people visit a night.

The Chateau de Versailles was the creation of Louis XIV. He took his father's hunting lodge and transformed it into the château, then moved the whole court and government of France from Paris to Versailles in 1682. The next two French kings added their own special touches but eventually it all became too much for the starving French people and in 1789 they revolted. After the French Revolution, Versailles was no longer the seat of power and after 1830 it became the Museum of the History of France. Any visit to Versailles must include seeing the Hall of Mirrors, the King's Grand Chambers, the Grand Trianon, the extensive formal gardens and Marie-Antoinette's famous estate.

If Paris has a heart, then this is it. The cathedral of Notre Dame (Cathédrale de Notre Dame de Paris) is not only a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, but has also been Catholic Paris' ceremonial focus for seven centuries. The cathedral's immense interior, a marvel of medieval engineering, holds over 6,000 people and has spectacular rose windows. Although Notre Dame is regarded as a sublime architectural achievement, there are all sorts of minor anomalies, the result of centuries of aesthetic intervention. These include a trio of main entrances that are each shaped differently, and are accompanied by statues that were once coloured to make them more effective as Bible lessons for the masses. The interior is dominated by a 7,800-pipe organ that was restored but has not worked properly since.

The Arc de Triomphe, standing proudly in the circular Place Charles-de-Gaulle at the top of the Champs Elysées, is a symbol of the French nation. It stands at the crossroads of the magnificent axial avenues defining Paris, and honors all those who fought for France, particularly in the Napoleonic Wars. Written on the arch are all the wars fought by France and the names of the French generals involved. It is also the location of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier commemorating those lost in World War I. The arch itself is huge: 160 feet (50m) tall, 148 feet (45m) wide, and 72 feet (22 m ) deep. It's so large that, after World War I ended, a joyous pilot flew his biplane through the Arc de Triomphe.

Montmartre is the hilly part of Paris. There are stairs galore and the crowning glory is, of course, the famous Sacré Coeur Cathedral perched at the top, looming over Paris. There is another church on the hill, the older Saint Pierre de Montmartre, which is the founding place of the Jesuits. The area is also famous for its nightlife and artists. The Moulin Rouge is here and Pigalle is known both for being the red-light district and for its rock music venues. Artists including Picasso, van Gogh, Monet, Modigliani, Renoir and Dali all lived and/or worked in the area. The Dali Espace museum is also worth a visit.

In 1785, Paris decided to solve the problem of its overflowing cemeteries by exhuming the bones of the buried and relocating them to the tunnels of several disused quarries, leading to the creation of the Catacombs, basically corridors stacked with bones. They are 65 ft (20 m) underground and contain the remains of six million Parisians. During WWII, the tunnels were used as a headquarters by the Resistance. The route through the Catacombs begins at a small, dark green Belle Époque-style building in the centre of a grassy area of av Colonel Henri Roi-Tanguy, the new name of place Denfert Rochereau. The exit is at the end of 83 steps on rue Remy Dumoncel, southwest where a guard will check your bag for 'borrowed' bones.

The museum displays France's national collection of paintings, sculptures, objets d'art produced between 1848 and 1914, including the fruits of the Impressionist, Post Impressionist, and Art Nouveau movements. The Museum fills the chronological gap between the Louvre and the Musée National d'Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou. Austerely housed along the Seine in a former railway station built in 1900, it was re-inaugurated in its present form in 1986. Upstairs the grand salon still dazzles and there is an elegant tearoom and restaurant with a good view over the river.

The Avenue des Champs-Elysées (the name refers to the 'Elysian Fields' where happy souls dwelt after death according to Greek myth) links place de la Concorde with the Arc de Triomphe. The avenue has symbolized the style and joie de vivre of Paris since the mid-19th century and remains a popular tourist destination. Basically a shopping strip, Avenue des Champs-Elysées is rue du Faubourg St-Honoré (8e), the western extension of rue St-Honoré. It has renowned couture houses, jewellers, antique shops and the 18th-century Palais de l'Elysée (corner rue du Faubourg St-Honoré & av de Marigny), which is the official residence of the French President. At the bottom of Avenue des Champs-Elysées is an 11.8 ft (3.6m) tall bronze statue depicting General Charles de Gaulle in full military gear ready to march down the broad avenue to the Arc de Triomphe in a liberated Paris on 26 August 1944.

