Paris, France — Attractions
Eiffel Tower
Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) could never have guessed that it would become Paris's signature sightseeing attraction and bring more than six million visitors a year. It was built as a temporary structure to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution and was opened by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England. The Eiffel Tower was considered an eyesore by many and there were petitions to have it pulled down. It was saved only because it had become an important antenna for telegraphy. It towers 984ft (300m) above the Champ de Mars and until 1930 was the world's tallest building. The highest of its three levels offers a wonderful panoramic view over Paris.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Champ de Mars 7
- Phone Number
- (08) 92 70 12 39
- Website
- www.tour-eiffel.fr
- Transport
- RER Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel station; Métro Bir-Hakeim, Trocadéro, Ecole Militaire; bus 42, 69, 72, 82, 87
- Hours
- Daily; 9.30am to 11pm (September to mid-June), 9am to midnight (mid-June to August)
- Admission
- Elevator 1st and 2nd floor EUR8.10; 3rd floor EUR13.10 (adults). Stairs - EUR4.50 (2nd floor). Concessions available
Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame looms large over the Place de Parvis, on the Isle de la Cité, and as the most enduring symbol of Paris is an alluring tourist attraction. Built between 1163 and 1345 the Cathedral is considered one of the of the world's Gothic masterpieces. The massive interior can seat 6,000 and it is dominated by three spectacular and enormous rose windows and a vast 7,800-pipe organ. The 387-step climb to the top of the towers is worth the effort for the panoramic view of the city and the close-up views of the famous gargoyles. The tower also holds the great bell that was rung by Quasimodo, the fictional hunchback. Opposite the north door is a museum that displays the Cathedral's history, while under the square in front of the Cathedral is the crypt that houses Notre-Dame's archaeological museum.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 6 Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame
- Phone Number
- (01) 4234 5610
- Email Address
- info@cathedraleDeParis.com
- Website
- www.cathedraledeparis.com
- Transport
- Cité métro; RER Châtelet-Les Halles or Saint-Mic stations; or bus 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 85 or 96
- Hours
- Daily, 8am to 6.45pm (7.15pm on Saturday and Sunday)
Louvre
One of the world's great art museums, this vast edifice houses an extraordinary collection of paintings, sculptures and antiquities from all over the world. The Louvre was opened to the public in 1793, soon after the Revolution, to display the spectacular treasures looted from the royal palaces. The best-known attraction is Leonardo da Vinci's enigmatic Mona Lisa, which is protected by bullet-proof glass within its own room. The permanent collections are divided into Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Asian antiquities, painting, drawings, sculpture and objects d'art. Don't even attempt to see it all in one day.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Cour Napoléon, 1. Reception area is under the giant glass pyramid
- Phone Number
- (01) 4020 5760
- Email Address
- info@louvre.fr
- Website
- www.louvre.fr
- Transport
- Métro Palais Royal or Musée du Louvre; bus 21, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81 or 95
- Hours
- 9am to 6pm (10pm Wednesday and Friday, except public holidays); closed Tuesdays. Opening hours for temporary exhibitions vary
- Admission
- EUR9.50 full-day pass to permanent exhibitions (EUR6 after 6pm); EUR2 for under 18s; free on first Sunday of every month.
