Historic places in Paris

Historic places in Paris

1. See8th arrondissement

   American Cathedral

   A Gothic Revival cathedral built in the late 19th century for the American community in Paris. Its elegant stone façade and stained-glass interior make it a distinctive and lesser-known stop near the Champs-Élysées.

2. See5th arrondissement

   Arènes de Lutèce

   An ancient Roman theater, the only surviving above-ground ruins of the Gallo-Roman era in Paris (ancient Lutetia, French Lutèce) apart from the nearby Thermes de Cluny. The theatre could hold approximately 15,000 spectators and measures some 132 m x 100 m. Built sometime in the 2nd century CE, the location of the actor's dressing room, the platform of the stage, and lapidary remains can still be seen. The remains were rediscovered in 1869, when new streets were being built. An excavation was subsequently ordered in 1883. The theatre has been preserved as a quiet archaeological park removed from the bustle of Parisian streets.

   08ː00-17ː30 (winter), 08ː00-22ː00 (summer)·Free

3. Eat9th arrondissement

   Bouillon Chartier

   Since 1896. Menu changes regularly. Historic building and interior. Classically dressed servers. Satisfying, cheap food. Traditional, representative French cooking; don't expect innovative, haute cuisine. Usually the line is bigger than the reputation. Continuous service without reservations.

   11:30-midnight·€17.50 for 3-course daily menu

4. Eat4th arrondissement

   Brasserie Bofinger

   A beautiful, historical décor in the Art Nouveau style (see the ceiling upstairs); good Alsatian cuisine: choucroute, kuglopf, etc, plus good classic cuisine de brasserie.

5. Buy8th arrondissement

   C42

   C42 is the flasghip Citroen store occupying an entire building, designed by Manuelle Gautrand and completed in 2007, being the first new building in the Avenue in some 30 years. The unmistakable facade is inspired by Citroen's chevron logo, and the building has no less than seven storeys exhibiting Citroen's past, present and future, including iconic classics, the concept cars and winning sportscars from its many decades of history, and of course the current lineup. The interior is just as spectacular and unique as the exterior and well worth a visit.

   Sun-Wed 10:00-20:00, Thu-Sat 10:00-22:00

6. See

   Carnavalet

   Museum of Paris history; exhibitions are permanent and free. Renovated 2017–2021.

7. See12th arrondissement

   Cinema Museum

   La Cinémathèque française

   Housed in modern building designed by Frank Gehry, contains a cinema showing French & international films, temporary exhibitions lasting about 6 months, Museum dedicated to the history of cinema. Exhibitions are fairly visual.

   Exhibition & Museum Mon, Wed-Fri noon-7PM; Sat-Sun 11AM-8PM. closed Tue·Exhibition: Adult €12, Reduced €9.50, U18 €6: Museum Adult €10, Reduced&18-35 €7.50, U18 €5. Joint tickets available

8. See6th arrondissement

   Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés

   Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés

   The oldest church in Paris, founded in the year 542 by King Childebert. The church as it exists today dates mainly from the 11th century, the period in which it became the center of a powerful Benedictine abbey. The Revolution witnessed the suppression of the abbey in 1794, when most of the monastic buildings were put to the torch. Earlier, 318 priests had been hacked to death nearby by a mob on 3 September 1792. The church underwent significant restoration in the 19th century, ensuring the preservation of the building, which by that date represented a fascinating mix of styles: 6th century marble columns placed alongside Gothic vaults and supported by Romanesque arches. Famous burials within the church include René Descartes (philosopher), Nicolas Boileau (poet) and King John Casimir of Poland, who had become (in 1669, before his death) abbot of the church's monastery.

   Daily 08:00-19:30

9. See1st arrondissement

   Jardin des Tuileries

   Built adjoining the now-lost royal palace of the Tuileries, these gardens lying immediately west of the Louvre offer a central open space for Parisians and visitors with semi-formal gardens (an outdoor gallery for modern sculpture), various cafés, ice cream and crépe stalls, and a summer fun fair. The gardens are frequently home to a giant Ferris wheel and enclose the Musée de la Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume.

10. See1st arrondissement

    Jeu de Paume

    Built during the First Empire, in imitation of the Orangerie, this small building is used by the Galerie Nationale to display temporary exhibitions of art photography, either contemporary or historic. This museum once housed many of the Impressionist painters that are now to be found in the Musée d'Orsay on the other side of the River Seine.

