Must Visit Places in Paris

Take a tour of France's tallest and most visited monument, the Eiffel, offer prayers at the stunning Grande Mosquee de Paris, visit the artistic structures of Montmartre and the Sacre-Cœur or just walk on cobblestone paths of Pere Lachaise Cemetery—the city of Paris is laden with enchanting sights to see. The regal extravagance of Chateau de Versailles and the gothic beauty of Cathedrale Notre Dame de Paris add to the city's myriad offerings and attract hordes of crowds too. Here are some of the best attractions in Paris peppered along its length and breadth that you just can't afford to miss.

1. Tour Eiffel

For the most majestic view, go to the Place du Trocadéro to watch the sun set behind the Tower.

You can’t avoid the country’s most famous landmark looming above the Paris skyline, and it's hard to resist scaling its heights. Gustave Eiffel constructed this feat of engineering for the 1889 World Fair in honour of the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution.

It’s 324 metres high, but don’t worry, there are plenty of lifts, though expect long queues in high season. If you’re fighting fit, brave the 1,665 steps instead, and reward yourself with a glass of bubbly from the champagne bar perched at the very top, from where your line of vision stretches for over 64km on a clear day. If heights aren’t your thing, there are panoramic views from the second floor.

From 11pm every night, the tower sparkles for five minutes every hour with the help of 20,000 bulbs, and on the national day of France and New Year’s Eve, fireworks launched from the tower light up the night sky



2. Père Lachaise Cemetery

The winged messenger statue atop Oscar Wilde’s tomb was robbed of its prominent penis almost immediately, and legend has it, has been since used as a paperweight.

Edith Piaf, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Colette, Balzac, Chopin and Modigliani are just some of the names on the roll call of graves in this beautiful Gothic cemetery. The 109 acres are overflowing with 19th century sculpture, gravestones and tombs of every shape and size.

Many Doors fans make the pilgrimage to Jim Morrison’s resting place, and while it was once covered in lovelorn graffiti it has now been sanitised and is kept under guard, like many other famous names.

Get a map at the entrance on rue des Rondeaux to navigate your way around, and leave at least two hours. Finish off with a drink in one of the pretty bistros of nearby Belleville.


3. Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur
For those disinclined to walk, Montmartrobus is specially designed for the winding one-way streets here, and takes in the place Pigalle, rue des Abbesses, finishing at the Montmartre town hall.

At the heart of this legendary artistic enclave is the Butte Montmartre, crowned by the white domes of Sacré Cœur. This grand Roman-Byzantine church is packed with stunning mosaics, statues, relief sculptures and stained glass. At 130 metres this is the highest point in Paris, with hoards of tourists making the pilgrimage up the steps from square Wilette, or via the funicular, to admire the views over Paris.

While Montmartre was once a hub of creativity, home to Degas, Picasso and Renoir, now it is overrun with souvenir touts, overpriced eateries and so-called portrait artists battling for your custom, especially around the place du Tertre. If you want to see Sacré Cœur take the prettier route starting at the place des Abbesses, which avoids the worst congestion, and when you return you can amble by the quirky shops and boutique cafes.


4. Grande Mosquée de Paris
Sit in the shade of a fig tree with tea and baklava at the quaint Cafe de la Mosquée de Paris.

This beautiful pink marble building, inaugurated in 1926, was built in gratitude to the Muslim tirailleurs, or soldiers, of the North African countries who fought for France during World War I. The impressive thank-you present has become an urban oasis in the Latin Quarter with its stunning minarets, interlaced mosaics and lovely Moorish gardens.

You can either take a guided tour or just feel free to wander around on your own. If you need to de-stress you can arrange an inexpensive, if basic, hammam.


5. Château de Versailles

Once home to the ostentatious Marie-Antoinette, this is where she supposedly uttered the infamous phrase, ‘Let them eat cake!’

The renowned Château de Versailles, 20km south-west of Paris, is a monument to regal extravagance, and the last seat of the royal family before the French Revolution in 1789. First built by King Louis XIV, and later becoming the royal residence, it housed 6,000 courtiers, who apparently lived here in squalor, while the interior was the most sumptuously decorated palace in the world.

Don’t miss the King and Queen’s State Apartments oozing with chandeliers, gilt, marble, frescoes and ostentation of the highest order, as well as the jaw-dropping Hall of Mirrors, a 75-metre-long ballroom with giant mirrors. Prepare to be dazzled.

Hills were flattened, marshes drained and forests moved to create the gardens, so vast they offer electric cars for visitors to get around. From April to October, the fountains shoot water to the rhythm of music.


6. Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris
Beware of pickpockets, who sometimes swoop on visitors looking up at the facade or stained glass windows.

This mighty Gothic structure looming above the Ile de la Cite is a beautiful reminder of just how ancient Paris really is.

No small feat of construction, its first stone was laid back in 1163, taking almost 200 more years to build. It remains one of France’s most beautiful examples of Gothic art, with its twin towers, rows of saints and sculpted recesses.

Wandering through the stained glass interior is free (as are guided tours), but it's also worth paying extra to climb the tower ( though there are 387 steps and no lift). The route takes you up the north tower, along narrow passageways, into the world of fictional bell ringer Quasimodo. Spot the sinister chimeras and gargoyles (actually added during a 19th century restoration, but still amazing) as you ascend the south tower and don’t miss Emmanuel, the largest of four bells, weighing 13 tons.


7. Catacombes de Paris

During the Second World War members of the French Resistance used the tunnel system to get around undetected.

This is not for the faint-hearted. Walking around these labyrinthine underground tunnels surrounded by the bones of six million people is bound to send a chill down your spine.

This macabre site was created in the 18th century after the inner-city cemeteries overflowed and became a health hazard. The cemeteries were closed and the remains transferred to what had been a 3,000km network of quarries underneath Paris. The skulls and femurs were stacked in decorative patterns, using tombstones and statues from the cemeteries to create this Gothic mausoleum.

It is damp, cramped, spooky, yet fascinating. The tour lasts 45 minutes, and culminates at the room heralded by a sign reading, ‘Stop! This is the empire of death!’.





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