Paris remains the world's leading tourist destination. The city deserves all the praise it deserves. It is considered the capital of love and romance, but also of fashion and luxury, arts and culture, modernity and gastronomy.
The capital is home to many historical monuments, some of which are among the most recognized in the world. These include the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Grand Palais. The city is also known for its private mansions, many of which are now places of culture (Maison de Balzac, Maison de Victor Hugo, Museum of Romantic Life, Palais de la découverte...).
The various squares are also part of the jewels of the urban landscape and are a must when you are looking to visit Paris. Some esplanades are among the most emblematic in the world, such as Place de l'Etoile, Place de la République and Place du Trocadero. Paris, a city of prestige, also has avenues whose reputation extends beyond the French borders, such as the Champs-Elysées, considered to be "the most beautiful avenue in the world", or the Avenue Montaigne.
The Parisian getaway is also a great opportunity for you to discover or get to know some of the capital's famous districts, such as the Latin Quarter, Montmartre or the Marais. You can also take the opportunity to enjoy gardens such as those of the Tuileries or the Palais du Luxembourg. Museums are of course also part of the must-see places to visit as well as shops, restaurants, cafés or brasseries...
Visiting several places of interest in Paris in one weekend is feasible
The preparation of the route is in fact greatly facilitated by the fact that most of the most emblematic sites are grouped together in fairly small areas. For example, the following monuments are close to each other: the Louvre, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Saint-Jacques tower and Notre-Dame. The same applies to the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero Gardens, the Champ-de-Mars, the Invalides and the Quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Museum.
However, we do not recommend that you try to see everything. As far as museums are concerned, for example, you can save time by finding out in advance about current exhibitions, rooms or galleries that most arouse your curiosity.
Moreover, the rental of bikes in the summer will facilitate your movements from one site to another. You can also save time and soak up the atmosphere of the capital during a tour by tourist bus.
32 unmissable places for a weekend in Paris
Museums, monuments, avenues, squares, fountains... Paris is a city that has everything to please. Some sites have more than one facet, such as the Louvre, which impresses as much by its architecture as a royal palace as by its collections of works of art.
1. The Louvre Museum
The most visited museum retraces several pages of the History of France. Eight centuries old, the former royal palace has several collections (antiquities, Islamic arts, furniture, sculpture ...) dating from several eras (Renaissance, neoclassicism, mannerism ...). In all, the museum holds some 35,000 works, including the Wedding at Cana, the Mona Lisa, Saint Michael slaying the dragon or the Portrait of Francis I.
Address: Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1er.
2. The Pompidou Centre
The Centre Pompidou is home to the Musée national d'Art moderne, which houses important collections of art from the 20th and 21th centuries. We discover several works by artists of the modern period, such as Matisse or Picasso, and of the contemporary period, such as Andy Warhol or Anish Kappor.
Address: Rue Beaubourg, Saint-Merri side, Paris 4.
3. The Musée d'Orsay
Lovers of impressionist art will discover here several collections representing all forms of expression, from painting to architecture, sculpture, decorative arts or photography. There are works from many different periods, from Neoclassicism to Realism, Impressionism, Romanticism and Symbolism.
Address: 1 rue de la Légion d'Honneur, Paris 7.
4. The Pantheon
The Sun King had the Pantheon built to properly glorify the monarchy in the person of Saint Genevieve, then patron saint of Paris. The revolutionary authorities will give it a patriotic dimension and make it the temple of "great men". The Pantheon welcomes several important figures of the Nation, including Victor Hugo, Emile Zola, Pierre and Marie Curie and Simone Veil.
Address: Place du Panthéon, Paris 5.
5. The Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle, with its 1,113 stained glass windows, is one of the most beautiful achievements of the Radiant Gothic. King Saint Louis had it built in the heart of his Parisian residence, the Palais de la Cité, to house Christ's Crown of Thorns.
Address: 8 boulevard du Palais, Paris 1er.
6. The Conciergerie
In this medieval royal palace we discover several gothic rooms. Among them are the Guard Room and the grandiose Hall of the People-at-Arms, built under Philip the Fair, but also the kitchens built under John the Good.
Address: 2 boulevard du Palais, Paris 1st.
7. Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral
The most emblematic church in France is closed to the public during its reconstruction. However, you can admire its architecture, which combines primitive gothic and radiant gothic, but also its sculptures, its gargoyles, its sculpted portals ...
Address: 6 parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, Paris 4.
8. The Eiffel Tower
Built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the Iron Lady attracts millions of visitors every year, most of them foreigners. One falls under the spell of its gardens; but above all, one enjoys the panoramic view of Paris from the top of the tower.
Address: 5 avenue Anatole France - Champ de Mars, Paris 7.
9. The Arc de Triomphe
In 1806, Napoleon I built this monument inspired by the ancient arches. In honour of the Grande Armée, it bears the names of the battles and generals of the Revolution and the First Empire. Today, its terrace offers an exceptional panorama of the Champs-Elysées, day and night.
Address: Place Charles-de-Gaulle, Paris 8.
10. The Galeries nationales du Grand Palais
Recognisable by its sublime metal-framed glass roof, the Grand Palais also offers a breathtaking view of "the most beautiful avenue in the world". Every year the stone giant organises four temporary exhibitions, in addition to some forty or so other events.
Address: 3 avenue du Général Eisenhower, Paris 8.
11. The Quai Branly Museum - Jacques Chirac
The Quai Branly Museum, located on the banks of the Seine, a stone's throw from the Iron Lady, offers a rich collection of 3,500 works of non-Western art. The establishment is also appreciated for the originality of its architecture and the peaceful setting of its garden.
Address: 37 quai Branly, Paris 7.
12. The Paris National Opera - Palais Garnier
We owe this masterpiece of theatrical architecture of the 19th centuryth century to Charles Garnier. Built under Napoleon III, the palace welcomes visitors during the day and offers choreographic and lyrical performances.
Address: Place de l'Opéra, Paris 9.
13. The Garden of Plants - National Museum of Natural History
This science garden is one of the most beautiful green settings in the capital. Appreciated for its planted areas, alleys and statues, it offers a setting conducive to walking. People also come here to learn about botany and discover remarkable trees, including the 300-year-old pistachio tree.
Address: Place Valhubert, Paris 5.
14. The Tuileries Gardens
A place to rest and stroll, the Tuileries gardens fascinate by their perfect symmetry. The style of André le Nôtre, who also designed the gardens of the castles of Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte, is recognizable here.
Address: Place de la Concorde, Paris 1er.
15. Le Petit Palais - Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris
The Petit and Grand Palais, which face each other on the Champs-Elysées, were built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition - the fifth to be held in Paris. A visit to the Petit Palais allows you to discover rich antique and medieval collections, as well as Italian and French Renaissance works and Flemish and Dutch paintings.
Address: Avenue Winston Churchill, Paris 8.
16. The Palace of Discovery
At the Palais de la découverte, scientific mediators offer, among other things, interactive experiments to present basic science. This concerns several disciplines, from astronomy to mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics.
Address: Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris 8.
17. Avenue des Champs-Elysées
The "most beautiful avenue in the world" is one of the most chic stops to discover the capital. It abounds with luxury boutiques and haute couture brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Chanel or Kenzo. There are also more affordable chain stores, famous restaurants and fast-foods, and emblematic monuments such as the Grand and Petit Palais.
Location: De l'Arc de Triomphe à la place de la Concorde, Paris 8.
18. The Alexander III Bridge
The Alexander III Bridge is one of the most beautiful architectural jewels of the capital. Classified as a historical monument, it is sublimated by its four 17 m pylons, themselves adorned at the top with gilded bronze pegasus; these divine winged horses embody the renown of Arts, Sciences, Commerce and Industry.
Location: Cours la Reine - Quai d'Orsay, Paris 8.
19. Place de la Madeleine
The Place de la Madeleine is one of the best places for shopping in Paris. It is home to several well-known brands, as well as historic restaurants.
Location: Paris 8.
20. The Place de la Concorde
Located just at the foot of the Champs-Elysées avenue, the Place de la Concorde is home to the three thousand-year-old Obelisk of Luxor, but also to luxury hotels and two impressive fountains.
Location: Paris 8.
