Paris is one of France’s oldest cities. Originally settled by the Celtic Parisii tribe, the city first became capital of the Kingdom of the Franks in 508, before becoming the capital again under the Capetian dynasty of French kings in the Middle Ages.
As one of the most important cities in France for centuries, Paris has been at the center of European history. In 1991, Paris, Banks of the Seine were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Keep reading to find out 20 of the best historic things to see in Paris!
Table of Contents
1. Notre Dame Cathedral
The very heart of Paris is this, its most famous cathedral.
Begun in 1163, the cathedral’s fortunes have waxed and waned over the centuries. It was desecrated during the French Revolution. Napoleon crowned himself emperor here in 1805. It was saved from decay in the 19th century thanks to Victor Hugo’s bestseller The Hunchback of Notre Dame. On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the roof and a large part of the cathedral. After five years of renovation and reconstruction, Notre Dame reopened its doors in 2024.
Today it is one of Paris’ most popular tourist sites and remains the seat, and a functioning parish, of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris. It is home to some of the most important relics of Christianity, which are also considered part of the crown jewels of France: the Crown of Thorns and a sliver and nail from the True Cross.
Want to check out more beautiful Paris churches? Check out the top 12 here!
2. Eiffel Tower
It seems unbelievable to us today, but many Parisians hated the Eiffel Tower when it was first erected in 1889 for the World’s Fair. Today it’s the iconic symbol of Paris.
Named after its creator, Gustave Eiffel, it was meant to be a temporary structure, but was kept due to popular demand. Originally red in color, it’s also been mustard before being painted its current brown-grey.
Advanced booking is recommended to see the views from the 330m (1,083ft) tower. (The top viewing platform is at 276m (906ft).) If you want a great view of the Eiffel Tower without the crowds, head to the Bir-Hakeim Bridge.
3. Louvre
Starting life as a royal palace in the Middle Ages (vestiges of the medieval palace can still be seen in the crypt), the Louvre is today the largest and most-visited museum in the world.
Opened in 1793 during the French Revolution, the Louvre contains some of the most important works of Western art, including the Greek statue Venus de Milo and the enigmatic Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci.
While much of the Louvre’s current structure dates for the 16th and 17th centuries, the distinctive glass pyramid in the main courtyard was designed by Chinese-American artist I. M. Pei and installed in 1989.
4. Arc de Triomphe
At the western end of the Champs-Élysées is the imposing Arc de Triomphe, Napoleon’s triumphal arch, built after his victory at Austerlitz.
Commemorating those who died during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars, the Arc de Triomphe has served as the backdrop to a number of events in French history, including the funeral of Victor Hugo, the entry of the Germans into Paris in WWII, and the liberation of Paris in 1945.
It also houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I and is the site of the annual Bastille Day parade.
5. Les Invalides
So named because it was built as a retirement home for old soldiers (the name literally translates to “the Invalids”), Les Invalides is a must see for anyone interested in French military history.
There are a number of museums in the complex, most notably the Musée de l’Armée, which contains an impressive collection of armor, uniforms, weapons, and more from ancient times to the end of WWII.
Perhaps most famously, the gold-covered Dôme des Invalides is houses the tomb of Napoleon.
6. Place de la Concorde
Originally designed as a place for an equestrian statue of Louis XV, the Place de la Concorde is best-known to history as the place of execution of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, and other victims of the French Revolution.
Thankfully the guillotine is long gone. Today, the plaza’s centerpiece is the 3,000-year-old Luxor Obelisk, which once marked the entrance to the Luxor Temple and was gifted by the Khedive of Egypt to France in 1829.
7. Sacré-Coeur Basilica
Located atop the butte of Montmartre, Sacré-Coeur Basilica is a Roman Catholic church dedicated the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is the second-most visited tourist site in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower.
The church was first proposed after a French defeat during the Franco-Prussian War, although rumors persist that it was built as reparation for the sins committed during the Paris Commune.
Its beautiful exterior is made from local limestone. The church was constructed in the Romano-Byzantine style.
Thanks to its location, you can get some of the best views of Paris from the basilica.
8. Panthéon
King Louis XV meant for the Panthéon to be a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, Paris’ patron saint. Those plans changed just as construction finished, as the French Revolution was taking place.
Instead, the Panthéon became a memorial to France’s illustrious dead, many of whom are buried here. Among them are: Enlightenment philosophers Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, writer Victor Hugo, educator Louis Braille, and Nobel Prize-winning chemist Marie Curie.
9. Musée d’Orsay
Paris has long been considered one of the world’s centers of art and culture. Two of the most well-known art movements to have originated in France were Impressionism and Post-Impressionism.
Housed in a former train station, the Musée d’Orsay boasts the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art in the world. Here you’ll find works by Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Gaugin, Rodin, and others.
Want to learn more about visiting the Musée d’Orsay? Check out my guide The Best Things to See at the Musée d’Orsay!
10. Opéra Garnier
Heard of The Phantom of the Opera? This is where it was set. Also known as the Palais Garnier, the Opéra Garnier was the primary theater of the Paris Opera until its relocation to a much more modern facility in 1989. Today, it mostly holds ballet performances.
Opéra Garnier is considered a masterpiece of architecture from the time of the Second French Empire. You can visit the public rooms, take a guided tour, or come here for a performance. And yes, just like in the novel (and musical), the Opéra has a seven-ton chandelier.
