Attractions in Paris
Paris is a city full of attractions and sights of all shapes and sizes. It is simply impossible not to find something you like here. The itinerary’s selected sights and attractions in Paris are:
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is perhaps the world’s most recognizable building, and a landmark that looms in the landscape. Including the antenna at the top, the Eiffel Tower extends 324 meters above the ground. It is located west of Paris, and the tower attracts tourists in droves every day.
Built in 1889, to mark the centenary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world. The price of the entrance fee depends on whether you want to take the stairs up to the second level or the elevator up to the third and upper levels. The elevator is naturally the most expensive.
Be prepared for long queues, especially on weekends and holidays. The tower is open every day of the year, from 0930 to 2300. In the summer months from 0900 to midnight.
Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame is a stunning Gothic-style cathedral. The first stone was laid before the year 1200, and the church today is 130 meters long. You will find the cathedral on the island of Ile de la Cité right in the center of Paris. The cathedral is open every day of the year, from 0800 to 1845, and has free entrance.
If you are going up into the tower, you must be in shape to walk the 387 stairs to the top, and the entrance is on the outside of the cathedral, to the left of the main entrance. You can also visit the crypt under the cathedral. NB! Notre-Dame suffered a tragic fire in 2019. It is uncertain when the cathedral will be restored. Click here for the official site of Notre-Dame
Pont Neuf
Pont Neuf is the oldest standing bridge in Paris, extending from the west bank, over the Ile de la Cité and to the east bank. It is a main culprit for those who want to Notre-Dame. The bridge is 278 meters long and the construction started as early as 1578 and was completed in 1607.
The bridge has many bizarre heads as a decor, which is supposed to represent the many noble and very distressed friends of King Henry IV during the party he arranged to mark the opening of the bridge. This was the first stretch of Paris with elevated pavement, so you didn’t have to walk in the dirt and muck that gathered on the roadside.
Here is also a memorial plaque of the Knights Grand Master Jaques de Molay, who in 1314 was burned on the stake on the Ile de la Cité at Pont Neuf. While the flames consumed him, the Grand Master called out a curse on King Philip IV and Pope Clement V, who had convicted him. And both died abruptly during the year, causing residents to stay away from this place on Ile de la Cité for a long time.
St. Sulpice
St. Sulpice is very famous and represents great architecture and church power. It is 113 meters long and 34 meters high. The church was built in 1754. You can find it on the east side of Place St. Sulpice in the 6th district of Paris. St. Sulpice is located in the St. Germain area.
The Louvre Museum
Perhaps the world’s best and largest art museum is the Louvre. It is centrally located in Paris. Here all the great masters are represented. The museum building itself is a sight in itself. The same goes for the space around.
Here you can spend many weeks without having to see everything, so we recommend that you pick out the departments that interest you in advance and stick to them.
Tuileries Gardens
The Tuileries Gardens are “surrounded” by Place de la Concord to the west, Rue de Rivoli to the north, Louvre to the east. On the south side, the Seine flows. The gardens are designed by landscape architect Andre Le Notre and cover over 25 hectares.
Place de la Concorde
Constructed in 1755, the Place de la Concorde is located at the eastern end of the Champs Elysees. During the French Revolution, the square was renamed the Revolution Square.
Here a large number of people were executed in the guillotine during the revolution, including King Ludvik XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette. In the square stands an Egyptian obelisk that is over 3000 years old.
Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe can be found at Place de l’Etoile, at the western end of the Champs Elysees. The arch is more than 50 meters high, and below is the grave of the unknown soldier. An eternal flame burns in memory of all the fallen in the world wars.
If you want, you can walk up the 284 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and get a glorious view of the Champs Elysées and Place Charles de Gaulle. The price is about 90 kroner.
Place Vendome
This place is located in the center of Paris, just north of the Tuileries Gardens. The square dates from 1702 and is the starting point on Rue de la Paix street. The place has changed its name several times over the years. At the square you will find, among others, the Hotel Ritz (one of the original). Click here for maps.
Sacre Coeur
One of our favorites is the White Church of Sacre Coeur, located in Montmartre. Sacre Coeur is a basilica built in the late 1800s. Inside Sacre Coeur you will find one of the world’s largest mosaic pictures.
Tourist in Paris
Paris is a city that offers so many sights, attractions and experiences that it becomes absolutely impossible to see everything in two days. Our aim is to familiarize yourself with the city, to experience the atmosphere in some very special areas, the shopping and not least the major attractions.
A good and affordable alternative is to join a free guided walk in Paris. New Paris Tours has three daily tours that you don’t even need to sign up for, just turn up in front of the front desk at Place St.Michel until 1100, 1300 or 1600. The tour takes around 3.5 hours, with lively and young guides. The tour is basically free, but a solid tip at the end of the tour the guide deserves!