21. Bridge Nine
Built under Henry IV in 1578, the oldest stone bridge in the capital has twelve semicircular arches and more than three hundred masks. The bridge connects the Right Bank (Louvre, rue de Rivoli and Saint-Jacques tower) to the Left Bank (rue Dauphine, Monnaie de Paris, Saint-Germain-des-Prés) via the Ile de la Cité.
Location: Quai de la Mégisserie - Quai des Grands Augustins, Paris 1st.
22. The Luxembourg Gardens
Find on the edge of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Latin Quarter this 25-hectare garden. It was laid out on the initiative of Marie de Médicis, and comprises a French garden and an English garden, between which is a geometric forest and a large pond. The visit is also an opportunity to discover several hundred, the imposing Medici fountain, the Orangery and Davioud's pavilion.
Address: Rue de Médicis - Rue de Vaugirard, Paris 6.
23. The Père-Lachaise cemetery
Visitors come to Père-Lachaise Cemetery to discover the graves of many personalities, including Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Alfred de Musset and Jim Morrison. The place brings together different styles of funerary art (Gothic tomb, Haussmann-style vault, antique mausoleum...) It is at the same time a park with an English garden and a place to rest and walk.
Address: Facing 21 boulevard de Ménilmontant, Paris 20.
Clos Montmartre - Vine Montmartre
Address: Rue des Saules, Paris 18.
24. Boulevard Haussmann
The most chic boulevard in the capital stretches over more than two kilometres, linking Avenue de Friedland (a stone's throw from the Champs-Elysées) to Boulevard Montmartre (very close to the Musée Grévin). The boulevard passes through dynamic areas such as the Place Saint-Augustin or the big names of Printemps and Galeries Lafayette.
Location: Paris 8.
25. The Trocadero Gardens
These green spaces extend over 93,930 m2 and offer a beautiful view of the Iron Lady. In the centre is the Warsaw Fountain whose twenty water cannons offer a beautiful water show. The spectacle is even more striking on summer nights when the fountain's surroundings are illuminated.
Location: Place du Trocadéro, Paris 16.
26. Esplanade des Invalides
Linking the Alexandre III bridge to the Hôtel des Invalides, the square offers beautiful views of some of the capital's most remarkable monuments.
Location: Paris 7.
27. Montmartre
It's hard not to fall in love with Montmartre, an authentic village in the heart of Paris. The district is appreciated for its gardens and vineyards, but also for its museums, its mills and its Sacré-Coeur basilica, an emblematic building located at the top of the hill. The Parisian village also seduces by its romantic terraces and its gastronomic cuisine, by the talent of its street designers...
Location: Paris 18.
28. Paris City Hall
Recognizable by its neo-Renaissance style architecture, the Town Hall has been the seat of the Parisian municipality since 1357. Inside, visitors will discover, among other things, the Salle des Fêtes, which is supposed to be a replica of the Versailles Hall of Mirrors.
Location: Paris City Hall - Place de l'Hôtel de Ville, Le Marais, Paris 4.
29. The Marais district
Le Marais is one of the districts with the most mansions. It also has a number of luxury boutiques. There are also many art galleries and restaurants.
Location: Paris 4.
30. The Saint-Jacques tower
Standing alone in the middle of the eponymous square, the Saint-Jacques tower is recognizable by its flamboyant Gothic style bell tower from the 16th century.th century. The building is the only remnant of the church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie, destroyed in 1797.
Address: Square de la tour Saint-Jacques, Paris 1er.
31. St. Eustatius Church
The church, located in the heart of the Les Halles district, is one of the most visited in the capital. Visitors are captivated by the large concentration of works of art, but also by its cathedral-like dimensions.
Address: 146 rue Rambuteau, Paris 1er.
32. The Great Mosque of Paris
Situated in the Latin Quarter, a short distance from the Natural History Museum, the most emblematic Muslim building in Paris features Hispano-Moorish architecture. The mosque includes a patio surrounded by carved arcades and a richly decorated prayer room. The Mosque of Paris is also a place of relaxation including a hammam, a restaurant, a tea room and a shop.
Address: 2 bis place du Puits-de-l'Ermite, Paris 5.
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