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Top 10: Highlights
From Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower, Paris holds some of the world's most famous sights and these ten attractions should be top of the list for any first-time visitor. With the exception of the overtly modern Pompidou Centre, they have been landmarks of this elegant and romantic capital for centuries and remain awe-inspiring sights, no matter how often you visit the city.
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1. Musée du Louvre
The world's largest museum unsurprisingly also contains one of the world's most important collections of art and antiquities. To complete the superlatives, the building was once France's largest royal palace.
- 34 quai du Louvre, 75001
- 01 40 20 53 17 (for advance booking)
- Open 9am - 6pm Thu - Sun, 9am - 9:45pm Wed and Mon; closed Tue & public hols
- Admission €7.50 (reduced price after 3pm and Sun; free 1st Sun of month)
- Partial disabled access
- www.louvre.fr
2. 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.
- 1 rue de la Légion-d'Honneur, 75007
- 01 40 49 48 14
- Open summer: 9am - 4pm Tue - Sun (Thu till 9:45pm); winter: 10am - 6pm Tue - Sat, 9am - 6pm Sun; closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec
- Admission €7.00 (€4.50 Sun)
- www.musee-orsay.fr
3. 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.
- Champ-de-Mars, 7e
- 01 44 11 23 23
- Open 9:30am - 11pm daily (mid-Jun - Aug: 9am - midnight)
- Admission: €2.00 (stairs); €3.50 - €10.00 (lift, depending on level)
- Disabled access first and second levels only
- www.tour-eiffel.fr
4. Notre-Dame
This great Gothic cathedral, founded on the site of a Roman temple, was completed in 1334 and is a repository of French art and history. It also represents the geographical heart of France.
- 6 pl du Parvis-de-Notre-Dame, 75001
- 01 42 34 56 10
- Open 8am - 6:45pm Mon - Fri, 8am - 7:45pm Sat - Sun
- Admission towers only: €5.50 (€3.50 18 - 25-year-olds, under-18s free)
5. Sacré-Coeur
The terrace in front of this monumental white-domed basilica in Montmartre affords one of the finest free views over Paris.
- Parvis du Sacré-Coeur, 75018
- 01 53 41 89 00
- Open 6am - 10:30pm (basilica), 9am - 5:45pm (dome and crypt) daily
- Admission €2.00
- No disabled access
6. 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.
- Place du Général-de-Gaulle, 75008
- Open Apr - Oct: 9:30am - 11pm daily; Nov - Mar: 10am - 10:30pm daily; closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec and for major events
- Admission €6.00 (free 1st Sun of month & for under 18s)
7. Centre Georges Pompidou
Home to the Paris Museum of Modern Art, the Pompidou Centre is a distinctive exhibition in itself. It recently re-opened after refurbishments.
- Place Georges Pompidou 75004
- 01 44 78 12 33
- Open 11am - 9pm Wed - Mon; closed 1 May
- Admission (museum) €4.60
- www.centrepompidou.fr
8. Panthéon
The great and the good of France are buried in the Panthéon, including Voltaire and Victor Hugo.
- Place du Panthéon, 75005
- 01 44 32 18 00
- Open 10am - 6pm daily
- Admission €5.50 (free under 12s)
- Disabled access to main floor only
9. 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.
- 2 blvd du Palais, 75001
- 01 53 73 78 50
- Open Apr - Sep: 9:30am - 6:30pm; Oct - Mar: 10am - 5pm; closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 & 11 Nov, 25 Dec
- Admission €5.50 (free 1st Sun of month Oct - May)
- Restricted disabled access
10. Hôtel des Invalides
The glowing golden dome of the Hôtel des Invalides church is unmistakable across the rooftops of Paris.
- 129 rue de Grenelle, 75007
- 01 44 42 37 72
- Open Apr - Sep: 10am - 6pm daily (Oct - Mar: until 5pm); closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 1 Nov, 25 Dec
- Admission €6.00 adults; €4.00 concessions; free under 12s
- Limited disabled access
- www.invalides.org
