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PARIS, FRANCE – Paris has more monuments and iconic sights than almost any other city. As a result, first-time visitors to the French capital often arrive with mixed expectations: grandiose panoramas, intellectuals, romance along the Seine, wild night-time shows, and tasteless characters who don’t speak English and won’t hesitate to rip you off.
It is the reason why, the French Capital has almost exhausted the superlatives that can be reasonably applied to any world-class city. Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, Avenue Des Champs Elysees, at sunrise, at sunset, at night in the snow -have been described innumerable times, as have the River Seine.
But what writers have rarely been able to capture, is the magic of strolling along the broad avenues that lead from impressive public buildings and exceptional museums to parks, gardens and esplanades.
Paris Orientation
Of course, if you look hard enough, you’ll find all of that. Another approach is to let go of your preconceived notions about Paris. So, explore its avenues and alleyways as if the Eiffel Tower or Notre-Dame’s weren’t going to appear at any moment.
Paris is magnificent practically everywhere, in every season and at any time of day. And, like a good meal, it’s an exhilarating, enriching, and unforgettable experience.
Arrondissements
The 20 administrative districts of Paris are known as arrondissements. They are numbered one through twenty in a clockwise spiral around the Île de la Cité,Paris center. Each of them provides unique experiences, ranging from historical sights to trendy places.
Map and Map Refereneces
The exact location of every museum, hotel, restaurant, exchange bureau etc., mentioned in this chapter is indicated on the color map shown above. Each address includes the reference number of the relevant map, usually just before the telephone number.
Metro Stations
There is almost always a metro station within 500 m of wherever you want to go in Paris. so all offices, museums, hotels and restaurants have the nearest metro stop written immediately after the contact numbers. Metro stations usually have a useful map of the neighborhood on the wall near the exits. Do you know how to get from Paris to London?
Walking
Paris is a wonderful city to walk around and surprisingly pedestrian-friendly, in part because it’s relatively compact. It’s also a fairly level city, so apart from toiling up to Montmartre, there is no hill-climbing involved. Traffic can be a problem, though cars will only stop for you if you absolutely assert your rights on pedestrian crossings.
Highlights of Paris
To begin a stroll in Paris, the easiest option is to choose a central and renowned area, such as the area around the Eiffel Tower (Trocadéro) for its iconic views, the Arc de Triomphe for a leisurely walk along the grand boulevard of the Champs-Élysées, or the historic Marais district with its charming streets and squares (Place des Vosges). Take the metro and let your desires guide you. Your curiosity will lead you to cafés, covered passages, or walks along the banks of the Seine.
The Eiffel Tower
Paris most prominent and recognizable landmark, the Eiffel Tower, is surrounded by open areas on both banks of the Seine, which take in both the 7 e and 16 e arrondissements. There are several outstanding museums in this part of the Right Bank.
Short History of the Eiffel Tower
When the Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, it provoked fierce criticism from the Parisian artistic and intellectual elite. In 1909, it was nearly demolished but was saved for purely practical reasons: it provided an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas essential for the development of wireless telegraphy. It remained the tallest skyscraper in the world until the Chrysler Building in New York was completed in 1930.
Eiffel Tower Size
The Eiffel Tower, named after its architect Gustav Eiffel, is 320 meters tall, including its television antenna. However, its height can vary by up to 15 centimeters because the 7,000 tons of iron that make it up, held together by 2.5 million rivets, expand in hot weather and contract in cold weather.
After admiring the view from the railing, you can access one of the three public levels. The elevators located in the west and north pillars follow a curve. To avoid queues, take the stairs and escalator in the south pillar to reach the first and second platforms.
Jardins du Trocadero
The Trocadero Gardens, whose fountains and statue garden are grandly illuminated at night, are across Pont d’llena from the Eiffel Tower in the posh 16e arrondissement. They are named after Trocadero, a Spanish stronghold near Cadiz captured by the French in 1823.
Napoleon’s Arch
Built by Napoleon to celebrate his battlefield successes of 1805, this triumphal arch, was once crowned by the Horses of St. Mark’s, stolen from Venice by Napoleon but returned after Waterloo. The Arch is located in the Jardin du Carrousel at the eastern end of the Jardin des Tuileries. The quadriga, were added in 1828, celebrating the return of the Bourbons to the French throne after Napoleon’s downfall.
The Palais Royal
This Palace which briefly housed a young Louis XIV in the 1640s lies to the north of place du Palais Royal and the Louvre. Construction was begun in the 17th century by Cardinal Richelieu, though most of the present neoclassical complex dates from the later part of the 18th century. It now contains the Conseil d’etai (State Council) and is closed to the public.
Jardin du Palais Royal
Just north of the palace is the Jardin du Palais Royal, a lovely park surrounded by arcades. Galerie de Valois on the eastern side shelters designer shops while Galerie de Montpensier on the west has a few old shops remaining that sell things like colorful Legion d’Honneur – style medals and lead soldiers.
Louvre Museum
The Louvre area of the 1er arrondissement contains some of the most important sights for visitors in Paris and has long been a chick residential area for people of means.