Pompidou Center
Built in the 1970s and named after former French president Georges Pompidou, the futuristic Pompidou Center is now considered part of the Parisian landscape. The outrageous design, complete with its glass elevators, was the inspiration for the Lloyds Building in London and attracts visitors by the million; it is the city's most popular attraction by far. The building houses the Musée National d'Art Modern (MNAM), which displays a vast collection of 20th-century art from Fauvism and Cubism to Abstract and Absurd and its numerous cinemas and theaters have regular musical and dance performances. The square to the West of the building attracts a varied assortment of street performers.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Place Georges Pompidou, entrance by the plaza in Rue Saint-Martin
- Phone Number
- (08) 92 684 694
- Email Address
- info@cnac-gp.fr
- Website
- www.centerpompidou.fr
- Transport
- Métro Rambuteau, Châtelet, Hôtel de Ville; RER (train) Châtelet or Les Halles; bus 21, 29, 38, 47, 58, 69, 70, 72, 74, 75, 76, 81, 85, 96
- Hours
- Daily (except Tuesdays), 11am to 10pm. MNAM: Wednesday to Monday, 11am to 9pm
- Admission
- One-day Center pass EUR12; exhibitions EUR10; MNAM EUR12 (temporary exhibitions vary)
Musée d'Orsay
This great museum is fairly new by Paris standards. It is situated in a railway station by the Seine and houses a vast collection of works from the significant 1848 to 1914 period. There are important works from the Art-Nouveau movement but the Orsay is best known for its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. The collection is arranged chronologically and contains highly regarded works by Monet, Manet and Courbet. Also on permanent display is the famous painting by Gustave Doré entitled L'énigmeand Henri Chapu's marble statue of Joan of Arc in Domrémy. The museum is undergoing construction on level 5 until March 2011.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Entrances on Rue de la Légion d'Honneur and Rue de Bellechasse
- Phone Number
- (01) 4049 4814, or 4549 1111 (recorded information)
- Website
- www.musee-orsay.fr
- Transport
- RER Musée d'Orsay; Métro Solférino; bus 24, 63, 68, 69, 73, 83, 84 or 94
- Hours
- Tuesday to Sunday 9.30am to 6pm (closing 9.45 on Thursday); closed Mondays
- Admission
- EUR8 adults; EUR5.50 for 18-25s; free for under 18s
Musée Rodin
The Rodin Museum is situated near the Musée d'Orsay and is housed in what was formerly the Hôtel Biron, the beautiful hotel where Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) once lived and worked. Inside are many of Rodin's great marble sculptures including The Kisswhile outside, in the garden, are famous bronzes including The Thinker.The museum also includes many works by Camille Claudel, Rodin's pupil and mistress, and paintings by Van Gogh, Renoir, Manet and Rodin himself.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 77 Rue de Varenne
- Phone Number
- (01) 4418 6110
- Email Address
- penseur@musee-rodin.fr
- Website
- www.musee-rodin.fr
- Transport
- Métro Varenne, Invalides or Saint-François-Xavier; RER to Invalides station; bus 69, 82, 87 or 92
- Hours
- 10am to 5.45pm, closed Mondays
- Admission
- EUR6 (adult); EUR10 museum and gardens
Musée National Picasso
The Picasso Museum is situated in a 17th century mansion in the heart of Paris. The collection was started in 1973, after the French government accepted Picasso's own collection in lieu of death duties, and was added to after his widow's death in 1990. All the phases of work from the Paris-based artist are represented including his paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures and even poetry. Memorable works include the self-portrait Paolo as Harlequinand Nude in an Armchair. Most of Picasso's great paintings however are owned by and housed in foreign museums or are in the hands of private collectors.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Hôtel Salé, 5 Rue de Thorigny
- Phone Number
- (01) 4271 2521
- Transport
- Métro Chemin Vert, St-Paul or Saint-Sébastien Froissart; bus 29, 96, 69, 75
- Hours
- 9.30am to 5.30pm, closed Tuesdays
- Admission
- EUR8.50; free for under 18s
Versailles
