Paris’ business district is home to office buildings and other high-rise structures, developed in this area just outside the city limits to preserve the historical landscape of central Paris. Not many visitors make it out to La Défense, but those who do are rewarded with modern art and architecture that provide a new perspective on the city. Here, you’ll also find an open-air museum with 50 works of contemporary art.
Over 3,000 years old, the Luxor Obelisk (Obélisque de Louxor)—which stands 75 feet (23 meters) high and is decorated with hieroglyphic carvings—was gifted to France by Egypt in 1829. Situated in Place de la Concorde, where guillotine executions were carried out during the French Revolution, the obelisk has since become a symbol of peace for the country.
Home to the prestigious French Open, Stade Roland Garros is more than just a tennis venue—it’s a cornerstone of French sports history. Visitors can take a behind-the-scenes tour to explore areas like the locker rooms, press center, and Court Philippe-Chatrier, where you’ll get an up-close look at the famous red clay. Tournament season runs annually in May and June.
Without any family to pass his work along to, French Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau bequeathed his estate and all the artwork in it to the state of France. The Gustave Moreau Museum (Musée Gustave Moreau)—located at the foot of Montmartre in the 9th arrondissement—is stuffed to the rafters with Moreau’s work and personal effects, offering insight into the artist’s life during the 19th century.
This humble apartment in Paris’ peaceful Saint-Germain-des-Prés quarter was where French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix lived and worked until his death in 1863. Now a museum devoted to Delacroix’s art, the Musée Delacroix (Musée National Eugène Delacroix) is packed with more than a thousand paintings, drawings, prints, and writings by the artist himself, affording a rare insight into his life, as well as personal effects and furniture.
Elton John, Elvis Presley, Edith Piaf, and Shirley MacLaine all graced the stage of the Théâtre du Lido over the years, accompanied by the cabaret’s famous burlesque dancers, the Bluebell Girls. While the legendary cabaret closed its doors in 2022, you can still watch a show at the original 1940s venue along Paris’ Champs-Élysées. Reimagined for the post-cabaret era, the Lido 2 Paris theater swaps classic Parisian entertainment for international musical performances and shows.
Note: The museum is closed for renovations until 2027. \ More portal to the past than a typical museum, Paris’ Nissim Camondo Museum (Musée Nissim De Camondo) contains a premier collection of decorative arts from the 1700s. It’s housed in the former residence of banker and art collector Comte Moïse de Camondo. Here, the avid collector painstakingly replicated an 18th-century Parisian home, from the exterior architecture to the interior decorations. Today, the house museum offers a glimpse of life in the early 20th century and 18th-century French design.
Located on the same site as the ruins of the Port-Royal des Champs Abbey in Magny-les-Hameaux, the eponymous national museum houses a collection of artworks from the 17th and 18th centuries. In addition to the abbey ruins and museum, the grounds feature an orchard, gardens, and an old farmhouse.
Admire a wide array of contemporary and modern art at the Louis Vuitton Foundation, which epitomizes the luxury brand’s commitment to art and culture. Designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry (of Guggenheim Museum Bilbao fame), the innovative, glass-paneled structure is a work of art in itself. One of the top examples of contemporary buildings in Paris, it’s a must-see for architecture buffs.
Memphis Slim, Wild Bill Davis, Sidney Bechet, and Lionel Hampton are among the legendary jazz musicians who have taken the stage at Le Caveau de la Huchette over its more than 75-year history. The intimate jazz club remains one of the liveliest music venues in the Latin Quarter, hosting nightly live jazz every night of the week. Grab a seat in the basement to check out Paris’ jazz and swing scene.
A more recent addition to the Parisian artistic landscape, La Seine Musicale opened its doors in 2017 and has fast become a celebrated performance venue. Housed in a futuristic glass dome shielded by a gigantic solar-paneled sail, it’s as notable for its impressive architecture and beautiful setting—on a small island along the Seine in Paris’s western suburbs—as it is for its eclectic mix of classical, jazz, ballet, and other performances.
Located amidst the bustle of Place de la Bastille, the Bastille Opera House (Opéra Bastille) has been an important cultural landmark for more than three decades. One of Paris’ two primary opera houses and home to Opéra National de Paris, it’s renowned for its modern, cutting-edge looks. Designed by architect Carlos Ott and unveiled in 1989, the striking building is a premier cultural venue and a must-see for fans of modern architecture.
Paris’ most famous ice cream shop has had visitors queuing up for a scoop since it opened in 1954. Using a secret recipe passed down and perfected through the ages—made with all-natural ingredients, no sweeteners, and no preservatives—the family-run tea room and shop on Île Saint-Louis has more than 70 different ice cream and sorbet flavors. Grab a cone to go or sit down to indulge in a cream and pistachio-topped sundae.
An opera house fit for a king, recently renovated to its original splendor, the Royal Opera at the Palace of Versailles was built for the wedding of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Upon its completion in 1770 under the direction of architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel, it was the largest concert hall in all of Europe.
