Amazing, incredible, ancient, cultural and fashionable are just a few words to describe the city of Paris. There is a never ending list of places to see, things to do, experiences to try and people to meet in the City of Light. I love spending time in Paris and regularly visit to shop, visit art galleries and gardens, try out new cafes and restaurants and often just wander the streets admiring the architecture and ambience of my favourite city in the world.
29 Iconic Places to See in Paris
Everyone's adventures in Paris are different and we all have our own 'must-see' list, but with a city that has so much to offer where do you start? I've created a list of 29 iconic places to see in Paris that include some big ones, and others that might not first be on your radar, but what make Paris so special. All together they are why we are drawn to Paris to visit, live, work and love. Check out these 29 iconic places to see in Paris.
Musée du Louvre
We have to start with this one. The Louvre is the largest monument in Paris and the most visited museum in the world. There are 35,000 works of art hanging in the huge museum and they fill approximately 16 kilometres of galleries and halls. The Louvre was first a fortress in the 12th century, then a royal residence and then the palace was transformed into a museum in 1793.
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Some of the most famous works of art displayed at the Louvre are the Mona Lisa, the Venus of Milo, the Victory of Samothrace, the Wedding at Cana, and the Coronation of Napoleon. It's been calculated that if you only stay three seconds in front of each work, it will take you almost three months, to discover the entire museum.
Pont Royal
Among the thirty-seven bridges in Paris, one of the oldest is the Pont Royal. The bridge was called 'royal' because it was offered to the City of Paris and Parisians by the Sun King, Louis XIV.
The king wanted to be forgiven for the expensive price of the construction of the Château de Versailles, so he gave the city a very useful bridge.
Musée d’Orsay
On the facade of the old Orsay station, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, you'll see the letters 'P' and 'O' in a few spots which are because the Paris-Orléans railway company sponsored the construction of the station in 1900. The station was transformed into a museum in the 1980s to house 19th century art.
The museum displays works by the Impressionists Renoir, Gauguin, Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, and many others. At its top, you can see three statues which represent the three major cities of Western France, that is, Nantes, Toulouse and Bordeaux.
Pont de la Concorde
Pont de la Concorde is a symbolic bridge since it was built with stones from the Bastille prison, when it was demolished during the French Revolution in 1789.
It leads on the left to the Palais Bourbon which houses the headquarters of the National Assembly and on the right to the Place de la Concorde.
Pont Alexandre III
Pont Alexandre III is really the most beautiful bridge in Paris because it is so ornate with a golden coat of arms, nymphs, ornate lamps and sculptures.
The bridge is a photographers' delight with carved stone, lots of gilding and the picturesque Seine flowing underneath. The pont has been classified as a French historical monument since 1975.
Hôtel des Invalides
Hôtel des Invalides with its golden dome is the extraordinary resting place of Napoleon I. The Hôtel des Invalides, commonly called Les Invalides, is a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement. The complex includes museums and monuments, all relating to the military history of France, as well as a hospital and an Old Soldiers' retirement home, which is the building's original purpose.
The military museum has one of the largest displays of armour and weapons in Europe.
Pont des Invalides
This stunning bridge celebrates the land and maritime victories of Napoleon III. The boat represents maritime victories and the cannon represents land victories.
Voies sur Berges & Jardins Flottants
Built in the 1970s for traffic, the voies sur Berges were returned to pedestrians in the 2010s. On the left bank, this riverbank road is closed to car traffic for the 2.3 km between the Musée d'Orsay and the Pont de l'Alma. Hire a bike and take a ride or walk and watch the Seine waters float by as you gently meander along the voies sur Berges.
The Jardins Flottants are small parks on a series of five permanently moored barges with benches, wildflowers and bushes. The city often puts on activities for the whole family to enjoy on the floating gardens.
Zouave Statue on Pont de l’Alma
Rebuilt in the 1970s, the Pont de l'Alma still retains the famous Zouave statue on its right. The Zouave is a 5.2 metre-high stone statue created in 1856 by French artist Georges Diebolt. The statue is inspired by the French soldiers of the Crimean War. Zouave has been situated on the bridge since it was built, although he was moved in 1974 when the bridge underwent some modifications.
The statue is used as an informal flood marker for the level of the River Seine and Parisian consider the Seine to be in flood as soon as the Zouvave has "his feet in the water". You can see the statue from the quays either side, so you don't have to go on a boat trip to spot Zouave.
In 1910 during the great floods, the statue was covered in water up to his neck and in June 2016, the water reached his waist.
Tour Eiffel
The Eiffel Tower is the star of Paris. It was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 and was to be a temporary structure. A true feat of engineer Gustave Eiffel, it measures more than 324 meters high and weighs nearly 10,000 tons. It was for a long time the tallest monument in the world. Nothing is more iconic than the Eiffel Tower.
Palais de Tokyo
It was built for the 1937 Universal Exhibition. It houses the Museum of Modern Art with large exhibition halls and one of the city's most fashionable clubs.
Flamme dorée ou Flamme de la Liberté
The Flamme de la Liberté is an exact reproduction of the flame of the Statue of Liberty in New York. It was offered by the United States to France as a symbol of friendship between the two countries. But since the death of Princess Diana in the Alma tunnel, it is today considered by most people as a memorial dedicated to the princess.
Église Américaine
The Église Américaine (American Church in Paris) is the first American church established outside of the United States. Begun in 1814, its official charter and first sanctuary were established in 1857. The Church has been located at 65 Quai d’Orsay since 1931. It has always offered services in English and a few of its guest preachers have included Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Reverend Jesse Jackson.
There are two Tiffany windows (the same maker that created the luxury jewellery empire) on the lower level which were brought from the first church to the present one. They were donated in 1901 and are on the list of both French and American national historic treasures.