The Château de Versailles stands 15 miles (24km) southwest of Paris and is one of France's noted attractions. Most of the palace was built between 1664 and 1715 by Louis XIV (known as the Sun King), who turned his father's hunting lodge into the grandest palace ever built. The 'Old Château' still exists but is enveloped by the vast white stone façade of the New Château. This lavish statement of monarchical power was to become a symbol of the excess that would lead to the revolution of 1789. Perhaps the most famous room in the palace is the Hall of Mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, signifying the end of the Great War. Within the palace visitors can also see the former Royal bedchambers, the grand staircase and other staterooms, and within the vast landscaped park and gardens are many wonderfully ornate fountains and ponds. There is a small train that ferries visitors from the palace to the Grand Trianon and Petit Trianon, former love nests where both the Sun King and Napoleon enjoyed the company of their mistresses.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Phone Number
- (01) 3083 7800
- Email Address
- cirquededemain@cirquededemain.com
- Website
- www.chateauversailles.fr
- Transport
- Buses, trains and the métro all go to Versailles from Paris
- Hours
- 9am - 6.30pm (3 April to 31 October); 9am - 5.30pm (1 November to 2 April). Closed Mondays
- Admission
- The Palace EUR15, free for under 18s
Fontainebleau
In the 16th century, Henry II and Catherine de Medici commissioned architects Philibert Delorme and Jean Bullant to build a new palace here within the Fontainebleau forest 40 miles (64km) south of Paris. Italian Mannerist artists Rosso Fiorentino and Primaticcio came to assist in the interior decoration, helping to found the School of Fontainebleau. Visitors will see the long Gallery of François I, which the artists adorned with scenes like The Rape of Europaand the monarch holding a pomegranate, a symbol of unity, as well as the richly adorned Louis XV Staircase and the Ballroom with its monumental fireplace and frescoes. The palace was a refuge for French monarchs from the days of the Renaissance; they valued it because of its distance from the slums of Paris and for the rich hunting grounds that surrounded it. Many important events have occurred here, perhaps none more memorable than when Napoleon stood on the grand steps in front of the palace and bade farewell to his shattered army before departing for Elba. Compared to the glories of Versailles, however, Fontainebleau can be a bit of an anticlimax; it is best to see it before Versailles.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 4 Rue Royale
- Phone Number
- (0)1 6074 9999
- Email Address
- info@fontainebleau-tourisme.com
- Website
- www.fontainebleau.fr
- Hours
- Daily except Tuesdays 9.30am to 6pm (until 5pm from October to May)
- Admission
- EUR6.50, free for under 18s
Arc de Triomphe
The world's largest triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile is set at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It stands 165ft (51 meters) tall and the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods are engraved around the top of the Arch. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, can be found on the inside walls. Since 1920, the tomb of France's Unknown Soldier has been sheltered underneath the arch. Its eternal flame commemorates the dead of the two world wars, and is rekindled every evening at 6pm. On July 14, the French National Day, also known as Bastille Day, a military parade starts at the arch and proceeds down the Champs Elysées.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Center of the Place Charles de Gaulle,
- Phone Number
- (01) 55 37 7377
- Website
- www.arcdetriomphe-paris.com
- Admission
- EUR7; concessions available
Les Invalides
Les Invalides were built by Louis XIV in 1670 as a military hospital to take care of wounded soldiers. This attraction comprises the largest single collection of monuments and museums in Paris all relating to the military history of France. It is a burial site for some of France's war heroes, including the ashes of the greatest French military genius, Napoleon Bonaparte, rest under the dome of Les Invalides and attract many visitors to Paris. Its 13 hectares of building and large church with a golden dome make Les Invalides a classical French architecture masterpiece.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 35 Rue du Chevaler-de-la-Barre
- Phone Number
- (0)1 4442 3877
- Email Address
- accueilnord-ma@invalides.org
- Website
- www.invalides.org
- Transport
- Acessible by Line 8 Latour-Maubourg, or Bus 32, 63, 93.
- Hours
- 10am to 5pm (October to March), 10am to 6pm (April to September). Closed first Monday of every month and public holidays.
- Admission
- EUR9, free for under 18s; other concessions available
Jardin des Plantes
The Jardin des Plantes is France's main botanical garden. Covering 28 hectares (280,000 m²) the garden was originally planted by Louis XIII's doctor in 1626 as a medicinal herb garden. In 1640, it became Paris's first public garden. In 1739, after a long period of decline, the gardens were expanded greatly and a maze called the Labyrinth was added. It still exists today. The Jardin des Plantes maintains a botanical school which constructs demonstration gardens and trains botanists.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Blvd Henri IV, Quartier Montpellier Center Montpellier 34967
- Phone Number
- (0)1 4079 5601
- Email Address
- valhuber@mnhn.fr
- Hours
- Daily, 7.30am to 8pm
Disneyland Paris
Comprising two theme parks, Disneyland Paris is a must for all children visiting the city. With all their favorite characters, exciting rides and much more, children of all ages will love Disneyland Paris. There are also seven Disney-owned hotels for visitors and vacationers to choose from to help make their Disneyland Paris experience one to remember.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Website
- www.disneylandparis.com
- Hours
- Open daily from 10am, closing time varies.
- Admission
- General admission: £53 (adults); £45 (children). Concessions available
Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle
Located in the Jardin des Plantes, the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) greets visitors with two gigantic whale skeletons at the entrance. With wonderful exhibitions and fascinating displays on botany, archaeology and palaeontology to name a few, the museum will captivate kids' imaginations and educate them as well. The dinosaur exhibits is hugely popular with the younger visitors, but this museum is a must for children of all ages.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 57 rue Cuvier
- Phone Number
- (01) 40 79 39 80
- Website
- www.mnhn.fr
- Hours
- Wednesday to Monday from 10am - 6pm
- Admission
- EUR8 (adults); EUR6 (children)
Le Jardin d' Acclimatation
This children's amusement park sees thousands of tourists every year. Featuring a menagerie and the Exploradome Museum, with fantastic optical illusions and amazing structures, the Jardin d'Acclimatation is a great place for kids to run around and let off some steam.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Bois de Boulonge
- Phone Number
- 01 40 67 90 82
- Website
- www.jardindacclimatation.fr
- Admission
- EUR2.90, concessions available
Parc Asterix
Based on the comics by Uderzo and Goscinny, the Parc Asterix, is a theme park located just outside of Paris. It's well known for its large variety of roller-coasters and has begun incorporating rides and themes from historic cultures such as the Romans and the ancient Greeks. The Menhir express is a log flume ride, while other rides include the Goudurix, the Grand Splatch and the Oxygénarium.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Phone Number
- 0826 30 10 40
- Email Address
- contact@parcasterix.com
- Website
- www.parcasterix.fr
- Hours
- Open daily from 9.30am - 7pm during peak season; 10am - 6pm during off-peak season
- Admission
- One day pass: EUR39 (adults) EUR29 (children under 12)
France Miniature
Located in Flancourt, France Miniature features over 130 models of famous French attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower, Lourdes and Versailles, for visitors to enjoy. Everything has been created a 1/30 scale and some for the models are even animated. Children will love spending a day out at this miniature country.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- Boulevard André Malraux
- Phone Number
- 01 30 16 16 30
- Website
- www.franceminiature.fr
- Hours
- 10am - 7pm July and August; 10am - 6pm rest of the year; closed November - February
- Admission
- Peak season: EUR19.50 (adults); EUR13.50 (children). Off-season: EUR18.50 (adults); EUR12.50 (children)
Aquaboulevard
The largest water park in Europe and located in the heart of the city, Aquaboulevard is a great treat for kids on rainy days in Paris, as its facilities are indoors, with outdoor pools and a beach for when the weather is fine. The park itself includes waterslides and wave machines, with Jacuzzis for parents, but the complex also offers cinemas, tennis courts, a fitness center, play areas, and other attractions.
- Region/City Name
- Paris
- Address
- 4 to 6 Rue Louis Armand
- Zip Code
- 75015
- Phone Number
- 1 40 60 10 00
- Website
- www.aquaboulevard.fr
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday 9am-11pm; Friday 9am-midnight; Saturday 8am-midnight; Sunday 8am-11pm
- Admission
- EUR25
