Île-de-France attractions

An expansive green space that stretches between the Eiffel Tower and the Military Academy (École Militaire), the Champ de Mars has been an important public park since the 18th century, serving as a backdrop for World Fairs and Olympic Games. The riverside site has a far more tranquil reputation today, thanks to its gardens, fountains, and picnic-friendly lawns overlooking the Eiffel Tower.

The sweeping Place Vendôme is one of Paris’ most rarefied public squares, home to elegant hotels, storied couturiers, jewelry houses, and even the Ministry of Justice. Commissioned by King Louis XIV in the 18th century, the square is famed for its history, impressive architecture, and the Napoleonic Vendôme Column at its center. Its convenient location near the Louvre and other highlights of the 1st arrondissement make it a mainstay of Paris sightseeing.

Named after former French President Georges Pompidou, who commissioned the building in 1969, Centre Pompidou is a multidisciplinary cultural venue that’s home to the National Museum of Contemporary Art. Visitors come to see famous paintings by legendary artists—such as Henri Matisse, Frida Kahlo, and Wassily Kandinsky—and to marvel at Centre Pompidou’s postmodern architecture, which features multicolored utility pipes routed around the building’s glass and metal exterior.

The Wall of Love (Le Mur des Je T’aime) is a massive work of art featuring the words “I love you” written in over 250 languages. This piece by artist Frédéric Baron and calligrapher Claire Kito, composed of 612 dark blue tiles, is a favorite meeting spot for lovers. It’s yet another example proving that Paris is, in fact, the City of Love.

At the western end of the Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries), looking out across Place de la Concorde and the Seine River, the Musée de l’Orangerie has one of Paris’ most magnificent panoramas right on its doorstep. Brimming with impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces, it is best known for housing eight of Monet’s famous Water Lilies paintings.

For more than 130 years, Galeries Lafayette has been a popular destination store for Paris’ well-heeled shoppers. Beneath the building’s massive art nouveau domed ceiling are thousands of items from luxury fashion brands including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Christian Dior. In addition to a rooftop terrace with views of the Eiffel Tower, Galeries Lafayette has a 5-story gourmet food store and dining court, and it hosts weekly fashion shows on Friday afternoons.

Blending revolutionary history and bohemian-cool atmosphere, the Bastille neighborhood of Paris is a hub for the city’s creative culture. At its heart is Place de la Bastille—where crowds stormed the Bastille prison—while the modern-day Bastille Opera House (Opéra Bastille) hosts cutting-edge performances. Browsing its covered markets, art galleries, workshops, and gardens is a chance to immerse oneself in the Parisian way of life. Nightlife draws revelers from across Paris to the neighborhood’s many venues, from cocktail bars to gourmet eateries and wine cafés.

The Pont de l’Alma crosses over the River Seine in the center of Paris, connecting the Champs-Élysées area to the Les Invalides monument, where Napoleon Bonaparte is buried. Although it was built to commemorate the Battle of Alma in the Crimean War, the bridge is better known these days as the site where Princess Diana died in a car crash.

Built in 1687 by famed architect Mansart, the serene, pink-colonnaded Grand Trianon, was created for Louis XIV as a tranquil getaway from the pressures of court life. While the Grand Trianon is open to the public, it is also an official residence of the French President.

Located across from the Louvre Museum in the heart of Paris, the Palais-Royal is a 17th-century architectural highlight known for its scenic gardens and regal heritage. As its name suggests, the palace used to house French royalty, but it’s now used for government affairs. Luckily, you don’t have to be a government employee to visit—Palais-Royal’s shop-filled galleries, outdoor art installations, and oasis-like gardens are a popular public meeting place.

One of the highlight outlet shopping malls of the Greater Paris region, La Vallée Village is located in Marne-la-Vallée, very close to Disneyland® Paris. Home to over 110 boutiques from a range of brands and designers, and featuring discounts of at least 33 percent, the mall is popular among budget-conscious fashionistas.

Delighting audiences since 1860, Au Lapin Agile is one of the oldest and most beloved cabarets in Paris. The 2-story cottage in Montmartre is emblematic of the bohemian district and is famed for once attracting a loyal following among artists such as Modigliani, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Utrillo. Picasso was another regular, and he immortalized the haunt in his 1905 painting, At the Lapin Agile, which now hangs at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met).

One of only two Seine islands in Paris (the other is the neighboring Île de la Cité), Île Saint-Louis is a tranquil oasis in the city center. Most of its cityscape dates back to the 17th century, and it’s known for its scenic quays, elegant residences, and unhurried pace. Long a retreat for the city’s wealthy, Île Saint-Louis still retains its aristocratic allure, and its townhouse-lined streets are a lovely place to stroll.

The most prestigious and largest cemetery in Paris, the Père Lachaise Cemetery (Cimetière du Père Lachaise) was founded in 1804. Today it’s the site of more than 70,000 ornate tombs, including those of some of France’s most important public figures, from writer Honoré de Balzac to actress Sarah Bernhardt. It’s also the final resting place of international luminaries, including Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde.

