Musée du Louvre

French and Italian sculpture, Greek and Roman antiquities and paintings from the 12th to the 19th centuries are just some of the highlights of the world’s largest museum (see Musée du Louvre).

Musée Carnavalet

Housed in a grand Marais mansion, this museum presents the history of Paris. The collection includes painting, sculpture and antique furniture, re-creating private residences of the 16th and 17th centuries. There is also a collection of mementoes from the Revolution. Classical music concerts are occasionally held here (see Musée Carnavalet).

Musée des Arts Décoratifs

Set over nine levels, adjoining the west end of the Louvre’s Richelieu Wing, this decorative arts museum showcases furniture and tableware from the 12th century to the present. The breathtaking anthology of pieces includes Gothic panelling and Renaissance porcelain, to 1970s carpets and chairs by Philippe Starck. Also in the museum is the Musée de la Mode et du Textile, which mounts fashion exhibitions and the Musée de la Publicité, which has exhibitions on advertising (see Musée des Arts Décoratifs).

Musée National du Moyen Age

This splendid museum dedicated to the art of the Middle Ages is known by several names, including the Musée de Cluny after the beautiful mansion in which it is housed, and the Thermes de Cluny after the Roman baths adjoining the museum. Highlights include the famous “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries, medieval stained glass and exquisite gold crowns and jewellery (see Musée National du Moyen Age).

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle

Paris’s Natural History Museum in the Jardin des Plantes contains a fascinating collection of animal skeletons, plant fossils, minerals and gemstones. Its highlight is the magnificent Grande Galerie de l’Evolution, which depicts the changing interaction between man and nature during the evolution of the planet (see Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle).

Musée du Quai Branly

In a city dominated by Western art, this impressive museum housing 300,000 artifacts tips the balance in favour of arts from Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Must-sees include the African instruments. The striking Jean Nouvel-designed building is an attraction in itself (see Musée du Quai Branly).

Musée de l’Armée

France’s proud military history is on display in this museum, housed in a wing of the Hôtel des Invalides. Exhibits include military art and artifacts from ancient times through to the 20th century, with a large modern exhibit devoted to World War II. Napoleon’s campaign tent, his stuffed dog, and suits of armour and weapons from medieval times are among the many highlights (see Musée de l’Armée Exhibits).

Musée Cognacq-Jay

The Hôtel Donon is a fine setting for this superb collection of 18th-century art, furniture, porcelain and other decorative arts, amassed by the wealthy founders of the Samaritaine department store. Paintings by Rembrandt, Gainsborough and other masters alone are worth the visit (see Musée Cognacq-Jay).

Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine

In the east wing of the Palais Chaillot, the Cité de l’Architecture and the Musée des Monuments Français showcase French architectural heritage and has become one of the world’s great architectural centres. The Galeries des Moulages houses models of great French cathedrals (see Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine).

Musée de Montmartre

Montmartre has long been home to the artists of Paris and several of them have lived in this old house, including Renoir, Dufy and Utrillo. Artifacts from the 19th century are on display, to help conjure up the era, along with posters, maps and documents on the house’s history. The garden also gives good views of the surrounding district (see Musée de Montmartre).