Le Lido, the infamous cabaret and burlesque venue in Paris, is located on the Champs-Elysees. Night after night, beautiful women in sumptuous costumes sing and dance while surrounded by extraordinary scenery, magical lighting and captivating music. The current exotic show running at Le Lido is Bonheur, meaning "happiness".

An idyllic stretch of greenery encircling the iconic pinnacle of the Eiffel Tower, the Champs de Mars is one of the most popular of Paris' parks. Named after Rome’s Campus Martius, a tribute to the Roman God of War, Champs de Mars was originally designed as a military training area for the nearby Ecole Militaire (Military School), but became an important arena for national events when it opened to the public back in 1780. Many key moments throughout the French Revolution took place here - including the first Fête de la Fédération (Federation Day or Bastille Day) in 1790, the legendary Festival of the Supreme Being in 1794, and it was the site of the 1791 Champs de Mars massacre - a bloody demonstration against King Louis XVI.

The official French name of Charles de Gaulle Airport is Aéroport de Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle, but it is often referred to among the French as Roissy, after the town outside Paris where it is located. Regardless, with well over 60 million yearly passengers, it is the busiest airport not only in Paris but in all of France, and serves as a major connecting hub for international long-haul flights. Arriving or departing visitors will find the airport's Terminals 1 and 3 to be fairly straight-forward; Terminal 2, however, takes some patience and plenty of time to navigate. Terminal 2 is further subdivided into Terminals 2A through 2G, and as a special “treat,” Terminal 2E is subdivided yet again into Halls K, L and M. And it should also be noted that while 2G is convenient for intra-Schengen Area flights, its substantial distance from all other terminals and halls means that additional time should be budgeted to get there from any other terminal or from the check-in desk.

The most exquisite of Paris' Gothic gems with a delicate soaring spire, Sainte Chapelle is tucked away within the walls of the Palais de Justice. The chapel consists of two areas: the simple lower chapel, once used by the servants, and the magnificent upper chapel which is illuminated by a veritable curtain of luminous 13th-century stained glass (the oldest and finest in Paris). The huge windows depict the Book of Genesis and other Old Testament stories, the Passion of Christ, history of the relics, and the Book of Revelation. Consecrated in 1248, Sainte Chapelle was built to house what was believed to be Jesus' Crown of Thorns and other relics purchased by King Louis IX from the bankrupt empire of Byzantium. The chapel's exterior can be viewed from across the street, from the law courts' magnificently gilded 18th-century gate, which faces Rue de Lutèce. Regular evening concerts are held here.

Disneyland® Paris, commonly known as Euro Disney, is located just outside Paris. It has 2 theme parks, a restaurant and entertainment district, and seven hotels. It opened in 1992, only the second Disney outside the USA, but 15 million people a year visit so clearly it was a good decision. Unsurprisingly, at Disneyland® Paris you can meet your favourite Disney characters, take film-inspired rides, and eat in theme restaurants. There are also parades and shows. And when the kids have had their fun, the grown-ups can indulge themselves with the designer outlet shopping in nearby Marne la Vallée.

Giverny is a tiny village west of Paris which has been made famous by the painter Claude Monet calling it home. In 1883 Monet fell in love with the place through a train window. He found a house there, moved in with his lady-friend, his two sons, and her six children, and stayed until his death in 1926. Monet initially painted the countryside, but after 1890 when he bought the house he lived in and began transforming the gardens, he began his famous waterlily paintings. He had a water-garden constructed, even diverting the local river to achieve his vision. Not far from Monet's former residence is the Museum of Impressionisms (Musee des Impessionismes) dedicated to the different forms of impressionist painting. Built into the landscape, the museum mimics the natural beauty of the surrounding area.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart, or Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, perched at the very top of Butte de Montmartre (Montmartre Hill), was built from contributions pledged by Parisian Catholics as an act of contrition after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. Construction began in 1873, but the basilica was not consecrated until 1919. The basilica's domes are a well-loved part of the Parisian skyline. A 234-step climb up narrow spiral staircases takes you up to the dome, which affords one of Paris' most spectacular panoramas. It is, however, outside on the steps where the action takes place - lovers, buskers, locals and foreigners all converge to take in the vistas and each other.

