Paris attractions

Located across from the Louvre in the heart of Paris, the Palais-Royal is an architectural highlight known for its scenic gardens and regal heritage. Originally named the Palais-Cardinal—it was built for Cardinal Richelieu in 1633—the palace later housed French royalty until Versailles was completed in 1682.

Delighting audiences since 1860, Au Lapin Agile is one of the oldest and most beloved cabarets in Paris. The two-story cottage in Montmartre has been emblematic of the bohemian district, attracting a loyal following among artists such as Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, Utrillo, and Picasso who immortalized their favorite haunt in his 1905 painting, At the Lapin Agile, which hangs inside.

One of only two Seine islands in Paris (the other is the neighboring Île de la Cité), Île Saint-Louis is a tranquil oasis in the city center. Among the first parts of the city to be organized by modern urban planning works during the 17th century, the island is known for its scenic quays, elegant residences, and unhurried pace.

Originally built for the 1937 World’s Fair, the Palais de Chaillot houses an array of Paris’ top cultural attractions, including a national theater, multiple museums, and even an aquarium. The landmark, renowned for its art deco design, stands directly across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower, and its terrace is a popular photo spot.

The tomb of French statesman and military leader Napoleon Bonaparte sits in St. Jerome’s Chapel (Chapelle Saint-Jérôme) at Les Invalides, a military museum housed in a former veterans hospital in Paris. Napoleon’s tomb sits at the center of the museum complex, surrounded by at least 500,000 war-related art works and artifacts.

The Alma Bridge stretches over the Seine in the center of Paris, connecting the Champs-Élysées area to the Les Invalides monument where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried. Here you will find a perfectly composed view of the Eiffel Tower—plus a font of city history, both triumphant and poignant.

Hidden inside a triangle of elegant townhouses on the tip of Île de la Cité, Place Dauphine is an elegant plaza in one of most prestigious addresses in Paris. Created as a royal garden, Henri IV named the space after his son, the Dauphin of France who would become Louis XIII.

Part of the sweeping complex at Les Invalides, the Army Museum (Musée de l’Armée) was officially founded in 1905, following the merging of two separate institutions. It is now the largest museum of military history in France, containing thousands of rare weapons and artifacts dating from antiquity to the 20th century.

Built in 1653 by Cardinal de Richelieu, the impressive La Sorbonne building in Paris’ Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) houses classrooms for several universities, including the University of Paris. In addition to a historic library, the Sorbonne campus—the intellectual heart of the student-filled district—features a chapel and an airy courtyard.

La Madeleine church in Paris is one of the most striking buildings in the entire Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Designed as a tribute to Napoleon’s army and its glorious victories, the church is built in the neoclassical style of a lavish Greek temple and dominates the surrounding neighborhood with its 52 towering Corinthian columns.

Paris’ largest and most prestigious cemetery, the Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père Lachaise) was founded in 1804. Today it contains more than 70,000 ornate tombs, including those of some of France’s most important public figures.

Servicing over 700,000 passengers every day (for a total of 190 million a year) Gare du Nord is the busiest railway station in Europe—and the busiest in the world outside Japan. The building itself, with its neoclassical design and soaring skylights, is a magnificent mix of engineering prowess and aesthetic beauty.

Home to art museums, major monuments, and Paris’ only skyscraper, eclectic and edgy Montparnasse is one of the city’s most interesting districts. Located in the 14th arrondissement on the Left Bank, it was famously the stomping grounds of artists and intellectuals in the 1910s and 20s, many of whom now rest in the Montparnasse Cemetery.

Just steps from the Boulevard Saint-Germain in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the Paradis Latin is one of Paris’ liveliest and most history-saturated cabaret venues. Originally built in 1803 and restored by Gustave Eiffel in 1887, the cabaret still hosts its revue show—which blends can-can dancing, music, acrobatics, and more—today.

Housed in the 18th-century mansion of Hôtel Biron, the Rodin Museum (Musée Rodin) is devoted to the life and works of French sculptor Auguste Rodin, and displays more than 6,600 sculptures throughout its exhibition rooms and garden.