Grand Palais
The Grand Palais, or known by its full name, the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, is a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex. It's located in the 8th arrondissement between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine and was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. "Dedicated "by the French Republic to the glory of French art" it was designated as a historic monument in 2000". - GrandPalais.fr
Its massive glass roof weighs almost as much as the Eiffel Tower. The Exhibition glass roof weighs 8,500 tonnes and the Eiffel Tower weighs 10,000 tonnes.
Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde is the largest square in Paris, measuring more than eight hectares, or almost 12 football fields. It has the Luxor Obelisk in its centre. The Luxor Obelisk is the oldest monument in Paris as it's more than 33 centuries old. It is a gift from Egypt to France and on its four sides tells the story of Pharaoh Ramses II (also called Ramses the Great).
During the French Revolution the guillotine was installed at the Place and cut off precisely 1119 heads, including those of King Louis XVI, his wife Marie-Antoinette, and revolutionaries such as Danton and Robespierre.
Palais de la Légion d’Honneur
Recognisable by its green dome, the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur houses the Museum of the Legion of Honour. This Legion is the highest French distinction created by Napoleon I. The White House in Washington DC is seven times larger than this Palace and was built on the same model.
The museum was opened in 1925 and is a world reference in decorations. It holds nearly 5,000 art objects and insignias that trace the evolution of French and foreign distinctions from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. The museum displays how the concept of orders have evolved, the values they embody and the merits of the men and women who formed them.
Quai Voltaire
On the Quai Voltaire, you can see the smallest house in Paris, or at least the narrowest. The house is located between a red house and a yellow house. The quai is about 308 meters long and extends between Quai Malaquais and Quai Anatole-France.
Pont des Arts & Institut de France
The Pont des Arts or Gateway of the Arts is the first iron bridge built in France. It leads on the right to the Institut de France, made up of five academies, the most famous of which is the Académie Française. Its 40 members called the “immortals” have the role of renewing the French dictionary each year.
Île de la Cité
Île de la Cité is sometimes called the cradle of Paris because it's here that the first inhabitants, called the Parisii, settled three centuries before Christ. They were a community of Celtic tribal fishermen who made a permanent settlement on the island. They profited from the area's fertility and temperate climate.
The island is home to some of the most iconic sites in Paris including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Saint-Chapelle, Conciergerie, Marché aux fleurs Reine-Elizabeth-II, Place Dauphine and the Pont Neuf bridge.
Pont Saint-Michel
Pont Saint-Michel was built under Napoleon III, which explains the two imperial “N”s on the pillars. The bridge leads off to the right to the Latin Quarter which takes its name from the Middle Ages, because Latin was taught at the famous Sorbonne University.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame
Cathédrale Notre-Dame is the Gothic jewel of Paris. Its construction lasted almost 200 years between the 12th and 14th centuries. Notre-Dame is famous for its statues, its gargoyles, its stained glass windows, but especially the rose window which is thirteen meters in diameter. It's made of an amazing 32,000 pieces of glass! Facing south, it brings all the light to the cathedral.
Statue de Sainte-Geneviève
The patron saint of Paris is located at the exit of the bridge on the right. She holds in her arms a child who represents the people of Paris.
Institut du Monde Arabe
The Institut du Monde Arabe is located to the right of the Sully bridge and was inaugurated in 1987. It houses a museum, exhibition rooms and a library. For magnificent views of the city, take the lift to the roof and walk around the large flat rooftop - just perfect for photography of the city and Seine.
Île Saint-Louis
Île Saint-Louis is the most elegant and quiet district of Paris, but also the most expensive. There is very little traffic on this island and no metro passes there. As you stroll there, you can discover very beautiful private mansions dating from the 17th century.
Pont Marie
Pont Marie is the most romantic bridge in Paris. The story goes that if you pass under this bridge for the very first time, you must make a wish and for it to come true, once under the bridge, you will have to close your eyes and kiss your neighbour. The Pont Marie crosses the Seine and it links the Île Saint-Louis to the quai de l'Hôtel de Ville and is one of three bridges designed to allow traffic flow between the island and the Left and Right banks of Paris.
Hôtel de Ville
Formerly Place de Grève, where public executions took place, Place de l'Hôtel de Ville now hosts concerts, festivals and even an ice rink in winter. I love this large open space that is often filled with street performers, mini exhibitions and has the best Christmas decorations and lights.
Hôtel-Dieu
It was the first public hospital built in Paris in the 7th century and is still in operation.
Conciergerie
First a royal palace and seat of power of the kings of France in the Middle Ages, the Conciergerie was transformed into a prison in the 14th century. Located in the heart of the city on the banks of the Seine, it's listed as a
World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Transformed into a prison of the Parliament of Paris towards the end of the 14th century, the Conciergerie remained a major place of detention during the French Revolution with the installation of the Revolutionary Tribunal. It is here that Queen Marie-Antoinette
spent the last two months of her life before being guillotined on the Place de la Concorde. A memorial chapel was built during the Restoration period on the site.
Pont Neuf
All along the bridge, you can observe faces, the mascarons. They represent, it is said, the friends and ministers of King Henry IV who did not believe in the solidity of the bridge. Henry IV therefore decided to represent them with these funny grimacing faces to make fun of them.
The bridge was called the New Bridge as it was the first bridge in Paris to be built without houses covering it, and it had sidewalks for pedestrians. The sidewalks protected the pedestrians from mud and horses.
How many of these fabulous and iconic sites in Paris have you seen? Maybe you've found some new ones in my list that you'll want to visit for yourself. There are many more famous sites in Paris to share with you so watch out for our Iconic Places to See in Paris #2.
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