7 Things to Visit in Paris

Learn why France’s capital is not to be avoided and find things to visit in Paris

Introduction

Paris is a big travel destination amongst travellers of all ages and this comes to no surprise. Being founded in the late 3rd century B.C., you can expect a vast amount of culture there. From cathedrals to captivating statues, the amount of history in the nation’s capital is nothing short of magnificent. 

A lot of the popularity stems from the immense amount of incredible art which can be visited in the astonishing 136 art museums. 

Along with the fine art, the cuisine attracts people from all over the world. This is probably due to the city’s impressive amount of prestigious awards it possesses in cooking. The country has a total of 601 Michelin stars, ranking them 1st in the world. As for Paris, they have a total of 121 restaurants that have a star.

That being said, I’ll be discussing 7 things to visit Paris, which will be more than enough of a reason for you to visit. Let’s begin! 

7. Eiffel Tower

Once arriving at the Paris International Airport or also known as CDG (Charles De Gaulle International Airport), you will most likely require transportation such as a taxi in order to arrive at your lodgement. Assuming you are staying in the heart of Paris that is. The reason why is because, from CDG to the Eiffel Tower you can expect a 42 minutes car ride. Which would be quite a hike on foot. Walking would take over 8 hours and that’s 8 hours of valuable time that could be better spent.  

As the long car ride is near an end, the anticipation continues to grow. From afar, while on the highway, you start to see this massive tower that you’ve only ever seen in pictures or on TV. It feels surreal. The realisation that you’re in Paris is starting to set in. You’ll finally get to see the 330 metres tall Eiffel Tower in person. Once making your way to Champ de Mars, you will now be face to face with the tall iron tower, where you can fully embrace its beauty. 

6. Picasso Museum 

The Picasso Museum is located in Le Marais which is south of Seine. Seine is a river that flows through Paris along with other cities and villages in the south-west of France and connects all-the-way to the English Channel. The museum has a large display of Picasso’s original paintings as well as his sculptures. 

Before entering, you must undergo normal security procedures, as well as pay an entry fee of 16 euros. Once in, while walking through the museum, you will find yourself in different rooms containing Pablo Picasso’s different art periods. An example and a personal favourite would be his blue period. Where the room is blue along with the paintings. 

Respectfully, the museum is relatively small in contrast to the Louvre, as it only takes approximately 1-2 hours to complete the main and upper level. Once finished, there is also a bottom level worth exploring. There you will find the works of other phenomenal artists with similar style, although unique nonetheless.  

Regardless of its size, the numerous pieces of art created by the visionary himself won’t fail to amaze you. His creativity truly is astonishing and seeing it in person is definitely worth the visit.  

5. Père-Lachaise Cemetery

The Père-Lachaise Cemetery is a cemetery located in the 20th arrondissement in Paris. What makes this cemetery so special you may wonder? Well, the 44 acres of land is home to some of the most beautiful mausoleums. A mausoleum is essentially a tomb stone - although much larger and constructed like a tiny house, typically made of granite which is served to enclose the burial of a person or people. 

Père-Lachaise receives around 4 millions visitors yearly. People come from all over the world to pay their respect to well-known people who have passed away. From artists to scientists to political leaders. 

Here’s a short list of some of the many people buried here: 

• Jim Morrison

• Oscar Wilde 

• Frédéric Chopin

• Eugène Delacroix

• Colonel Fabien (Pierre Felix Georges)

The sound of visiting a cemetery may sound gloomy, yet, Père-Lachaise certainly is alluring nonetheless. Some of the beautiful mausoleums you stumble upon while strolling around can be very intriguing. Especially, when coming across one belonging to someone world-renowned in their craft.

4. Jardin du Luxembourg

Jardin du Luxembourg is around 60 acres of well kept landscape, open to the public. Complementing the wonderful green space, is the palace of Luxembourg with a size of a little over 1 acre.

The purpose of the palace was to be the royal residence of King Louis XIII’s mother ; Marie de’ Medici. The Large palace was designed by architect Salomon de Brosse, who was born in Verneuil-en-halatte, France.

While there, you will find yourself in-front of large beautiful statues such as the Sainte-Geneviève or even the Statue of Liberty.

3. Champs-Élysées

If you enjoy shopping or even just looking at the price tag of some of the world's most luxurious clothing brands to daydream a little - Champs-Élysées is certainly a solid option. 

Champs-Élysées is an avenue which connects to the world famous round-point or in other words, roundabout, that circles around the Arc de Triomphe. 

This area is well-known to have expensive stores such as Coco Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and many more. However, there are also stores that are more affordable to the average Joe like Nike or Footlocker, just 

to name a few.

Despite the designer stores, there are affordable restaurants and some very good ones at that. As a matter of fact, the best Croque Monsieur I've ever had was at a restaurant in the Champs-Élysées. 

Speaking of Croque Monsieurs, this is a must-try when visiting France. This french dish is an absolute delicacy among many others. 

2. Rue Sainte-Antoine

This isn’t a place in particular, but more of an area that is very much worth the visit. Rue Sainte-Antoine is located in between Les Archive and Arsenal which is a little south of the Seine river in the 4th arrondissement.

This is merely my personal opinion, however, this area has this certain charm about it that is unparalleled in the french capital. The atmosphere there is undescribable. You can sit down at L’Elephant Du Nil and have a bite to eat or have a few drinks while looking at the beautiful french architecture across the street. 

1. Louvre

The Louvre, the most renowned museum in the world. Walking past the massive gate, you will arrive in a large square containing the famous glassed pyramids. The Louvre is open from Wednesday to Monday from 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM and 9:45 PM on Fridays. The large square however remains open while the museum itself is closed. 

Once waiting in line to enter, you will go through security. Then, you will be descending an escalator to finally enter the 231 year old museum. The Louvre has 10 departments containing world classics. It is literally impossible to see all the amazing pieces of art in one visit, as It would take approximately 830 hours to fully complete the museum.  Thus, it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking to see. 

The most visited section is on the first level in the Denon wing, which is where you will find the world famous Mona Lisa. In this section, you will find other masterpieces such as the 194 year old Liberty Leading the People painting by Eugène Delacroix or The Raft of the Medusa measuring a staggering 4.9 x 7.1 metres made by Théodore Géricault. 

You can also expect to see the ancient Greek statue-Venus de Milo. The armless statue is also very popular among the many pieces of art you can find at the Louvre. Many of the statues can be found on the ground floor in the Sully wing. 

Summary 

The city of Paris has so much to offer. These are only some of the many places you can visit while experiencing French culture. Many of the above listed things can be done in 4-5 days as luckily Paris is relatively dense. 

Paris or France altogether, is undoubtedly a must-go travel destination as there is so much to offer.