The capital of France has everything to offer if you want a wonderful and successful holiday, whether you go for an extended weekend or for a longer holiday to Paris. The city centre is built around the enchanting river Seine where you can stroll along the wharfs and follow the life on the river. Each of the many nice districts around the Seine has its own charm, characteristics, parks and squares, unique museums and impressive buildings. You can always go back to Paris – there are always new experiences awaiting you.

Tourist attractions in Paris

The Latin Quarter

The Latin Quarter by the Seine is for many people the quintessence of Paris and is often related to artists, intellectuals and the bohemian lifestyle. It abounds with small interesting bookshops, lively cafes and restaurants in the nice and narrow streets. You will experience the atmosphere in the best way from a pavement café with a café espresso where you can watch the crowd or by strolling the quarter.  

Notre Dame

If you go to Paris for the first time, it will be very interesting to visit the majestic gothic Notre Dame cathedral situated on the island Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris. You can visit the tall dramatic towers via the 387 steps of the spiral stairs that lead to a fantastic view of Paris from the top.

Museums

Musée du Louvre, Musée de l’Orangerie, Musée d’Orsay and Pompidou
Some of the oldest, newest and finest museums and art collections can be found in Paris. In the gigantic Musée du Louvre with the beautiful glass pyramid, you can spent a whole day watching antiquities, European collections of paintings and sculptures with Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Venus of Milo, among others. 

The newly renovated Musée de l’Orangerie in the Gardens of Tuilerie offers paintings by Claude Monet, Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume as well as various temporary exhibitions.

Musée d’Orsay, which is situated in a charming, old closed railway station, shows some of the world’s most important impressionistic and post-impressionistic collections of paintings. In the bright and large display rooms, you will find paintings by Degas, Monet, Gauguin, van Gogh, Delacroix and Manet.

Since the modern art museum and culture centre Pompidou opened in the late 70s, the permanent art collection and the changing art collections have been important parts of the cultural life of Paris. The Pompidou building itself is known for its "inside out" with escalators, elevators, air pipes and water pipes on the outside. On the square in front of Centre Pompidou, you will always find a lot of people who are being entertained by street performers.

The Eiffel Tower

You cannot go to Paris without visiting the symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1889 for the World Exhibition. The view from the tower is fantastic and cannot be described; you just have to see it! From 274 metres, you will have a magnificent view of the fantastic attractions of Paris.

The Seine

A romantic sail on the Seine in the evening is very special when the lights of the city are reflected in the water and the many illuminated attractions are sliding past you and the city life and the atmosphere from the wharfs reach you in the boat. The trip lasts about an hour and you can get on the boat on a number of places along the Seine.

Montmartre and Sacre Coeur

Montmartre has preserved its charm and village atmosphere on the small squares, winding streets and small terraces. Find here Paris’ most famous and last vineyard which is being harvested in the early autumn during a festive popular wine festival. In the old village square Place du Tertre, the tourists are crowding around the numerous painters and portrait painters. From various places, you will have a good view of Paris, not least from the highest point where the church Sacre Coeur is situated with its white dome.

The Triumphal Arch

The impressive Triumphal Arch, which is found on Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of Champs-Elysées, is a fantastic building that Napoleon built to his soldiers after the victory at Austerlitz in 1805.
Today, the arch is often the basis of victorious festivals and parades. From the top, you will have a fantastic view of the 12 surrounding roads around the square, and the axis from the Place de la Concorde to La Défense is a stunning view.

Shopping

If you go to Paris for shopping, you will never return home empty-handed. You will find everything you want of fashion clothes, antiquities, books, cosmetics, food and souvenirs. You may also make a bargain on one of the local markets or visit one of the many department stores in Paris, e.g. Printemps, Haussmann and Galeries Lafayettes.

Gastronomic characteristics of Paris

The Parisian chefs have access to some of the world’s best ingredients and are then able to serve largely everything from the different regions in France. The only dish that the Parisians can call their own is the onion soup served with diced bread fried in butter with cheese.
If you would like an unusual gastronomic experience, you should avoid the restaurants in the tourist areas and find the local restaurants where the Parisians go.

The climate in Paris

It is wonderful to visit Paris all year but not least in the spring where you will find flowers and trees that have just burst into bloom, but also September and in the beginning of October when the trees have golden colours are good periods to experience Paris.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from Maison de la France. Photographers: Hervé Le Gac og H. Legac.