Paris

There are literally thousands of things to see, such as paintings by Renaissance masters, Egyptian sarcophagi, and the building itself. — Condé Nast Traveler

On the second floor, only Sully and Richelieu are accessible. In Sully, all of the rooms are filled with French paintings that typically require some background study in art history to... — Let's Go

The world's most famous museum, originally a royal residence, usually elicits one of two strong reactions from those who've never been before—exhilaration or dread. — Concierge

Few art galleries are as prized or daunting as the Musée du Louvre, Paris’ pièce de résistance no first-time visitor to the city can resist. — Lonely Planet

For eight centuries, the Louvre was the residence of kings and emperors. Successive expansion projects have created one of the world's largest palaces, along with the Vatican. — Michelin Guide

Installed in a Beaux-Arts railway station built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900, the Musée d’Orsay holds the world’s largest collection of Impressionist and Postimpressionist... — Afar Magazine

Despite the crowds, we keep returning to Musée d'Orsay, Paris's second-most iconic museum (there is that Louvre...), housed in a former railway station on the banks of the Seine. We visit... — Condé Nast Traveler

The home of France’s national collection from the impressionist, postimpressionist and art nouveau movements spanning from 1848 to 1914 is the glorious former Gare d’Orsay railway station... — Lonely Planet

Aesthetic taste is fickle. When a handful of artists were rejected from the Louvre salon in the 19th century, they opened an exhibition across the way, prompting both the scorn of... — Let's Go

Since 1986, the huge main hall of the former Orsay railway station has been the home of art collections covering the period 1848 to 1914. — Michelin Guide

Probably the second most iconic structure in the whole city, the Arc de Triomphe dominates the Champs-Élysées and remains strikingly powerful even when viewed from a distance. — Let's Go

The Arc de Triomphe is the city's second most iconic monument after the Eiffel Tower - older, shorter, but far more symbolically important. — Time Out

If anything rivals the Eiffel Tower as the symbol of Paris, it’s this magnificent 1836 monument to Napoleon’s 1805 victory at Austerlitz, which he commissioned the following year. — Lonely Planet

Situated at the top of the Champs-Élysées, this arch occupies the centre of the Place Charles-de-Gaulle, which opens out onto 12 wide avenues. — Michelin Guide

At the western end of the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe suggests an ancient Roman arch, only it's larger. — Frommer's

Designed by the architects Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano, the Pompidou Centre is located in the old Beaubourg quarter. — Michelin Guide

The Pompidou is as famous for its postmodern architecture as it is for what’s inside: an impressive collection of 20th and 21st-century art. — Departures

Located in the center of Paris in a building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers, Centre Pompidou is the brainchild of President Georges Pompidou. — Travel + Leisure

This postmodern building revolutionized the world of architecture—and turned the rarified concept of a museum into something that could be unintimidating and fun. — goop

Love it or hate it, the Pompidou is certainly the city's most unique-looking building. — Fodor's

This site has been a place of worship for 2,000 years: a Gallo-Roman temple, Christian basilica and Romanesque church all preceded the current building. — Michelin Guide

This great Gothic masterpiece ranks among the most moving and important Christian sites in the world. — Concierge

Though many disagree, we feel Notre-Dame is more interesting outside than in, and you'll want to walk all around it to fully appreciate this "vast symphony of stone". — Frommer's

Paris' most visited unticketed site with upwards of 14 million visitors... a year, is a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture. — Lonely Planet

Looming above Place du Parvis on the Ile de la Cité is the iconic Cathédrale de Notre-Dame. — Fodor's

Countless writers have called this tiny chapel a jewel box, yet that hardly suffices. — Frommer's

Devout King Louis IX (St Louis, 1226-70) had a hobby of accumulating holy relics. — Time Out

Built by the obsessively pious Louis IX (1226–70), this Gothic jewel is home to the oldest stained-glass windows in Paris. — Fodor's

Jewel of Gothic architecture of the XIII century, exceptional. — Not For Tourists

This jewel of Gothic art was built upon the order of Saint Louis to house the relics of Christ and the Virgin Mary. — Michelin Guide

The most famous cemetery in Paris, and one of the most recognizable in the world, Pere Lachaise is the final resting place for many celebrities. — Travel + Leisure

Bring a red rose for "the Little Sparrow" Edith Piaf when you visit the cobblestone avenues and towering trees that make this 118-acre oasis of green perhaps the world's most famous cemetery. — Fodor's

When it comes to name-dropping, this cemetery knows no peer; it has been called the "grandest address in Paris". — Frommer's

This cemetery is the largest in Paris. The uneven ground and the abundant willows, maples and cypress mitigate the funerary character of the place. — Michelin Guide