11. See13th arrondissement

    La Bibliothèque Nationale de France

    The national library preserves collections of historic documents of both French and international origin. It holds 5,000 Greek manuscripts. You can get a day pass to visit or choose to visit only the expositions the library hosts.

12. See1st arrondissement

    La Conciergerie

    The ancient medieval fortress and prison of the city's island, site of some remarkable medieval royal architecture and the scene of Marie Antoinette's imprisonment in the period leading to her execution in 1793; lots of revolutionary associations.

    Apr-Sep: daily 09:30-18:30; Oct- Mar: daily 10:00-17:00·Booking Required.€6.10, concessions and guided tours available, under-18 free, Passion Monuments pass accepted

13. See2nd arrondissement

    La Tour Jean-sans-Peur

    One of the last remnants of medieval Paris outside of the 4th, this tower was once part of a castle called l'hôtel de Bourgogne.

    Apr-Oct, Wed-Sun, 13:30-18:00·€5; students €3; guided tour, €8

14. See8th arrondissement

    Le Grand Palais

    Galeries nationales du Grand Palais

    Built in 1900 for the universal exposition, the Grand Palais was an engineering feat and a milestone of design, marking the transition between historicism and modern architecture. It remain impressive today due to its unique, exquisite style and sheer volume of its main nave. The Grand Palais, managed by the state-owned institution Rnm who also manage the Musee de Luxembourg, is used both for temporary exhibitions of historic and contemporary art collections (both beaux arts and applied) and unique events, such as catwalk shows during the Paris Fashion Week, Bonhams car auctions and prestigious galas.

    Prices and opening hours set individually for each exhibition and event

15. See1st arrondissement

    Le Palais Royal

    Ordered by Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642), King Louis XIII's prime Minister in 1629 (completed in 1636); originally called Palais Cardinal; it became Le Palais Royal when Anne d'Autriche, Louis XIII's wife, came to live here to get away from the Louvre palace. It eventually housed Louis XIV until the move to Versailles. It includes also a beautiful garden Les jardins du Palais Royal, enclosed by the buildings. It's been the theatre of one of the seminal events of the French Revolution (Camille Desmoulins made a famous declaration here in 1789). The Théatre Français nearby was built in 1716. There are numerous restaurants inside the garden, including famous Le Grand Véfour. There's also the controversial Colonnes de Buren, striped columns installed within the inside yard amid the 17th century architecture.

    07:00-23:00 during the summer and 07:00-20:30 in the winter with hours varying spring and autumn

16. See3rd arrondissement

    Les Archives Nationales

    French Archives

    The Archives Nationales have one of the largest and most important archival collections in the world, a testimony to the very ancient nature of the French state which has been in existence for more than twelve centuries already.

17. See4th arrondissement

    MEP – Maison Européenne de la Photographie

    Gallery of photography. The MEP collection spans the history of international photography from the 1950s to the present.

    Wed Fri 11:00-20:00, Thu 11:00-22:00, Sat Sun 10:00-20:00·Full €13, Reduced €9 (+ €1 online)

18. Drink11th arrondissement

    Moonshiner

    Cool speakeasy bar with a secret entrance. Cross the small dining room of the pizzeria Da Vito and open the walk-in refrigerator door. You will enter into the bowels of an ancient American-style boiler room and bar. The interior welcomes brave visitors to a dim, classy and jazzy world. There you will find friendly steampunk bartenders making innovative cocktails. Try a cigar in the large Art Deco smokehouse... but shhhhh, don't tell anyone.

    Open now · closes 1 am tomorrow·Cocktails €10-14

19. See6th arrondissement

    Museum of the History of Medicine

    Musée d’Histoire de la Médecine

    The museum is located on the second floor of the headquarters of the University of Paris Cité, in a room built in 1905. Inaugurated in the mid-1950’s, it was initially accessible to professors and students of the Faculty of Medicine only. It finally opened its doors to the general public in 1994. The collections are oldest in Europe, were brought together by Dean Lafaye in the 18th century, later added an important set of pieces that cover the different branches of surgical art until the end of the 19th century. There are instruments that were used for the care of the Louis XIV, as well as a few kits of doctors and surgeons and even physiology instruments. (Closed from mid July until the end of August)

20. See3rd arrondissement

    Musée Carnavalet

    Contained within two historic houses (hotels), the museum explores the history of Paris through objects in over 140 separate rooms.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December·Free entry to the permanent collection

21. See9th arrondissement

    Musée Grévin

    The Musée Grévin is a waxwork museum with some 500 characters arranged in scenes from the history of France and modern life.

