What places are 'must-see' in Paris?

Show all answers

Rillifane

I don't know where you are from but I will assume you are not French and likely to be an American. Please excuse me if I am wrong.

Its easy enough to name tourist sights and museums. Paris is a large and ancient city with many such things to see. Five days is a fairly brief time and you can easily fill those days with sightseeing and not see even a small fraction of everything there is to see.

What you can't find in a list of places to see is the charm of Paris. That charm is the reason I keep returning despite having seen just about every "sight" in more than thirty five years of regular visits.

All that introduction is to to suggest that Paris should be experienced rather than viewed.

Go to the Luxembourg Gardens, sit on one of the lounge chairs that are scattered about and watch kids sail toy boats in the pond.

Stroll thru the Tuilleries Gardens and find the sandy courts where older gentlemen gather to play boules (maybe someone will offer to teach you how to play).

Get a good map then put it in your pocket and just wander around off the main streets. Peer into shop fronts, check out a grocery store, take in the architecture, and when you see a small cafe with no bright lights or "english spoke here" signs, just walk in and have a glass of wine. Sit a spell and watch the world go by.

In the evening try Aux Trois Mailletz at 56 rue Galand (left bank) or Un piano sur le trottoir at 77 rue des Francs Bourgeois (right bank) for dinner. Both places are very friendly, relatively untouristy, and have pianos playing and people singing. Join in.

Be both fearless and open minded. Meet people. Become part of the city for just a little while. Fall in love with Paris. Do that and you'll be back again and again. I know I did and I have.

MUSEE D'ORSAY has got to be the most awesome museum i've ever been to----french impressionism, u'll be very worldly after visiting here (haha) there's renoir, monet, manet, van gogh, toulouse-lautrec, the original Whistler's Mother is there, its an old train station that was saved from destruction and converted into a museum, OHH, there's also Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin

u have to go there the louvre is awesome too if u get a 3 day pass, u could go there anytime u wanted and still wouldnt be able to see everything

although, eiffel tower and notre dame, and the ARC DE TRIMOPHE are really cool

DEFINTELY SEE: MONTMARTRE it's in northern paris, and its where all the artists are, Sacre Coeur or the white church, is there as well, this is where they filmed Amelie, and it has some unbelieveable places, just any cafe, people watching, and looking at the beautiful archetiture

At SACRE COEUR u get a whole view of the city, including the Eiffel Tower, its the highest point in Paris (outside eiffel tower)

QUARTIER LATIN, or latin quarter (neighborhood) is really cool too, thats the place u should stay, but all the restaurants there are the best, and the JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG is a really cool park, its big!!

there's so many things going through my mind now, i went in the summer of 2005 and im going back in next April in 2007

hope u have fun it ur visits in LA CITE LUMIERE (the city of lights) I LOVE PARIS!!!!

worldglobetrottergirl

Yeah, the Eiffel Tower's an obvious one. It really depends on what your interests are...

I usually attend mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral, explore the Louvre, walk in the footsteps of kings at Versailles, drool over the roomful of van Goghs at the Musee d'Orsay, cruise along the Seine at night, dine of French delicacies at any number of charming cafes, pay homage to Napoleon at Invalides, visit Sacre-Coeur Basilica and get a panoramic view of Paris from its steps, take an introductory bus tour of Paris the first day, dine at Auberge de la Bonne Franquette in the heart of Montmartre, pay my respects to the Doors' frontman Jim Morrison at Pere Lachaise Cemetery.

And my list goes on and on...

I would suggest getting a museum pass...they are available in 2- or 4-day passes and really are a godsend.

I love the walk from the Louvre, through Tuileries Garden, past the Place de la Concorde, up Champs-Elysses to the Arc de Triomphe.

Montmartre really is a great area. Cheap souvenirs, great food, great atmosphere. Check out the artists there. And the view from the steps of Sacre-Coeur is beautiful.

montanus

All the good places in Paris are mentioned except the Quartier Latin and the Invalid-Minster, also worthy to see: A few miles in the south of Paris the castle Fontaine Bleau!

Allyson26

Notre Dame (cathedral), Champs de Elysses (for shopping), Eiffel Tower (for entertainment), Catacombs (for a gory but entertaining experience)

Lance U

The Louvre Museum hold many of the greatest works of Art, sculpture, murals, furniture, and jewelry. The Museum de Orsay is dedicated to art of the modern era. The Pompidou Center has Modern Art. Notre Dame is one of the great Gothic Cathedrals in the world. The Garnier Paris Opera House is magnificent to behold. The Eifel Tower is a wonderful place to see 360 degrees of Paris at your feet. The Cemeteries hold the remains of such personages as Oscar Wild, Jim Morrison and Edith Piaf. The Palace of Versailles is a magnificent visit to the life of Royalty. The Museum Cluny has many tapestries including the Unicorn and the Lady. Monet, Picasso, De la Croix and Rodin specifically have Museums of their work. And of course, there are the highlights of the DaVinci Code.

L'Aubergiste

Musee Rodin; Musee Picasso.
They have nice buildings and gardens (not to mention fine art).
Versailles, walk the gardens; Trianon, Le Hameau.
Hotel Costes.

GratefulDad

The Louvre Museum, and some of the other museums

Take a boat down the Seine. And then after that get on the 69 bus from Bastille to the Eiffel tower via the Louvre (this is brill at night). Make your way to La Defense underground, come up and be awed. Go up the grand arche, look at tthe vista of Arc de triomphe, to the Louvre. Come down get on the 73 bus, Sit on it till you go down the Champs Elyeeses. Get of at Place de la Concorde. Walk through the Tuilleries to the Louvre. Go in and about a year later you'll have had time to see everything!

melissa r

Best view: Top of the arc de triomphe! It best view because the eiffel is actually in it- whereas when your on the eiffel- you don't see it.
like 8 roads come together like a star and meet at the arc de triomphe. You in the evening before sunset....then you see paris is light and then night also- so beautiful.

http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Arc/info.html

adamthrill

watch moulin rouge! it's a must!

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: