Métro: Bir-Hakeim; RER: Champ de Mars

From the “Square of Liberties and Human Rights”, tourists have an exceptional view on the capital which has been looked after by the Eiffel Tower since 1889. The “Great Lady” became the universal symbol of the first French city. It is 324 metres high, has 1665 steps and weights 10,000 tons. Each year, 50 tons of painting are used to keep the “iron Lady” as pretty as she is. It’s not surprising that Paris stands at her feet!
For a fantastic panorama on the capital, walk up the Eiffel Tower or take the lift. When the weather is fine, you can see 90km round!
The architectural elegance of the capital has its letters patent of nobility in this quarter full of soldiery beauty .
Consistently modern, the Eiffel Tower makes a special effort to surprise visitors. Do not miss the latest futurist, interactive attraction — the Eiffel Tower Visitors Galaxy — where you take part in the construction of a virtual Eiffel Tower. In conjunction with the Caisse Nationale des Monuments Historiques et des Sites, the Tower offers groups a series of conference tours, highlighting the history of the monument in its time, its contribution to modern metal architecture, and all the scientific and technical applications experimented on the Tower.
Built in 1889 for the World Fair, it stands at 324 meters high, weighs in at 10,000 tons, has over 2.5 million rivets, and three levels you can ascend to admire the lovely views of Paris. From what I understand, the sights at night are amazing. Over 5.8 million people go to at least the lower platform each year. That’s an amazing number!
It’s named after Gustave Eiffel and my favorite fact about the tower is that it’s height can vary by 15 cm depending on the temperatures (the metal expands in the summer and contracts in the winter.) How cool is that??!!
The lifts are located in the west and north pillars but if you’re feeling up to the task, you can climb the stairs and only pay 3.80 Euro to reach the 1st and 2nd platforms.
The hours for the lifts are 9am-midnight mid June-August, 9:30am-11pm September-mid June and the stairs are open 9am-midnight mid June-August, 9:30am-6:30pm September-mid June. The lifts cost 4.20 Euro to the 1st platform, 7.70 to the 2nd, and 11 to the 3rd.

Métro: Métro
This thing is huge. Seriously huge. I had no idea. Built in 1806 by Napoleon to commemorate his imperial victories, it was completed in 1836. The panels at the base of each side have relief sculptures, and running around the top of the monument are hundreds of figures each 2 meters high. It’s quite amazing. With that in mind, it wasn’t my impression that paying the entrance fee to view the top was necessary, but I guess that all depends on the type of tourist you are – if you can’t get enough of the heights and don’t think you’ll be doing the top of the Tower, then go for it, otherwise maybe save your money. Regardless, cross under the street and go see this up close, it’s simply amazing.
For myself, the most interesting historical aspect of the Arc is who marched under it…the Germans in 1871, the Allies in 1919, the Germans again in 1940, and the Allies again in 1944. How amazing is that? Remember those four dates as you’re standing under there admiring the tomb for the soldiers. It’s quite moving.
The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon as a tribute to his own military achievements, but it was not completed until 1836. The Arc was later modified to honor the armies of the Revolution.
The Arc de Triomphe is built on the model of ancient Triumphal Arches, but it stands alone because of its monumental size: 50 meters tall and 45 meters wide (164 by 148 feet). The four magnificent high reliefs are crowned by Rude’s masterpiece, “The Departure of the Volunteers in 1792”
The structure was designed by Jean François Thérèse Chalgrin (1739-1811) and completed in 1836 during the reign of Louis Philippe. Its deceptively simple design and immense size, 49.5 m (162 ft) in height, mark it unmistakably as a product of late 18th-century romantic neoclassicism.
The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It is the climax of a vista seen the length of the Champs Elysées from the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries gardens, and from the Obélisque de Luxor in the place de la Concorde.
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. Here, on every Armistice Day (November 11), the President of the Republic lays a ceremonial wreath. 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.
At the bases of the Arc’s pillars are four huge relief sculptures, commemorating The Triumph of 1810 (by Cortot); Resistance, and Peace (both by Etex); and The Departure of the Volunteers, more commonly known as La Marseillaise (by François Rude). On the day the Battle of Verdun started (1916), the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off from La Marseillaise. The relief was immediately hidden to conceal the accident, so that it would not be interpreted as a bad omen.
Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, can be found on the inside walls. (Generals whose names are underlined died in action.)
Inside the Arch, a small museum documents its history and construction. The price of admission includes access to the top of the Arch. From the roof, one is treated to spectacular views of Paris. Looking eastwards, down the Champs Elysées, toward the Louvre, there is the Place de la Concorde, the Tuileries Gardens, and the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel. In the opposite direction – westwards – in the distance is its larger and newer cousin, La Grande Arche de la Défense.
Before taking the elevator to the top of the Arc to experience the amazing city view, stand by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, added at the Arch’s base in 1920. An eternal flame burns here to commemorate fallen soldiers.
As visitors stand silent in thought, cars zip madly around the road circling the Arc. Fortunately, there is an underground passage for pedestrians to pass beneath the busy road. (located on the even numbered sides of av des Champs-Elysees. To cross it would truly be a life-threatening endeavor!
Hours are 10am-11pm April-September and 10am-10:30pm October-March. Admission is free but the viewing platform above the arc 8 Euro for adults.

Métro: Champs-Élysées-Clemenceau, Franklin-D.-Roosevelt, George V, Étoile

The most famous street in Paris was built in the 17th century, but did not attract fashionable society until after the French Revolution. The avenue extends from the Arc de Triomphe at one end to the Place de la Concorde at the other.
Champs-Elysées during the day with their heavy car traffic and continuous pedestrian animation. People from all over the world are going to the theater, shopping, going to a restaurant or just walking and looking around : Lido cabaretor trying to get past the bouncers at Queen, invest it with a certain glitzy charm.
Walking down the Champs-Elysées, admires the three architectural masterpieces built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. The Grand Palais is fascinating by its riot of Art Nouveau ironwork and its splendid glass roof.
The Petit Palais reopened in 2005 with its peristyle, the importance of its volumes and the one given to daylight, hosts various exhibitions of paintings, scluptures and objets d’art.
Finally, the Pont Alexandre III, with its lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses, is one of the most impressive Art Nouveau artworks .

Take a 3-hour cruise along the River Seine and the St. Martin Canal all the way to Parc de la Villette, and then return. Have a relaxing picnic in the park during your stay. Expect this too take the whole morning and early afternoon to complete. The cruise costs EUR 16 for adults; EUR 9 for children aged 4-11

Near the Eiffel tower

Bateaux Parisiens River Cruise: If you’re a sucker for a river cruise, you don’t want to miss one in Paris. The Seine curves through the city, revealing one exquisite scene after another, and the effect of being on a boat, watching Paris slowly pass you, is cinematic. The cruises range from guided, hour-long tours to elaborate dinners. The Bateaux Parisiens is highly recommended and departs near the Eiffel Tower.

TMétro: Solférino

his magnificent museum, located in the old Orsay railway station built in 1900, is dedicated to all forms of artistic expression: painting, sculpture and photography of the 1848-1914 period. The era of the impressionist painters is particularly well represented with the masterpieces of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas… Admire the delicate brush strokes of Renoir, the serious self-portrait of Van Gogh, the radiance of a Monet’s landscape amongst other artistic marvels.
Built by the architect Victor Laloux in 1900, the “Gare d’Orsay” was one of the Paris stations where trains departed to the south-west of France (Orléans and Bordeaux). Located across the Louvre on the Seine’s left bank, it has been spectacularly renovated from 1977 to 1986 to house the Orsay museum. The museum architecture has been praised as a major success in industrial building renovation.
The Orsay museum (Musée d’Orsay in french) is the 19th century French arts museum. It is known worldwide for its famous impressionist collections and is a must to arts lovers.
In the 1870, “Impressionism” was a French “Avant-garde” painters group rejected by the official academy. The impressionists (among them Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Edgar Manet, Théo Van Gogh and Paul Cézanne) painted ordinary life and people on the spot and in the open air.
They rejected historical and mythological subjects. They used light colors. Above all, they are famous for having departed from the tradition of painting “reality”. Instead, they used color spots and strokes to suggest their “impression” of the reality that only reveals itself from the distance.
This museum is located at a very historically unique site, an old train station that runs along a large body of water. Go inside and check the museum’s impressive collection of impressionist and neo-impressionist art. Walk around and enjoy the views, even grab a bite to eat at the cafe, or take a cruise along the popular Paris Canal ride.

Metro: Cité

This Gothic style cathedral was contructed between the years 1163 – 1212, and renovated and completed in 1270. The 387-step climb to the top is rewarded with spectacular views and group picture moments. Inside see the magnificent stain-glass windows, on the outside check out the detail in the designs of the doorways and 69 meter tall towers.
The Notre-Dame Cathedral dates back to the 13th century and is one of the masterpieces of Gothic art in Western Europe. Its stainglasses and the huge interior are really stunning artistic experiences of mystical dimension. Located on the Cité island and surrounded by the Seine river, Notre-Dame is a flagship in the Parisian landscape and provides a magnificent view of the city from the top of its towers.
The site of Notre-Dame is the cradle of Paris and had been the religious center of the city. The Celts had their sacred ground here, the Romans built a temple to worship Jupiter. A Christian basilica was built in the 6th century and the last religious structure before the Notre-Dame construction started was a Romanesque church.
Bishop Maurice de Sully started the construction in 1163. The Cathedral was to be built in the new gothic style and had to reflect Paris’s status as the capital of the Kingdom France. It was the first cathedral built on a monumental scale and became the prototype for future cathedrals in France, like the cathedrals of Amiens, Chartres or Rheims, just to name the most famous.
It took until 1345 before the cathedral was completed, partly because the design was enlarged during construction. The result is an overwhelming building, 130m long with two 69 meters tall towers. The spire, which reaches 90m, was added in the 19th century by Viollet-le-Duc. The Notre-Dame has several large rose windows, the northern 13th century window is the most impressive. It is 21 meters high.
The spectacular eastern buttresses are 15m wide. The west side features 3 wide portals, the gallery of Kings and the famous gargoyles.
Excavations under the parvis have revealed traces of Notre-Dame’s history from Gallo-Roman times to the 19th century. Vestiges of Roman ramparts, rooms heated by hypocaust (an ancient system with underground furnaces and tile flues), medieval cellars, and the foundations of a foundling hospital are displayed, as are several fascinating photographs of the surrounding neighborhood before Baron Haussmann’s renovations.
Starting in 1991, a 10 year program of general maintenance and restoration was initiated. While work continues, sections of the structure are likely to be shrouded by scaffolds.
Expect the site to be exceptionally busy on Sundays. Admission: cathedral is free, towers around EUR6

