Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. Most French rulers since the Middle Ages made a point of leaving their mark on a city that, contrary to many other of the world’s capitals, has never been destroyed by catastrophe or war. In modernising its infrastructure through the centuries, Paris has preserved even its earliest history in its street map.
The historical district along the Seine in the city centre is classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site.
Popular landmarks in the city centre included the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (map); the Gothic royal chapel of Sainte-Chapelle (map); the Eiffel Tower (map); the Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées (map) and Petit Palais (map); the *Arc de Triomphe (map), and the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur (map) on the hill of Montmartre (map).
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For centuries, Paris has attracted artists from around the world, who arrive in the city to educate themselves and to seek inspiration from its vast pool of artistic resources and galleries. City was in its artistic prime in the 19th century and early 20th century, when it had a colony of artists established in the city and in art schools associated with some of the finest painters of the times.
Parisian examples of European architecture date back more than a millennium, including the Romanesque church of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1014–1163, map), the early Gothic Architecture of the Basilica of Saint-Denis (1144, map), the Notre Dame Cathedral (1163–1345, map), the Flamboyant Gothic of Saint Chapelle (1239–1248, map), the Baroque churches of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis (1627–1641, map) and Les Invalides (1670–1708, map).
The 19th century produced the neoclassical church of La Madeleine (1808–1842, map), the Palais Garnier serving as an opera house (1875, map), the neo-Byzantine Basilica of Sacré-Cœur (1875–1919, map), as well as the exuberant Belle Époque modernism of the Eiffel Tower (1889, map).
Catacombes de Paris (map). Used to store the exhumed bones from the overflowing Paris cemetery. The bones of more than 6 million bodies lie here.
Since the late 18th century, Paris has been famous for its restaurants and haute cuisine, food meticulously prepared and artfully presented. Today, due to Paris’ cosmopolitan population, every French regional cuisine and almost every national cuisine in the world can be found there; the city has more than 9,000 restaurants. >> (*French cuisine).
Fontainebleau (map). A lovely historic town south of Paris (55.5 km or 35 mi). A favourite weekend getaway for Parisians, it is renowned for its large and scenic forest, and for its château. 35 min train ride from Gare de Lyon (map).
Good listings of current cultural events in Paris can be found in Pariscope, weekly magazines listing all concerts, art exhibitions, films, stage plays and museums. Timeout is a good option for tourists, who don’t speak French.
Flea markets >> The most famous of these is the Marché aux Puces de St-Ouen (Clignancourt Flea Market, map), Métro: Porte de Clignancourt, a haven for lovers of antiques, second-hand goods, and retro fashion. The best days to go are Saturday and Sunday. The Marché aux Puce de Vanves (map)
The Louvre (map) was the most visited art museum in the world in 2019. The Musée d’Orsay (map), Musée Marmottan Monet (map), and Musée de l’Orangerie (map) are noted for their collections of French Impressionist art. The Pompidou Centre (map) / Musée National d’Art Moderne (map) has the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in Europe. The Musée Rodin (map) and Musée Picasso (map) exhibit the works of two noted Parisians. (*List of museums in Paris)
One of the best value and most convenient ways to see the sights is with the Paris Museum Pass, a pre-paid entry card that allows entry into over 70 museums and monuments around Paris (and the Palace of Versailles).
Foreign visitors who have an idealized view of Paris might be shocked by the typical challenges of visiting any large city; crime, traffic noise, pollution, garbage, and relatively high costs. In the worst case, visitors might experience the Paris syndrome; a psychological state of delusion.
To enjoy the wonders of Paris, make realistic plans. The amounts of attractions and landmarks is overwhelming; visiting only the most famous ones (which can be overcrowded during major holidays) takes more than a week.
RATP ::: Metro timetables • Bus timetables • Tramway timetables • RER timetables
CityMapper – Paris | The ultimate transport app and technology for mobility in cities.
+ Public transport (parisinfo.com)
BUS > The Noctilien (Map of Noctilien) is a night bus service that operates in Paris and the Paris region from 12.30am to 5.30am. Ouibus • Isilines • FlixBus • Eurolines • Megabus >> (*Intercity buses in France)
RAIL > The SNCF operates practically all trains within France excluding the Eurostar to London, the Thalys to Brussels and onward to the Netherlands and Germany. + Thello • Ouigo • RailEurope. Eurostar (London), Thalys (Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne), izy (Paris-Brussels) TGV Lyria (Switzerland), DB (Germany) and RENFE (Barcelona). >> Coming to France by train
AIRPORTS > parisaeroport.fr – Paris airport information. aeroport.fr – list of airports in France.
WATERWAYS > Brittany Ferries • P&O Ferries • DFDS Seaways