22. See5th arrondissement

    Musée National Du Moyen Âge

    Musée de Cluny

    Housed in a 15th-century abbey, alongside 1st century Gallo-Roman baths, the museum has an extensive collection of medieval art and artifacts. Highlights include the medieval "Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, a papal golden rose, and the original heads from the facade of Notre Dame.

    Daily 09:15-17:15·€7.50 (€5.50 reduced rate, free under 18, museum card accepted)

23. See7th arrondissement

    Musée de l'Armée

    This museum is in the historic Invalides complex and presents the history of the French Army. It is co-located with Napoleon Bonaparte's tomb (entry to which is included in the ticket price). Most of the exhibitions are very old fashioned, and the coverage of the First World War is surprisingly limited. A highlight is the Musée des Plans-Reliefs, which displays painstakingly accurate models of French fortresses and includes its own shop.

    10:00-17:00 (1 Oct-31 Mar), 10:00-18:00 (1 Apr-30 Sep), closed on the first Mon of each month·Admission €9, with discount €7

24. See1st arrondissement

    Musée du Louvre

    Its exhibits come from such diverse origins as ancient Egypt, classical Greece and the Roman Empire, medieval Europe, and Napoleonic France, but controversially including many items that were looted from their places of origin. Its most famous exhibit, of course, is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Mona Lisa (French: La Joconde, Italian: La Gioconda), generally to be found surrounded by hordes of camera-flashing tourists. The Louvre poses many of the same challenges to the visitor as Paris itself; overwhelming in size, crowded in high seasons, and much information available only in French. If you want to see everything in the Louvre, plan at least two full days. However, it is better to pick and choose, as the collection was assembled with an eye to completeness rather than quality. As of July 2019, due to intense crowding and reports of ticket fraud, entry now almost always requires a pre-booked timed ticket, even for holders of the Paris Museum Pass.

    Wed-Mon 09:00-18:00, closed public holidays; evening openings Wed and Fri until 21:45·€12-16; under 18, free; EU-residents, 18-26 years free; exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon €13; combined ticket (museum + special exhibitions) adults €16 Carte Musée

25. See8th arrondissement

    Musée du Petit Palais

    The Petit Palais was built as a complement to the Grand Palais for the 1900 universal exhibition, and afterwards became the prime exhibition venue for the City of Paris' vast collection of artworks spanning centuries from ancient history to around 1914. Later material is at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris in the 16th. There is a permanent exhibition of selected artworks of artifacts, complemented by temporary exhibitions of historic artworks. The Petit Palais also features an on-site cafe/restaurant, as well as a book and gift shop.

    Open daily except except Mondays and public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00. Thursdays until 20:00 for temporary exhibitions only. Ticket office closes at 17:00·Free admission to the permanent collections. Admission charge for temporary exhibitions (EUR 5-11)

26. See

    Musée national du Moyen Âge

    A medieval museum exhibiting the five "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, housed in a part Roman, part medieval building.

27. See

    Notre Dame Cathedral

    Impressive Gothic cathedral that was the inspiration for Victor Hugo's novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

28. See4th arrondissement

    Notre-Dame de Paris

    Notre Dame Cathedral

    The early Gothic Cathédrale de Notre Dame (Our Lady) has a 12th century design but wasn't completed until the 14th. Still it is a good example of the development of the style, though the west or main portal is a bit unusual in its rigidity. An April 2019 fire caused severe damage, but after extensive renovation the cathedral was reopened to the public in December 2024. See item below for separate process to visit towers.

    7:45 — 18:45·free but booking is recommended as queues can be long.

29. See8th arrondissement

    Palais de la decouverte

    Palace of discovery

    In a magnificent the western wing of the Grand Palais, this museum forms a part of science-themed education-oriented universcience establishment together with the La Cite des Sciences in La Villette. In the Palais, you will find two large floors with rooms dedicated to different branches of science, including physics, chemistry, mathematics and life-sciences, as well as a planetarium.

    Tue-Sat 09:30-18:00, Sun 10:00-19:00, closed on Mondays and public holidays and on the day Tour de France finishes in Paris.·Full price €9, planetarium requires extra €3 supplement

30. Do10th arrondissement

    Palais des Glaces

    Grand palace with two theatres, the Palais des Glaces (Palace of Mirrors) features two shows, often two comics, simultaneously, and sometimes shows for children.

