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Attractions

With the quick train from London, Paris is now more popular than ever and is an easy weekend destination. Paris is fairly compact and easy to navigate and many tourists opt to walk or bicycle around to soak up the flavour of the city and take in the numerous iconic landmarks and parks or stop at one of the many pavement cafés. A cruise down the Seine is also a popular option as many of the city's greatest sights are on the river including Notre-Dame, the Louvre, the Place de la Concorde and the Eiffel Tower.

Other things to see in Paris include the Basilique du Sacre-Cœur, which offers great views over Paris, and the Pompidou Centre, housing the Musée National d'Art Modern, while the square to the west of the building attracts a varied assortment of street performers. Stroll around the cobblestone streets of the Marais district with its mansions and museums, or visit the courtyards and antique shops of Ile St-Louis, which also boasts the former home of Marie Curie, Baudelaire, and Voltaire.

South of the river you can visit the Musée d'Orsay, the Rodin Museum and the Hotel des Invalides, the burial place of many great French soldiers, including Napoleon Bonaparte, or idle away an afternoon in the Jardin du Luxembourg. Further along you can stroll through the Jardin des Plantes, Paris' first public garden, created by Louis XIII's doctor for the cultivation of medicinal plants, or visit the National History Museum. The St-Germain-des-Pres neighbourhood, the former residence of existentialists Sartre and Camus, has retained much of its bohemian atmosphere with bookshops, art galleries and coffeehouses.

For free or discounted admission to many attractions in Paris and the chance to bypass the queues, you can buy the Paris Museum Pass at many tourist offices, museums, or metro stations. Passes range from €40 for 2 days to €76 for six days.

Eiffel Tower

Gustave Eiffel, the architect of the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) could never have guessed that it would become Paris' 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...  see full details

Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame looms large over the Place de Paris, 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....  see full details

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 permanent collections are divided into Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Asian antiquities, painting, drawings, sculpture and objects d'art. The Louvre was...  see full details

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...  see full details

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 Kiss while outside, in...  see full details

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...  see full details

Arc de Triomphe

The world's largest triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile is set at the centre of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues in the heart of the Champs Elysées. It stands 165 feet (51m) tall and the names of major victories...  see full details

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...  see full details