Musée du Louvre

The world’s largest museum unsurprisingly also contains one of the world’s finest collections of art and antiquities (up to 1848). To complete the superlatives, the building was once France’s largest royal palace (see Musée du Louvre).

Musée d’Orsay

This remarkable conversion has turned a former railway station into one of the world’s leading art galleries and is, for many, reason alone to visit Paris (see Musée d’Orsay).

Eiffel Tower

Some six million visitors a year ascend to the top of this most famous Paris landmark for the spectacular views. It was erected for the Universal Exhibition of 1889 (see Eiffel Tower).

Notre-Dame

This great Gothic cathedral, founded on the site of a Gallo-Roman temple, was completed in 1334 and is a repository of French art and history. It also represents the geographical “heart” of France (see Notre-Dame).

Sacré-Coeur

The terrace in front of this monumental white-domed basilica in Montmartre affords one of the finest free views over Paris (see Sacré-Coeur).

Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon’s triumphal arch, celebrating battle victories, stands proudly at the top of the Champs-Elysées and, along with the Eiffel Tower, is one of the city’s most enduring images (see Arc de Triomphe).

Centre Georges Pompidou

Home to France’s National Museum of Modern Art, the building itself is a work of contemporary art. The Centre also has extensive research facilities (see Centre Georges Pompidou).

Panthéon

The great and the good of France are buried in the Panthéon, including Voltaire and Victor Hugo.

Sainte-Chapelle

Called “a gateway to heaven”, this splendid medieval church was built to house the relics collected by St Louis on his many Crusades (see Sainte-Chapelle).

Hôtel des Invalides

The glowing golden dome of the Hôtel des Invalides church is unmistakable across the rooftops of Paris (see Hôtel des Invalides).