Wine may be an essential part of the Parisian mystique, but only one vineyard remains in the city: Clos Montmartre, whose origins date back nearly a century. A small plot located in hilly Montmartre, the vineyard grows pinot noir, gamay, and other grapes, which it harvests annually and makes into coveted wines.

Located in the elegant 2nd arrondissement, the Galerie Vivienne is one of the most iconic covered shopping arcades in Paris. The gallery had a lengthy heyday after it was built in 1823, its most prestigious shops later moved elsewhere. It was brought back to life in the 1960s and is today home to an array of luxury boutiques.

Located on Île de la Cité, one of the two remaining natural islands in the River Seine, the Palais de Justice is what remains of the former Royal Palace. Situated between the Gothic royal Sainte-Chapelle chapel and the former Conciergerie prison, the Palais de Justice is infamous for its role as a public execution site during the French Revolution.

The Cluny Museum (Musée de Cluny) is a popular highlight of Paris’ Latin Quarter. Best known for its six-part Lady and the Unicorn tapestry cycle, the institution also contains thousands of other objects, from illuminated manuscripts to sculptures.

Housed within a contemporary building designed by renowned French architect Jean Nouvel, The Arab World Institute (Institut du Monde Arabe houses a collection of Arabic art, scientific objects, textiles, and other items spanning thousands of years spread across four floors, from pre-Islamic ceramics to modern Palestinian art.

The Mémorial de la Shoah—Paris’ official Holocaust museum—was opened in 2005, on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Located in the Marais district (the city’s historical Jewish quarter), the museum features both permanent and temporary exhibitions, the commemorative Wall of Names, and other moving monuments and tributes.

Fronting the magnificent Jardin des Tuilieries and looking out across the Seine River, the Musée de l'Orangerie (Orangerie Museum) is situated in one of Paris’ most idyllic locations. The prestigious art museum is home to a number of masterpieces, but it’s most famous for its series of MonetWater Lilies paintings.

One of the oldest covered markets in Paris, the Marché des Enfants Rouges, located in the scenic Marais neighborhood, dates to 1615. Named “the Market of the Red Children” after the Christian orphanage that once stood on site, the market is particularly popular among foodies, and sells fresh produce, cooked dishes, and more.

One of Paris’ highlight cultural attractions, the Picasso Museum boasts a collection of over 5,000 works by the world-renowned artist, including paintings, sculptures, prints, and sketches. Following a recent renovation, the museum’s expanded gallery spaces house both a permanent collection and temporary exhibitions.

One of Paris’ liveliest markets, the Marché d’Aligre, located in the 12th arrondissement, includes an open-air portion and a covered portion (which is sometimes referred to as the Marché Beauvau). Open six days a week, this popular market sells everything from fresh produce, cheese, and meat to antiques and housewares.

Located on the edge of the eighth and 19th arrondissements, Pigalle has long had a reputation for debauchery. Paris’ former red-light district and a haven for turn-of-the-20th-century bohemians, Pigalle is today renowned for its (sometimes sordid) nightlife and festive spirit—as well as world-famous venues like the Moulin Rouge.

Located in the famed Latin Quarter, Saint Étienne du Mont (Église Saint-Étienne-du-Mont) is one of Paris’ most interesting churches. The Gothic-Renaissance–style structure features two unique spiral staircases and the only remaining rood screen—an ornate partition common in medieval churches that separates the clergy from the worshippers—in Paris.

The Seine separates Paris into two halves: to the north is the Right Bank, and to the south is the Left Bank. Also known as the Rive Gauche, the Left Bank is home to some of the city’s top landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower. Thanks to its universities and famous former residents, the Rive Gauche retains a romantic, literary reputation.

Located in the village of Auvers-sur-Oise northwest of Paris, the Maison de van Gogh was where Vincent van Gogh spent the final 70 days of his life—renting a humble room in its attic and producing nearly 70 works. Today, the landmark has been restored to its 19th century appearance—you can see van Gogh’s room, plus the room of another contemporaneous artist, Anton Hirschig.

Set at the end of the Parc du Champ de Mars within sight of the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadero, this elegant 18th-century complex houses several different military training facilities. Alma mater of Napoleon Bonaparte, the impressive French-classical main hall is still home to the officers’ academy of the French army.