Paris attractions

Among the world’s largest flea markets, the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen is located just north of central Paris. Established in 1870, the popular shopping destination now comprises 15 different sub-markets, each of which specializes in different items. Prepare to spend hours browsing, bantering, and bargaining.

In the heart of the Latin Quarter, Rue Mouffetard is one of Paris’ busiest and most beloved market streets. The thoroughfare hosts cheese sellers, vegetable vendors, bakeries, and other artisanal food outlets, as well as numerous bars and cafes. Its proximity to the Sorbonne makes it popular among local students.

Housed in the neoclassical Palais Conti, the Paris Mint Museum (Musée de la Monnaie de Paris) traces the history of one of France’s oldest institutions by way of interactive and sensory exhibits. Explore more than 1,000 years of French coinage history—from the pre-Roman roots to modern-day Paris—in permanent and temporary exhibits about coin minting, metalworking, and more.

Among the largest Asian art museums outside of Asia, the Guimet Museum (Musée Guimet)houses thousands of artifacts, including sculptures, paintings, porcelain, and scrolls that date back more than 5,000 years. The museum was founded by adventurer and industrialist Émile Étienne Guimet and features several temporary exhibitions each year.

The Museum of Jewish Art and History (Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme opened its doors in 1998 and is the largest Jewish art and history museum in the country. The museum traces the history and culture of Europe’s Jewish communities from the Middle Ages to the present.

The Parc des Princes stadium is the home turf of one of Europe’s top soccer teams, Paris Saint-Germain. When it’s not hosting matches, the 49,000-capacity arena in the southwest corner of Paris hosts concerts by international music acts, such as the Rolling Stones and Green Day.

Situated in the heart of Paris’s Right Bank, the 1st arrondissement is one of the oldest parts of the city; in fact, it occupies the western half of the Île de la Cité, formerly Lutetia, which was conquered by the Romans in 52 BC. Today, this central district is best known for the Louvre and the Tuileries Garden.

Walking the quaint cobbled streets of Butte-aux-Cailles, it’s easy to forget that you’re in Paris. With its rows of petite painted townhouses, family-run brasseries, and tiny boutiques, this atmospheric neighborhood feels like a rural village, despite being not too far south of the city center along the Seine River.

Famed for its romantic ambiance and tranquility, the Buttes-Chaumont Park (Parc des Buttes-Chaumont)—located in northeastern Paris’ 19th arrondissement—may not be one of the city’s most-visited green spaces, but it’s all the better for it. Commissioned by Napoleon III, the park features a lake, waterfalls, ornamental gardens, and the Temple de la Sibylle.

From its neoclassical facade to its rich interior, the Odéon-Théatre de l'Europe radiates Parisian grandeur in the heart of the Left Bank. This is where Mozart’sMarriage of Figaro premiered in 1784, and the theater has been active ever since. Now, it’s a premier destination for a wide range of cultural events, whether classic or contemporary.

Open since 2010, Choco-Story Paris is a delectable museum dedicated to the history and production of chocolate. Learn about chocolate’s Maya and Aztec origins, watch chocolatiers at work, admire chocolate sculptures, and enjoy plenty of tastes along the way. Workshops are also hosted on-site for those who wish to make their own treats.

Located across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, the Paris Aquarium (Aquarium de Paris)—also known as the Cinéaqua—is the most prominent aquarium in the city. Host to a shark tunnel, over 10,000 marine species, a movie theater, and other attractions, it was founded in the 19th century, making it one of the world’s first aquariums.

Located on the same site as the ruins of the Port-Royal des Champs Abbey in Magny-les-Hameaux, the eponymous national museum houses a collection of artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition to the abbey ruins and museum, the grounds feature an orchard, gardens, and an old farmhouse.

A UNESCO World Heritage site and one of France’s largest châteaux, the magnificent Château de Fontainebleau boasts a rich resume of royal inhabitants, including Henry IV, Louis XV, and Napoleon. Built in the 12th century, the palace displays a remarkable variety of architectural styles, all set within 130 hectares (321 acres) of parks and gardens.

Home to the world’s largest collection of works by Claude Monet, as well as numerous other Impressionist masterpieces, the Marmottan Monet Museum (Musée Marmottan Monet) offers a lesson in art and history. That’s because it’s housed in a hunting lodge that once belonged to the Duke of Valmy, and its historic, opulent setting is a draw in itself.

Originally known as the Jardin du Roi, the Jardin des Plantes was founded in 1626, and was used as King Louis XIII’s personal herb garden. Today, the expansive botanical garden is the largest and most important in France. It encompasses several gallery spaces, a zoo, numerous garden areas and hothouses, and a working botany school.