Beautiful and quiet place. Very quiet... — Not For Tourists

A museum on the history of Paris, including a set of Napoleon's toiletries, Proust's room, and relics of the Revolution.  — Atlas Obscura

If you enjoy history, but history tomes bore you, spend some time here for insight into Paris's past. — Frommer's

The entire history of Paris in an outstanding architectural ensemble. — Not For Tourists

A mammoth’s molar; the chair in which Volatire died; Robespierre’s shaving dish. — Condé Nast Traveler

Housed in two 16th century mansions, the Carnavalet Museum details Paris's history back to its earliest Neolithic roots. — Travel + Leisure

This beautiful square is one the city's oldest; set in Le Marais, it's surrounded by grand houses and an arched walkway lined with galleries and quaint cafés. — Afar Magazine

The oldest square in Paris and—dare we say it?—the most beautiful, the Place des Vosges represents an early stab at urban planning. — Fodor's

The exquisite Place des Vosges was built by Henri IV and inaugurated in 1612 to celebrate the wedding of Louis XIII to Anne of Austria. — Frommer's

This vast square, probably conceived by Métezeau, was the wish of Henri IV. When completed in 1612, the Place Royale became the centre of elegant life, with carrousels and pleasure. — Michelin Guide

Paris’s oldest and perhaps snootiest public square has served many generations of residents, from the knights who clashed swords in medieval tournaments to the hipsters who tan and swap... — Let's Go

During the renovations of Paris in the late 1800s, few monuments constructed could equal the grandeur of the palatial Opera Garnier. With nearly 2,000 seats, the enormous theater is the... — Travel + Leisure

Awash with marble, sculpture, gilding and paintings, Paris's glamorous opera house, designed by Charles Garnier 1860-75, is a fascinating vision of how the Bonapartes reinvented... — The Telegraph

Commissioned by Napoléon III, the Paris Opera House’s ornate 19th-century interiors including the Grand Staircase and 500-foot-long Grand Foyer lined with chandeliers easily rivals the... — Departures

Haunt of the Phantom of the Opera and the real-life inspiration for Edgar Degas's dancer paintings, the gorgeous Opéra Garnier is one of two homes of the National Opera of Paris. — Fodor's

Designed in 1860 by Charles Garnier, the sumptuous façade of this opera house is adorned with numerous sculptures. — Michelin Guide

After Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was rejected by the most prestigious art school in Paris, he rejected the idealized styles and themes in sculpture to create works of vivid realism.... — Let's Go

One of the most peaceful places in central Paris and a wonderful spot to contemplate his famous work The Thinker. — Lonely Planet

Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) briefly made his home and studio in the Hôtel Biron, a grand 18th-century mansion that now houses a museum dedicated to his work. — Fodor's

The stately Hôtel Biron, built in 1732, has been home to Musée Rodin since 1919. — Condé Nast Traveler

Rodin's powerful bronze and stone sculptures would be stunning even if they were displayed in a parking lot, but here, they're housed in a 1728 private mansion. — Concierge

The Eiffel Tower is to Paris what the Statue of Liberty is to New York and what Big Ben is London: the ultimate civic emblem. — Fodor's

No building better symbolises Paris than the Tour Eiffel. — Time Out

No one could imagine Paris today without its signature spire. — Lonely Planet

At 324m—just a tad shorter than New York City’s Chrysler Building—the tower is a tremendous feat of design and engineering, though wind does cause it to occasionally sway 6 to 7cm (nobody’s perfect). — Let's Go

This is the monument we all think we know and yet, when you actually see the real thing, there's still something astonishing about the metal structure, the 2.5 million metal rivets, the... — The Telegraph

Quai Branly is a provocative architectural and cultural statement, and the city's latest must-see. — Concierge

Museums can get old real quick, but before you can even think about how tired your feet are, this time machine/museum of natural history will shower you with its theatricality—every... — Let's Go

Exhibits mix artifacts from antiquity to the modern age, such as funeral masks from Melanesia, Siberian shaman drums, Indonesian textiles, and African statuary. — Fodor's

Set in a lush, rambling garden on the Left Bank in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, this is the greatest museum to open in Paris since Pompidou. — Frommer's

During these days the museum is holding a Maori exposition. This artifact, that resembles a spy aircraft, is supposed to improve the crops by its power over climate (well, at least that... — Afar Magazine

Inside, spectacular displays include statuary, illuminated manuscripts, weapons, furnishings and objets d’art made of gold, ivory and enamel. — Lonely Planet

Along with the Hôtel de Sens in the Marais, the Hôtel de Cluny is all that remains of domestic medieval architecture in Paris. — Frommer's

Built on the ruins of Roman baths, the Hôtel de Cluny has been a museum since medievalist Alexandre Du Sommerard established his collection here in 1844. — Fodor's