The largest artificial “lake” in Paris, the Bassin de la Villette (La Villette Basin) was built in the 19th century as a link between the Canal Saint-Martin and the Canal de l’Ourcq. Measuring 2,624 feet (800 meters) in length and 230 feet (70 meters) in width, the lake is especially popular in the summer, when locals come to swim and enjoy festivals and other outdoor events.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal attracts pilgrims from all over the world who come to pray and ask for the Virgin Mary’s protection. It’s believed that a young nun named Saint Catherine Labouré saw several apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1830. Following these visions, she designed the Miraculous Medal, based on Mary’s instructions, which visitors often purchase when visiting this magnificent building.
Paris’ 9th arrondissement, also known as the Opéra district, is a fascinating mix of 19th-century architecture and hip 21st-century cultural trends. Notable for being home to the Palais Garnier, or Paris Opera House, this district also hosts plenty of upscale shops, fashionable bars and restaurants, and a handful of museums and galleries. Stay here, and you’ll get a good look at Paris, old and new.
This wooded hill overlooking the Marne Valley was the site of the fierce 1918 Battle of Belleau Wood during World War I, when U.S. Marines recaptured the woods on the Metz-Paris road around Chateau-Thierry from German forces. Today, Belleau Wood is home to a vast cemetery and memorial to honor the soldiers who fought and died there.
Renowned for its history and grandeur, as well as its association with the Impressionists, the Château d’Auvers-sur-Oise makes a convenient day trip from Paris. Just 30 minutes north of the city, the 17th-century landmark offers architectural splendor, ornamental gardens, and a multimedia art exhibition.
Located in Marne-la-Vallée just minutes from Disneyland® Paris, Aquarium SEA LIFE® Paris Val D'Europe is one of the region’s top family-friendly attractions. Home to more than 5,000 aquatic animals—from penguins and sharks to seahorses and tropical fish—the aquarium represents multiple marine ecosystems.
Immortalized by impressionist painter Claude Monet, Monceau Park (Parc Monceau), located in western Paris' 8th arrondissement, is one of the most elegant public gardens in the city. The 18th-century, English-style landscape garden is famed for its architectural follies, including a picturesque, neoclassical colonnade and a bridge inspired by Venice's Rialto Bridge. Its proximity to many popular Paris attractions makes it a great place to take a break from sightseeing.
An architectural gem on the grounds of one of France’s most dazzling châteaus, the Great Stables (Grandes Écuries de Chantilly) are like no other stables you’ve seen before. According to legend, the Bourbon prince who built them believed he would be reincarnated as a horse, and commissioned architect Jean Aubert to create stables to suit his rank—a design that became this equine palace.
Few Paris districts are as iconic as the 7th arrondissement, which stretches along the Left Bank of the River Seine from the Champ de Mars to Quai Voltaire. This is where you’ll find the Eiffel Tower, renowned art galleries including the Musée d’Orsay and the Rodin Museum (Musée Rodin), and the landmark Les Invalides, home to Napoleon’s Tomb.
Paris is composed of 20 arrondissements, or districts, arranged in a clockwise spiral with ascending numbers, starting from the 1st arrondissement in the center. Visit the 13th arrondissement to experience the city’s Asian Quarter (Quartier Asiatique), a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood with shops and restaurants specializing in food from across East Asia, and to see the more than two dozen murals that add color to its streets.
The 12th Arrondissement on the right bank of the River Seine is best known for the Bois de Vincennes, the largest park in Paris. Stroll through its English landscape garden and enjoy its lakes, botanical garden, and arboretum. Foodies can also explore the nearby Bercy Village, a restored wine market with cobblestone streets, and Marché d’Aligre food market. Other highlights include the Bastille Opera House (Opéra Bastille) and Musée de la Cinémathèque, a museum and movie theater.
Combining Renaissance grandeur with wildlife adventure, this zoo and gardens is located on the grounds of a historic château outside Paris. In addition to animal enclosures with species from around the globe, this zoo features a drive-through savannah with roaming lions and other large animals, giving visitors the thrill of an African safari, right in the heart of France.
At the turn of the 20th century, Bercy was home to the world’s biggest wine markets; today, the old storage warehouses and wine cellars have been transformed into one of Paris’s premium shopping and entertainment destinations. More than 30 shops and boutiques flank the cobbled lanes and old railway tracks, offering an open-air shopping experience that feels far removed from the bustle of central Paris.
Located in the Château d’Écouen some 12 miles (20 kilometers north of Paris, the National Museum of the Renaissance is a prestigious exhibition of decorative arts from the 16th and 17th centuries. Ranging from paintings, tapestries, glassware, furniture, ceramics, weaponry, silverware, and stained glass, the collection is complemented by the château’s Renaissance origins.
The Bastille viaduct opened in 1857, at the start of the French administrator Haussmann’s modernization of Paris. The Paris to Bastille-Varenne railway line was replaced a century later by the Regional Express Network (RER) line A. The elevated railway tracks were transformed into a green walkway called the Promenade Plantée. Meanwhile, the vaulted arches below the elevated line were given over to craftspeople as the Viaduc des Arts. Today, these 41 artisan studios still form one of Paris’s coolest and most in-the-know art districts.
Located on the outskirts of Paris, in the suburb of Saint-Denis, this magnificent basilica is renowned for housing the tombs of France’s monarchs: 43 kings and 32 queens, as well as 60 princes and princesses. With both Romanesque and Gothic design features, the Basilique de Saint-Denis also has stained glass windows dating back to the 12th century and intricate vaulted ceilings. While a bit far from the city center, it is well worth the detour.