    Mon-Sat, 11:00-18:30

31. See6th arrondissement

    Palais du Luxembourg

    Visitable only by reservation and then only one Saturday every month. A richly decorated palace built for Marie de Medici in the early 17th century, which is now the French Senate. For those interested in seeing a Parisian monument normally unavailable to the public, or for those interested in the inner workings of the French Government. The large Luxembourg Garden is open to the public year-round. The garden is home to the Medici fountain, a children's playground, and vintage toy boats for hire that children push around in the Grand Bassin duck pond (a 90-year tradition).

    Closed · opens 10:03 am tomorrow·free

32. See8th arrondissement

    Parc Monceau

    One of Paris's best kept secrets, painted by Monet numerous times. It is a very elegant centre of green in the middle of cosmopolitan Paris. Make sure you check out the statues, entrance rotunda and the surrounding mansions. Thanks to Haussmann himself this precious slice of parkland was reserved for the enjoyment and leisure of the people of Paris. It is unusual in France due to its casual, informal "English" style planning, and is a contrast to other Parisian parks such as the classically laid out and formal Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries. Randomly placed throughout the park are scaled-down architectural replicas including an Egyptian pyramid, Dutch windmill, and a Chinese fort. Free Wi-Fi in the park.

33. See12th arrondissement

    Picpus Cemetery

    Cimetière de Picpus

    A must for anyone interested in the history of the American Revolution. This small cemetery includes three mass graves from the French Revolution, plus a section that includes many of France's most noble families that lost members during the French Revolution and consequently have a continuing right to be buried there. In the farthest right hand corner is the tomb of General Lafayette, the friend and fellow soldier of George Washington. Beside him is his beloved wife plus other members of her family, the de Noailles, who were almost completely wiped out during the French Revolution because of their closeness to the Court. Since 1834 the American flag has apparently flown continuously over his grave, even during the German occupation of Paris during World War II. Well worthy of a visit.

    Tue-Sat 14:30

34. See8th arrondissement

    Pont Alexandre III

    The bridge is widely regarded as the most ornate, extravagant bridge in the city. It is classified as a French Monument historique.

35. See8th arrondissement

    Saint-Alexandre-Nevsky Cathedral

    A striking 19th-century Russian Orthodox cathedral crowned with gilded onion domes, built for the city’s Russian community.

36. See1st arrondissement

    Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois

    This Gothic church functioned until the 19th century as the parish church of the kings of France. In this role, the church has sometimes played a gruesome part in history. Its bell called 'Marie' sounded on the night of 23 August 1572, to launch the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, in which thousands of Huguenots were killed by Catholic mobs. Nowadays, the church is peaceful and an active parish church for commoners (the monarchy having long since given way to the Republic), and well worth visiting.

37. See

    Sainte-Chapelle

    Exquisite stained glass chapel. More beautiful interior than the gloomy Notre Dame Cathedral.

38. See8th arrondissement

    l'Arc de Triomphe

    This iconic triumphal arch forms the focus of the main east-west road axis of Paris, running between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Défense in the west. The monument was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 as a tribute to his victories as Emperor of France - it was finally completed in 1836, long after his death. 50 m (150 ft) high and 45 m wide, the Arc de Triomphe is decorated with battle scenes and martial sculptures that includes La Marseillaise by Rude. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed beneath the arch in 1920, where an eternal flame burns in tribute to the French dead of both World Wars. The arch is surrounded by a large roundabout, aptly known as l'Etoile - 'the star' - with 12 thoroughfares leading off from it. Visitors can purchase a ticket to climb to the top of the arch, from where magnificent views spread out over western Paris. Admission to a small museum devoted to the history and meaning of the monument is included. The central island and the arch are accessed by an underground passage. Do not attempt to negotiate by foot the busy multi-lane road that rings the Arc de Triomphe, which many Parisian drivers seem to consider their own personal speedway.

    admission fee applies for over-17s, free for EU-people under 26 & Passion Monuments card holders

39. See8th arrondissement

    Élysée Palace

    Palais de l'Élysée

    The official residence of the President of France since 1848. Dating to the early 18th century, it contains the office of the President and the meeting place of the Council of Ministers. The name Élysée derives from Elysian Fields, not the avenue but instead the place of the blessed dead in Greek mythology. Not open to the public, except occasionally during the annual National Heritage Days (usually a weekend in mid-September). Important foreign visitors are hosted at the nearby Hôtel de Marigny, a palatial residence.

40. See8th arrondissement Not mapped

    Armenian Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

    The spiritual centre of the Armenian Apostolic Church in France, combining traditional Armenian design elements with a Parisian setting.

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Paris (CC BY-SA 4.0).