Metro: Pont Neuf

If you’re enjoying a quiet walk on the Seine River in Paris, the bridges are a great bet for some stunning views of the city. The locals all have their bridges, but one of the most popular is the Ponts des Arts.It’s for strollers, thinkers and croissant-eaters only. That is, it’s open only to pedestrians.

Métro: Tuileries

The Jardin des Tuileries is like the Central Park of Paris. It used to be a royal garden, but it was opened to the public in the 16th century and has been a popular park ever since. It’s in the first arrondissement, in the heart of Paris.

Originally meant to defend Paris against the Vikings, this Renaissance palace became a museum in 1793. Today it houses impressive collections of Etruscan, Egyptian, Oriental, Roman and Greek artefacts as well as sculptures, paintings and other works of art ranging from the Middle Ages up to 1850, including Leonardo da Vinci’s enigmatic ‘Mona Lisa’. Architect I.M. Pei’s amazing glass pyramid, commissioned by the President François Mitterrand, caused a sensation when it was added in 1989.
The Louvre has approximately 6,000 European paintings and and was originally designed as a palace. It has been influenced by major events in French history and has experienced changes and additions to the original structure by many architects and decorators. When the Musee d’Orsay was created in 1986, most of the post 1848 works left the Louvre and were transferred to the new Museum which is close by.
The Louvre was built on the site of a medieval fortress on the banks of the Seine river. It was used as the official residence of the French Kings during the 16th and 17th centuries before the Court moved to Versailles in 1682. It officially became a “Peoples Museum” in 1793 after the Revolution, and is now one of the most important museums in the world.
Its collection, which ranges from Egyptian art of 5000 BC to nineteenth-century work, is divided into seven departments: Oriental and Islamic Antiquities; Egyptian Antiquities; Greek, Roman and Etruscan Antiquities; Painting; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; and Graphic Arts.
Throughout the 17th century, as France assumed a dominant role in Europe, the Louvre’s holdings increased dramatically. Particularly important acquisitions during this period were major works by the great Dutch and Flemish masters. In the 18th century the annual salon exhibitions were established. The first state museum was opened in the Louvre in 1793. The central position held by the Louvre in the artistic life was magnified by Napoleon I, who began its Egyptian collection. The overall museum complex was completed under Napoleon III (r. 1852-70). Subsequently, the Louvre expanded its collections greatly through gifts and bequests. Its departments now include Oriental (ancient Mesopotamian), Greek and Roman, and Egyptian antiquities; sculptures from the Middle Age to modern times; furniture and objets d’art; and European paintings and drawings.
In the late 1980’s during the construction of I.M. Pei’s pyramids, the original Medieval fortress base was unearthed, quickly incorporated into the design, and is now on display as part of the museum’s collection.
The relaxing Tuileries garden near by the Louvre museum is one of the most beautiful parks in Paris. Altogether a first class combination well worth a full day of your time.
Admission is EUR8.50 (EUR6 after 6p), and it’s free for children under 18

This magnificent Roman-Byzantine style basilica was designed by Paul Abadie around 1875, and was finally opened in 1914. Atop the tall tower there is a picture-perfect view of the local district, a place where you can get a birds-eye view of all the rooftops below. Inside sites include the crypt and the mosaic of Christ. Admission: (basilica) free
Extra Info:
Sacre Coeur for me is the most beautiful church in Paris. It is a very large white building with several domes of various sizes, and is built high on a hill making it visible from large parts of Paris. The church itself came into being after the Prussina War in 1870. Two Catholic businessmen (who must have been loaded) made a pledge to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Christ (Sacre Coeur means Sacred Heart), should France be saved from the Prussian onslaught. Well I hate to spoil the anticipation, but yes of course France was spared. Work started in 1875, and was completed in 1914, but World War I and the German invasion of Paris meant that the church was consecrated until 1919. If you arrive at the bottom of the hill, beware, there are a lot of steps to get to the top! There is a Funiculaire up the hill however, which can be taken from abbesses metro station.