The best museums in Paris awe with beauty or provide a deepened understanding of the city. The Musée National du Moyen Age (also known as the Musée de Cluny) does both. — Concierge

Laid out around the Musée National du Moyen Âge (National Museum of the Middle Ages), on the corner of the Saint-Germain and Saint-Michel boulevards, this garden has been designed as a... — Michelin Guide

Only in Paris could the world's single largest collection of Monet paintings (along with works by Pissarro, Sisley, and Renoir) be overshadowed by other museums. — Concierge

Monet lovers could now trace the evolution of the great man's work in a single museum. — Frommer's

A few years ago the underrated Marmottan tacked "Monet" onto its official name—and justly so, as this is the largest collection of the artist's works anywhere. — Fodor's

This museum is a bit off the beaten track but well worth the effort to find. It’s a former hunting lodge of a duke who was an avid collector of impressionist works and upon his death,... — Atlas Obscura

This museum, two blocks east of the Bois de Boulogne between Porte de la Muette and Porte de Passy, has the world’s largest collection of works by impressionist painter Claude Monet. — Lonely Planet

After the catastrophe of 1870, a number of Catholics vowed to build a church consecrated to the Heart of Christ on the hill of Montmartre. — Michelin Guide

It's hard to not feel as though you're climbing up to heaven when you visit Sacred Heart Basilica, the white castle in the sky, perched atop Montmartre. — Fodor's

Sacred Heart Basilica was built from contributions pledged by Parisian Catholics as an act of contrition after the humiliating Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71. — Lonely Planet

High atop Montmartre is this distinctive white church, Sacré-Cœur, or "sacred heart." Constructed of travertine stone (the same used in the Arc de Triomphe), the Roman Catholic Church... — Afar Magazine

Sacré-Coeur is one of Paris's most characteristic landmarks and has been the subject of much controversy. One Parisian called it "a lunatic's confectionery dream". — Frommer's

One of Paris’ most beloved art collections opened its doors again after massive renovation works in summer 2013. — Lonely Planet

After five years of renovations, this shrine to all things Picasso has at last reopened with double the exposition space and a more comfortable visit for the millions of visitors that... — Frommer's

The collection of more than 100,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, documents, and other archival materials... spans the artist's entire career. — Fodor's

More than 5,000 pieces by Pablo Picasso are part of this museum's collection. A recent renovation expanded the museum by about double the size. — Condé Nast Traveler

The 17C Hôtel Salé is the setting for this impressive collection of paintings which follows the development of this great master from Málaga in southern Spain. — Michelin Guide

This is one of the most beautiful Asian museums in the world, and it houses one of the world's finest collections of Asian art. — Frommer's

France’s foremost Asian art museum has a superb collection of sculptures, paintings and religious articles that originated in the vast stretch of land between Afghanistan and Japan. — Lonely Planet

The outstanding Musée Guimet boasts the western world's biggest collection of Asian art, thanks to the 19th-century wanderings of Lyonnaise industrialist Émile Guimet. — Fodor's

The «Louvre of Oriental Art» is how the Guimet Museum has been described. It has probably the world's collection of Asiatic art. — Michelin Guide

This sumptuous residence built in 1875 for the banker Edouard André houses the collection he made with his wife, Nélie Jacquemart, a painter. — Michelin Guide

The Jacquemart-André Museum, founded by collector Édouard André and his portraitist wife Nélie Jacquemart, is in an opulent mid-19th-century residence on one of Paris’ posher avenues. — Lonely Planet

Perhaps the city's best small museum, the opulent Musée Jacquemart-André is home to a huge collection of art and furnishings lovingly assembled in the late 19th century. — Fodor's

This is the finest museum of its type in Paris... devoted to 18th-century French paintings and furnishings, 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, and Italian Renaissance works. — Frommer's

This public museum, just a 15-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe, was once the home of art collector Édouard André and his wife, painter Nélie Jacquemart. — Travel + Leisure

Paris’ most gruesome and macabre sight is its series of underground tunnels lined with skulls and bones exhumed from the city’s overflowing cemeteries. — Lonely Planet

Every year, about 50,000 visitors explore some 910m (2,986 ft.) of tunnel in these dank catacombs to look at six million ghoulishly arranged, skull-and-crossbones skeletons. — Frommer's

The underground of the three Parisian mounts (Montparnasse, Montrouge, Montsouris) has been exploited since Gallo-Roman times. — Michelin Guide

The creepy Paris Catacombs is an underground labyrinth stocking the remains of about six million Parisians, removed from cemeteries at the end of the 18th century. — Travel + Leisure

The Catacombs were the original site of Paris’s quarries, but they were converted into an ossuary in 1785 to help alleviate the stench rising from overcrowded cemeteries—somehow, burying... — Let's Go