The vast Louvre Museum was constructed around 1200 as a fortress and rebuilt in the mid-16th century for use as a royal palace. It began its career as a public museum in 1793. The paintings, sculptures and artifacts display have been assembled by French governments over the past 50 years.
Among them are works of art and artisan ship from all over Europe and important collections of Assyrian, Etruscan, Macedonian, Coptic and Islamic art and antiquities.
Louvre famous exhibits
Among the most famous works of antiquity are the Seated Scribe, the Jewels of Ramses II, and the armless pair of Winged Victories of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo.
Michelangelo’s Slaves, as well as the works of Raphael, Botticelli, and Titan, are key examples of Renaissance art. From a French perspective, the most important works of the 19th century include Ingres’s Grand Odalisque, Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, and the works of David and Delacroix.
Notre Dame Cathedral
If Paris has a heart, it is undoubtedly that of Notre-Dame Cathedral. A masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, it has also been the ceremonial center of the Catholic Church in Paris for seven centuries. Its construction began in 1163 and was completed around 1345 on a site once occupied by older churches and a Gallo-Roman temple dating back two millennia.
The interior of this majestic Cathedral is 130 meters long, 48 meters wide, and 35 meters high, with seating for almost 6,000 worshipers. The cathedral receives over 12 million visitors each year.
Notre-Dame is known for its harmony, but a closer look reveals various tiny asymmetries, typical of the Gothic design, that were introduced to break the monotony.
One of the best views of Notre Dame is from squareJean XXIII, the lovely little park south and east of the cathedral, where you can see the mass of ornate flying buttresses that encircle the chancel nd support its walls and roof.
Montmartre
During the 19th century the Bohemian lifestyle of Montmartre attracted artists and writers whose presence turned the area into Paris’ most important center of creativity. Although the activity shifted to Montparnasse after WWI, Montmartre retains an upbeat ambience that all the tourists in the world couldn’t spoil.
Shopping Passages of Montmartre
The best way to experience unique world-class shopping experience in Paris is to walk through the covered Shopping Arcades of Boulevard Montmartre. Step back into early 19th century and visit Passage des Panoramas. This was one of the first passages that received gas lighting in 1817 and later in 1834 was expanded with four other interconnecting passages.
On the northern side of blvd Montmartre is Passage Jouffroy, which leads across Rue de la Grange Bateliere to Passage Verdeau. Both contain shops selling antiques, old postcards, used and antiquarian books, gifts and pet toys.
The Montmartre Museum, displays paintings, lithographs and documents mostly relating to the area’s rebellious and Bohemian /artistic past. It’s hard to appreciate what the big deal is unless you care about Montmartre’s mythology and can read French.
Places to eat
The French think mainly about two things, their two main meals. Everything else is in parentheses. And it’s true. Eating well is still of prime importance to Parisians, who spend an amazing amount o time thinking about, talking about and consuming food.
Restaurants & Brasseries
Parisian restaurants usually specialise in a particular variety of food, whereas brasseries serve more standard French and Alsatian fare. Most restaurants open for lunch and dinner only and shut on Sunday. Brasseries usually stay open from morning till late at night and many remain open on Sunday. Except in really touristy areas, most of Paris estimated 11000 restaurants, brasseries and cafes offer pretty good value for money. Intense competition tends to rid the city quickly of places with bad food or prices that are out of line.
Our favorite Paris Tour
If you can’t be bothered making your own way around Paris or don’t have the time consider a tour by bus, boat, bicycle or on foot. Local tourist offices, museums, wineries, châteaux and private minibus companies in Paris offer a wide variety of guided tours that you arrange locally. Choices often include:
– museum tour with an art history expert,
– a cathedral tour that highlights architectural features,
– an architecturally-orientated walk around a historic city center,
– a château tour that makes the medieval furnishings come alive or
– a wine cellar visit that ends with a tasting session.
Tours to destinations outside of Paris are very popular if you have more days to spend. For instance, wine tours in Bordeaux, St-Emilion, Dijon and Beaune or château tours abound in the Loire Valley and Dordogne.
Some places are difficult to visit unless you have wheels, or are much more interesting with expert commentary like D-Day Beaches in Normandy Tour for example.
The Paris area’s three rivers Seine, Marne and Oise and its canals St Martin and Ourcd offer a unique vantage point from which to enjoy the delights of Paris. Cruise experiences on the Seine are among the most popular and must-attend experiences for those seeking a true Paris experience.
Seine River Sightseeing Cruise
Boat Cruise on the river Seine is the most relaxing way to watch the city glide by. From its base just north of the Eiffel Tower at Port de la Bourdonnais, Bateaux Parisiens runs one-hour river circuits all year round. From May to October, boats also depart from the dock opposite Notre Dame on quai de Montebello.
Madan_B, Dec 2025
Paris Seine River Sightseeing Cruise with Commentary by Bateaux Parisiens
“It’s worth the price. Gave a 5 star only for the cruise itself and the boats but not for the narration by the person who is not enthusiastic at all and wasn’t easy to understand (his English)”.
Great location – friendly staff – Excellent stay – Booking hotel in Paris by Trivago
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