Day 1 in Paris
Start your day with the biggest attraction in Paris – the Eiffel Tower. It is an impressive building that rises 300 meters above the ground (324 meters if you include the antenna on top). The whole area oozes with elegance. The Eiffel Tower attracts approx. six million tourists in one year. If you are going up the tower, you can choose between stairs or a lift. From the top you have a fabulous panoramic view of the city. The tower opens at 0930. Remember that there is limited opening hours in mid-June and out of August.
From the Eiffel Tower you cross the Seine over the Pont Diena bridge. You will then come to the Palais de Chaillot, which is a great example of the best architecture of the early 1900s. In the palace there is theater and museum. It was in this area that police recently found traces of a secret sect that was located in the catacombs below the ground. Continue to Place du Trocadero and continue down Avenue Kleber straight to the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc of Triumph was begun in 1806 on the initiative of Napoleon. In the middle of the Arc de Triomphe you see the grave of the unknown soldier and an eternal flame burning in memory of the fallen soldiers in the world wars.
From the Arc de Triomphe, take the Champs Elysées all the way to Place de la Concorde. Champs Elysées is one of the most famous avenues in the world and offers shops, bars and people’s life. Relax with a better lunch at one of the small outdoor cafés. Place de la Concorde is Paris’ largest place, and the last stop before the Tuileries Park.
The obelisk you see on Concorde Square weighs more than 230 tons and was originally at the entrance to the Amon Temple in Luxor (Egypt). Also in this place were the guillotines that cut off the heads of both King Louis 16, his queen Marie Antoinette and and hundreds of nobles in 1793.
Walk into the Tuileries Park and relax from the big city rush for a while. After gathering your strength, you will walk through the entire park of Place du Carrousel and the controversial glass pyramid that tells you that you are at the main entrance to the Louvre Museum. Visiting this museum is a must. The Louvre Museum is perhaps the most famous museum in the world, and here you will find the painting by Mona Lisa. The building itself and its surroundings are worth a visit.
Today’s last trip goes to Notre-Dame. Walk from the Louvre to the Quai du Louvre (along the river). Follow this street to the Pont Neuf bridge. Walk across the bridge to the island of Ile de la Cité. The first thing you want to meet is the Palais de Justice. In addition to a number of courts, this magnificent building also houses a museum. Previously, this was a prison, and Marie Antoinette was imprisoned here for months before she was executed in the guillotine during the French Revolution.
From the Palais de Justice, continue down Ile de la Cité until you reach the wonderful church of Notre-Dame. The first stone of the cathedral was laid as early as 1163. The cathedral was damaged during the French Revolution and completely restored in the middle of the 19th century. The building is in great Gothic style. Notre Dame is subject to the Roman Catholic Church and is in full operation as a church. Unfortunately, Notre-Dame was exposed to a tragic fire in 2019. It is uncertain when it is now being restored.
Day 2 in Paris
As a change, on day 2 we will concentrate on exciting museum visits, shopping and nightlife. Start the day at the Pompide Center. Constructed as late as the 1970s, the Pompidou Center represents the best of modern architecture. In the square in front of the museum there are often street musicians and artists. Also, be sure to bring the Stravinski Fountain in front of the Pompido Center.
After visiting the Pompidou Center, take Rue Rambuteau west towards Forum des Halles. In this area, it is teeming with shopping arcades. Just make sure you don’t walk right past the most exciting shops. The road from here is not that long to the Gallery Lafayette and Printemps, which are the most exclusive shopping malls in Paris. Walk Rue Montmartre to the end of the road or take a taxi.
After shopping, treat yourself to a trip to Place Vendome and a better lunch. The square is not far from the Tuileries and dates from the early 18th century. At this square you will also find the Ritz Hotel, one of the world’s three original Ritz hotels. A lunch here is expensive, but is a memory of a lifetime. Remember to book a table well in advance, and we guarantee that the food tastes good.
In the evening, you must experience some of Paris’ nightlife. Maybe Moulin Rouge might be worth a visit? Moulin Rouge is a cabaret with lightly dressed women, food and drink. The quality is high, and the price level as well, with prices starting around 150 euros for a full night of dinner, champagne and cabaret shows. The building is originally from 1889. The Moulin Rouge is located at the Blache Metro station in Montmartre in the north of Paris. At least six major films have been made with famous actors whose action is from Moulin Rouge.
Another option is to stroll around the Bastille area and Rue de Lappe Street. The cobblestone street Rue de Lappe is full of people, and both locals and tourists, including many young people, pull here.
Do you want to experience a classic, but which has become something of a tourist trap? Take a trip to the Latin Quarter a little further south in Paris. Here you will find simple and affordable night spots with music and drinks. Try the area southeast of Place St. Michel, which is the Latin meeting point’s natural meeting point.