With origins dating to the 18th century, the Musée des Arts et Métiers (the Arts and Crafts Museum) is one of Paris’ most unusual and fascinating cultural institutions. Housed in the former priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, the museum owns upwards of 80,000 objects that range from Foucault’s Pendulum to some of the world’s first planes.

While most visitors to Paris head to the Hotel des Invalides to see Napoleon’s final resting place, the Musee des Plans-Reliefs is a hidden gem in the same building that shouldn’t be missed. The museum is home to a collection of military models, some of which date to the mid-17th century when Louis XIV’s minister of war began collecting three-dimensional models of fortified cities to use for military planning. Known as plans-relief, the collection was previously at the Louvre and moved to the Hotel des Invalides in 1777. The earliest model was built in 1668 and continued for two centuries, with 260 models constructed over the years, including those of Luxembourg, La Spezia, Brest and Cherbourg.The museum was established in 1943 and today displays about 100 models, including 28 plans-relief of fortifications along the English Channel, the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and the Pyrenees Mountains. Built at a 1:600 scale, the models all use the same technique, which is explained in an accompanying exhibit. Watercolor paintings are used to show the color of the buildings and surrounding scenery at the time of construction.

The Musée de la Musique, which was inaugurated in 1997, is part of the Cité de la Musique: a major multi-building complex dedicated to musical performance and education. The museum has a collection of thousands of rare instruments and artistic objects, and hosts free daily concerts in its galleries.

Over 3,000 years old, the Luxor Obelisk (Obélisque de Louxor)—which stands 75 feet (23 meters) high and is decorated with hieroglyphic carvings—was gifted to France by Egypt in 1833. Situated in Place de la Concorde, where guillotine executions were carried out during the French Revolution, the obelisk has since become a symbol of peace.

Located north of Paris in the suburb of Saint-Denis, Stade de France has been France’s national stadium since its inauguration in January 1998. As the largest sports and entertainment venue in the country, the stadium’s capacity exceeds 80,000—it’s hosted Rugby and FIFA World Cup games, and the concerts of A-list artists.

The Fragonard Perfume Museum (Musée du Parfum), located just steps from Opéra Garnier, provides an immersive and multi-sensory introduction to the world of fragrance. Sponsored by Maison Fragonard—a legendary French perfume house founded in 1926—the museum provides a behind-the-scenes look at the perfume-making process.

Opened in 1824, the Montparnasse Cemetery (Cimetière du Montparnasse) is the city’s second-largest cemetery after Père Lachaise. It is a cultural highlight of the Montparnasse neighborhood, thanks to its history and famous residents; after all, it’s the final resting place of Jean-Paul Sartre, Serge Gainsbourg, Charles Baudelaire, and more.

Paris’ business district is home to office buildings and other high-rise structures, developed in this area just outside the city limits so as not to ruin central Paris’ historical landscape. Not many visitors make it out to La Défense, but those who do are rewarded with modern art and architecture that provide a new perspective on the city.

Housed in a Frank Gehry-designed building, La Cinémathèque has one of the largest collections of films and movie memorabilia in the world. Trace the history of film, from its infancy to the modern age, via impressive exhibitions of costumes, props, posters, and cult objects—then catch a screening of a classic flick in the roomy theater.

Founded in 1750 and housed in a wing of the Palais du Luxembourg, the Musée du Luxembourg was once the first public painting gallery open to the French public before becoming one of the first museums of contemporary art. No longer dedicated to only contemporary works, the museum now occupies the former orangery, a standalone building in the Jardin du Luxembourg, and showcases several temporary exhibitions each year.

With a history dating back to the 1940s and a prime location on the glittering Champs-Élysées, Lido de Paris is one of Paris’ most famous and celebrated cabarets. The legendary show is a feast for the senses, with choreography, costumes, a medley of foot-stomping show tunes, the famous Bluebell Girls—and, in French fashion, Champagne.

Home to museums, concert venues, green spaces, and architectural wonders, La Villette Park (Parc de la Villette) is one of Paris’ largest and most dynamic public parks. Stretching across 87 acres (35 hectares), the park attracts upwards of 10 million visitors each year and is a destination for education, leisure, culture, and family-friendly activities.

Laid out in the shape of France, France Miniature features the country’s major sights built down to scale. This quirky theme park on the outskirts of Paris provides a welcome overview of all that lies outside of the capital, which many visitors don’t have the chance to see.

Established in 1813, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal earned worldwide acclaim in 1830 when a young nun—St. Catherine Labouré—was believed to have witnessed several apparitions of the Virgin Mary, and later designed the “Miraculous Medal” at her request. Today, the church is one of Paris’ top Catholic pilgrimage sites.