With its cobblestone streets and rows of elegant townhouses flanking a central tree-lined park, Place Dauphine is the epitome of a Parisian square—albeit a triangular-shaped one. Come here on a sunny afternoon and you’ll find terrace cafés spilling out onto the triangular plaza and locals gathering to sip coffee, share a bottle of wine, and play a game of pétanque (boules) on the shaded lawn.

Originally built for the 1937 Universal Exhibition, the Palais de Chaillot houses an array of Paris’ top cultural attractions, including a national theater, multiple museums, and even an aquarium. The landmark building, renowned for its art deco design, stands directly across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower, and its terrace is a popular photo spot. Admire the building from the outside or go inside to explore its institutions.

La Madeleine, located in the heart of Paris, is a striking neoclassical Catholic church that was designed as a tribute to Napoleon’s army and its victories. With its impressive grand columns and Greek temple–style design, it’s a big draw for architecture lovers, history buffs, and photographers alike. Parisians attend regular services here, as well as weddings, high-profile funerals, and concerts.

Built in 1653 by Cardinal de Richelieu, the impressive La Sorbonne building in Paris’ Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) houses classrooms for several universities, including the University of Paris. In addition to a historical library, the Sorbonne campus—the intellectual heart of the student-filled district—features a chapel and an airy courtyard. Though the complex is not open to the public, you can admire the exterior of this famed scholarly hub.

Eclectic and edgy Montparnasse is one of Paris’ most interesting districts, home to museums, monuments, and the city’s only skyscraper. Located in the 14th arrondissement on the Left Bank, it was famously the stomping grounds of artists and intellectuals in the early 20th century, many of whom now rest in Montparnasse Cemetery.

Gare du Nord is more than just a major transportation hub—it’s a Paris attraction in its own right. Trains pull in from London, Brussels, and beyond, but inside the grand 19th-century terminal, travelers can also admire soaring glass ceilings, bustling cafés, and classic Parisian architecture. Whether you’re arriving, departing, or just passing through, it offers an energetic glimpse of city life on the go.

The Rodin Museum (Musée Rodin) opened in 1919, thanks to sculptor Auguste Rodin, who donated his life’s work to the state of France on the condition that it be displayed in his picturesque Parisian home, Hôtel Biron. Dozens of the artist’s best-known drawings and sculptures—including The Kiss and The Thinker—are displayed throughout the rococo mansion’s 18 rooms and flower-filled garden.

Located in the elegant 2nd arrondissement, the Galerie Vivienne is one of the most iconic covered shopping arcades in Paris. The gallery had a lengthy heyday after it was built in 1823, but its most prestigious shops later moved elsewhere. It was revived in the 1960s and is now home to a diverse array of luxury boutiques. Its design features a soaring glass roof, decorative terrazzo floors, paintings and sculptures depicting trade-related scenes, and a rotunda with images of goddesses and nymphs.

The Grand Canal, a highlight of the 2,000-acre (800-hectare) Park at the Palace of Versailles, leads the eye to the farthest perimeter of the grounds. Designed by Andre Le Norte, the canal extends for nearly a mile and is the largest body of water on the palace grounds.

The oldest covered market in Paris, the Marché des Enfants Rouges has been in business since the early 17th century and remains a buzzing spot for both local and traveling foodies who flock here to buy fresh produce and dine on meals that reflect Paris’ multicultural population, from Japanese bento boxes to Moroccan couscous and mint tea.

Paris’ wine-making history dates back to Roman times, but only one small vineyard remains in the French capital: Clos Montmartre. Perched on a hillside plot in the Montmartre neighborhood, just a short walk from the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur and surrounded by residential buildings, the urban vineyard produces pinot noir and Gamay grapes and a selection of small-batch wines.

Located on Île de la Cité, one of the two remaining natural islands in the River Seine, the Palais de Justice preserves what remains of the former Royal Palace. Situated between the Gothic royal Sainte-Chapelle chapel and the former Conciergerie prison, the Palais de Justice is infamous for its role as a public execution site during the French Revolution.

The Mémorial de la Shoah (Shoah Memorial), Paris’ official Holocaust museum, was opened in 2005 on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Located in the Marais district—the city’s historical Jewish quarter—on the site of the Memorial to the Unknown Jewish Martyr, the museum features both permanent and temporary exhibitions, the commemorative Wall of Names, and other moving monuments and tributes.

There have been five chapels throughout the history of the Palace of Versailles, but today only the Royal Chapel remains. The majority of its use took place throughout the 1700s with daily masses, royal weddings (including that of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette), birth announcements, and baptisms.

The Château de Vaux-de-Vicomte is a baroque masterpiece with 17th-century interiors surrounded by vast manicured French gardens and a moat. Designed by the same team that would later create the Chateau de Versailles, the chateau is an easy day trip from Paris and will charm anyone interested in garden design, architecture, or interior design.

Picture a fairytale castle surrounded by forests and lakes, and Château de Chantilly is pretty close to what you’re imagining. Thought to be the inspiration behind Versailles, this 19th-century moated structure offers French-style gardens, stables, and ornate rooms filled with art and antiques. Just north of Paris, the château is an easy day trip, and it’s also home to Musée Condé—considered one of the country’s most important art collections.