SIGHTSEEING IN PARIS
La Tour Eiffel
Description: 7ème ARRONDISSEMENT. One of the world´s most popular and well-known sites, this tower is not only a must-see for visitors but Paris´s signature landmark. Although the structure was poorly received when it premiered, it´s now a symbol of great civic and national pride. At night the tower becomes a beautifully illuminated sculpture. Gustave Eiffel, who designed the tower, also created the framework for NYC´s Statue of Liberty.
METRO: Bir Hakheim
Entrance La Tour Eiffel
 Adult
Elevator
 2nd Level 8,- €
Top 13,- €
Stairs 1st and 2nd Level 4,50 €
Louvre
Entrance: 6,- € to 13,- €
From 9 am to 6 pm every day except Tuesday.
The museum is open until 10 pm on Wednesday and Friday evenings.
Description: The Louvre, palace of kings, architectural centrepiece of the French capital and one of the top five museums in the world, it's unmissable. The Louvre officially became a public museum soon after the French revolution, making it, along with the Ashmolean in Oxford and the Vatican in Rome, one of the earliest of European museums. The collection largely consists of treasures once belonging to the French monarchy and aristocracy, further boosted by the successful plundering of European treasures by Napoleon Bonaparte.
METRO: Palais-Royal-Musée du Louvre Station
Pont Alexandre III
Description: 8ème ARRONDISSEMENT. Often considered Paris´s most beautiful bridge, Pont Alexandre III was built in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition. It links the 7th and 8th arrondissements across the Seine, and it's graceful arch bears the arms of both Russia and France. The bridge is renowned for offering expansive views of nearby Invalids. It´s adorned with beaten copper reliefs and gilt bronze sculpture and is a must-visit during Parisian walking tours.
METRO: Champs-Elysées-Clemenceau
L´Arc de Triomphe
Description: 8ème ARRONDISSEMENT. This symbol of French victory was commissioned by Napoleon and completed in 1836. Adorned with sculpture and the names of military successes, the enormous arch features a small museum and rooftop viewing platform. At it's base is the tomb of the unknown soldier. The arch sits at the centre of place Charles de Gaulle (formerly place d´Etoile), a square that branches off into twelve avenues. It also offers great views southeast down the Champs-Elysées to the Louvre and northwest towards La Défense. Pedestrian access is most safely gained via the pedestrian tunnel from the north side of the Champs Elysées.
METRO: Charles de Gaulle-Etoile
Cimetière Montparnasse
Description: 14ème ARRONDISSEMENT. This calm, park-like cemetery shelters many famous Parisians. A virtual city of tombstones, grave markers and mausoleums, Montparnasse is beautifully maintained. You'll often find visitors there, searching out the graves of philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, writer Guy de Maupassant, and composer Camille Saint-Saèns. Also buried on the grounds are photographer Man Ray, playwright Samuel Beckett, and philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.
METRO: Montparnasse Bienvenüe
Tour Montparnasse
Description: In only 40 seconds – courtesy of one of Europe´s fastest elevators – you can reach the 59th floor of Tour Montparnasse, a sleek, Parisian skyscraper. From there, views of the city are astounding, and you can get a wonderful overview of Notre-Dame, the Bois de Boulogne and the Louvre. On a clear day, in fact, you can see 30 miles out! At night, the city virtually twinkles in a spread of white lights.
METRO: Vavin / Edgar Quinet
Paris Catacombs
Description: 14ème ARRONDISSEMENT. These underground tunnels date from the Roman period, when quarries were created to obtain building stone. Most sit at the base of Parisian hills like Montparnasse, Montrouge and Montsouris. In the late 18th century, authorities began to use the caverns and tunnels to deposit bones exhumed from medieval cemeteries that had become unsanitary. During WWII, the catacombs were home to the French Resistance. Today, they´re open to the public, who can view artfully arranged bones from years past. Miles of tunnels are still uncharted, but the prominent ones are well-lit and temperature-controlled.
METRO: Denfert-Rochereau
Pont Neuf
Description: 1er ARRONDISSEMENT. This much-photographed Parisian landmark links the Seine´s left and right banks by way of the île de la Cité. Completed in 1607, it found immediate favour with residents, and its 12 arched segments still render it a solid yet graceful presence on the river. Although the bridge is Paris´s oldest, its name translates as „new bridge“, which refers to its „modern“, circa 1607 features. Its innovations included a paved deck and the absence of residences along both sides, which meant that views of the river could be highlighted and that folks of all classes could gather on and around it. Where the bridge touches the île de la Cité is a bronze statue of horse-mounted Henri IV, who was in power when the Pont Neuf made its premiere.
METRO: Pont Neuf
Sainte-Chapelle
Description: 1er ARRONDISSEMENT. This 13th century Parisian chapel built by Lous IX is now incorporated into the Palais de Justice on the île de la Cité. The stunning Gothic structure boasts two levels, including an upper section that´s awash in light from gorgeous stained-glass windows. The chapel was intended to be a reliquary for religious artifacts retrieved from the Holy Land; today it offers a good collection of medieval art. Not to be missed.
METRO: Cité
Notre-Dame
Description: 4éme ARRONDISSEMENT. One of the most recognizable historic and religious sites in the world, Notre-Dame de Paris is a Gothic landmark and the city´s spiritual home. Built between the 12th and 14th centuries, it´s a vision of stone, stained glass and history. English language tours are offered Wednesday and Thursday at noon, Saturday at 2.30 pm. If you have the stamina to climb 387 steps, views from the north tower will take your breath away. High above the historic city centre, you´ll come eye-to-eye with gargoyles and see laid out before you the Hôtel de Ville, the Sorbonne and the Panthéon. Definitely worth the climb!
METRO: Cité
Opening times for Museums and monuments in Paris
Museums in Paris open at 9 or 10 am and close between 5 and 6 pm. Usual closing days are Monday or Tuesday, with a few exceptions. Some are even open 7 days a week, such as some of the major monuments which can be visited as late as 11 pm or midnight.