It may not be the first iconic structure that comes to mind when you think of Paris, but to Parisians the Palais Garnier - Opera National is a beloved symbol of the importance placed on the arts in the City of Light. Completed in 1875 per architect Charles Garnier's specifications, it has been home to the Opéra de Paris and ballet performances since then – as well as the setting for the novel, film and musical, The Phantom of the Opera. Today, visitors climb up the Grand Staircase, see the Phantom's famous chandelier hanging from the Chagall-painted ceiling and learn the interesting history of one of Paris's major sites.

The Trocadéro area is made up of a large square and incorporates a number of museums. It is dominated by the Palais de Chaillot, a neo-Classical building dating from the 1937 Exposition Universelle, and designed in two wings with a gap between to frame views of the Eiffel Tower across the river. The palais incorporates the Theatre National de Chaillot and four museums although only two are open: the Musée de l'Homme and the Musee de la Marine. Nearby are other museums including the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques - Guimet which has an exquisite collections of arts from Asia, and the smaller Musée de Panthéon Bouddhique which includes the original 1800s collection collector Emile Guimet brought back from Asia. Nearby the Palais de Tokyo houses the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris with its collection of twentieth century art including Matisse and Delauney.

Located on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, Alain Ducasse’s 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant is famous for its panoramic views overlooking the Trocadero area of Paris. Serving traditional French brasserie food with windows spanning the entire restaurant, this dinner spot has one side that faces the city and another that looks out onto the intricate metal design of the Eiffel Tower. 58 Tour Eiffel is a trendy spot to eat during the day; lunch is a two- or three-course “picnic” meal, partly served in metal baskets. During the evening, the lights are dimmed, the dress code turns formal and classic French cuisine is served while the city lights up under the night sky. Eating at 58 Tour Eiffel scores you an included elevator ticket to the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, and since more than 6 million people visit the tower annually, priority access is handy.

The Quartier Latin (Latin Quarter) in Paris is commonly thought to be synonymous with the fifth arrondissement, but it actually stretches to the sixth as well. It's also known as the epicenter of Parisian academic life, as it is home to no less than six universities and technical schools. In fact, it's how the Latin Quarter got its name; back in the Middle Ages, area students commonly spoke Latin, - conversationally! The Roman ruins make the Latin Quarter, also known as Quartier Latin in French, one of the oldest parts of Paris, while the Sorbonne University gives it an intellectual and existential air. The district is tailor made for walking, its legendary cafes, historic jazz clubs, boulevards and narrow lanes capturing the essence of Paris. Today, the Latin Quarter welcomes students from all over the world, and the shops, restaurants and bars reflect this international vibe.

Ile de la Cité shares the Seine River with its upstream neighbor, Ile Saint-Louis, right in the middle of Paris's city center. The westernmost end of the island is mostly residential with a small park at the tip, while the eastern end gives visitors the best view of the flying buttresses of Notre-Dame Cathedral. The Palais de Justice is also housed on the island, which has the Sainte-Chapelle inside, a tiny jewel box of almost kaleidoscopic color thanks to its wonderful stained glass. Archaeologists found evidence of habitation on this island by the Romans, as early as the first century BC. But the early 17th century was when the island came into its own, after the construction of the Pont Neuf that spans the river and intersects with the western end.

You'll probably notice the Grand Palais before you go there; its spectacular glass roof can be seen from several points in the city, and at certain times of the day the sunlight makes it seem like a steam-punk spaceship has landed near the Seine. But if you don't go inside you would be missing out on a spectacular space. Like many structures in the area, it was inaugurated in 1900 and since then, has hosted a wide variety of events, exhibitions and collections. From equestrian shows to Chanel fashion shows, from military hospital to a point of the WWII liberation of Paris, Parisians have always known to check out what's happening at the Grand Palais. There are also permanent exhibits, such as the science museum, National Society of Fine Arts and the Galeries nationales du Grand Palais.