11. Latin Quarter and the Sorbonne
The oldest district in Paris is the Latin Quarter. It is also home of the Sorbonne, one of the oldest universities in Europe.
The Latin Quarter gets its name from the Latin language, which was widely spoken by the faculty and students during the Middle Ages. Largely spared the reforms of Georges-Eugène Haussmann in the 19th century, the area still has plenty of small, winding medieval streets, and lots of cafés.
Access to the Sorbonne itself is usually limited to the public. For those lucky enough to score a tour, you’ll be able to see the tomb of Cardinal Richelieu at the university’s chapel.
12. La Conciergerie
What is now the Conciergerie was formerly part of a royal palace known as the Palais de la Cité. The kings of France used to use it for judicial purposes; the next-door Palais de la Justice (also part of the Palais de la Cité complex) still functions as France’s highest judicial court.
The Concierge later housed thousands of prisoners during the French Revolution. Many of them were taken from here to meet their fate at the guillotine. One such prisoner? Marie Antoinette.
13. Sainte-Chapelle
King Louis IX – the only French king to be declared a saint – ordered the construction of Sainte-Chapelle in 1238. Its purpose was to act as a living reliquary, the repository of the Crown of Thorns, which Louis had acquired from the Latin emperor of Constantinople.
The chapel was damaged during the French Revolution, but restored in the 19th century. Its stunning 13th century stained-glass windows recount the stories of the Bible, but also depict Louis triumphantly bringing the Crown of Thorns into Paris itself.
14. Musée de Cluny
If you’re looking for more of medieval Paris, head to the Musée de Cluny, the city’s premier museum for medieval art. You’ll see treasures like the original kings from the façade of Notre Dame Cathedral (these had been removed during the Revolution) and the museum’s highlight, the exquisite Lady and the Unicorn tapestries.
The bonus? The museum is built on the old Roman baths; you can still see the well-preserved frigidarium. It’s one of the few places in Paris where you can see Roman ruins.
15. Place de la Bastille
The Place de la Bastille marks the spot where the Bastille prison used to stand. While nothing now remains, it was the starting point of the French Revolution: the storming of the Bastille. The revolutionaries overwhelmed the garrison and successfully took the Bastille, which was at the time considered a symbol of royalist tyranny.
16. Musée Rodin
August Rodin was one of the world’s most important sculptors; he was once described as the greatest sculptor since Michaelangelo.
Rodin donated his collection to the French state on condition that they turn the Hôtel Biron, which had been his workshop, into a museum dedicated to his works. The museums therefore houses many of Rodin’s sculptures, including his most famous work, The Thinker.
17. Montmartre
We’ve already seen the Sacré-Coeur Basilica at Montmartre, but the rest of the neighborhood is worth a visit too. It is at Montmartre where Saint Denis, one of Paris’ patron saints, is said to have been martyred in 250.
During its heyday during the Belle Époque, Montmartre was famed for its nightlife and bohemian nature – and still is today, to some degree. Its best-known nightclub is the Moulin Rouge, where you can catch one of its famous cabaret performances.
The Montmartre Cemetery is also the final resting place of well-known figures such as writer Alexandre Dumas fils, Impressionist artist Edgar Degas, ballet dancer Nijinsky, and the original grave of writer Émile Zola (who was later moved to the Panthéon).
18. Père Lachaise Cemetery
If you want to see where some of Paris’ most famous residents are buried, head to the Père Lachaise Cemetery. In this, the largest cemetery in Paris, you’ll find the Napoleonic-era French commander and marshal Michel Ney, singer Édith Piaf, stage actress Sarah Bernhardt, American rocker Jim Morrison, composer Frédéric Chopin, and Irish writer Oscar Wilde.
19. Catacombs of Paris
While Paris’ most famous dead might lie in the Père Lachaise Cemetery, 6 million Parisians are buried in the Catacombs of Paris.
Originally limestone quarries, sanitation issues forced the authorities to empty Paris’ other cemeteries and deposit the remains here. The bones of the dead are piled high, sometimes in artistic shapes. As you enter, you’re greeted with the cheery words: Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort (“Stop! This is the empire of Death”).
Want to read more about the Catacombs? Check out my guide to Visiting the Paris Catacombs!
20. Basilica St. Denis
France is known for its stunning Gothic cathedrals (think: Notre Dame Cathedral, further up on this list). The church that started the Gothic craze? None other than the Basilica St. Denis, the first Gothic cathedral.
Located in a northern Paris suburb (but still easily accessible by metro), not only is the Basilica St. Denis the first Gothic cathedral, it’s also the burial place of the kings and queens of France – including the executed Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Want to learn more about the Basilica St. Denis? Read up on this over-looked cathedral here!
Bonus: Versailles
Why isn’t Versailles on this list? Though accessible via public transportation on suburban train, the Palace of Versailles is technically outside of Paris and you’ll need a separate ticket to get there.
The palace and gardens are absolute must-sees if you’re in Paris. King Louis XIV expanded the palace and moved the court here; as such, Versailles became a grandiose palace and France’s seat of power. Revolutionaries marched on the palace during the French Revolution.
Important treaties were signed here. The last two of the three Treaties of Paris were signed at the palace in 1783, ending the American Revolutionary War. In 1919, foreign powers signed the Treaty of Versailles in the Hall of Mirrors, formally ending WWI and setting the stage for WWII.
Heading to Versailles? Don’t forget to check out my Ultimate Guide to Visiting Versailles to help you plan your trip!
What are you most looking forward to seeing in Paris? Let me know in the comments!
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