The 12 Prettiest Places in Paris You Need to See

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Paris hit me differently than I expected. Sure, I knew about the Eiffel Tower and fancy cafes, but actually standing there watching the sunset light up the Seine while locals walked their dogs and couples shared wine on the riverbank? That feeling was something else. Even on my fourth visit, this city still stops me in my tracks, especially when I catch that golden evening glow bouncing off the limestone buildings.

From the jaw-dropping stained glass of Sainte Chapelle (seriously, photos don’t do it justice) to the peaceful mornings in Luxembourg Gardens watching old men play chess, these are the prettiest places in Paris you absolutely need to see. Let me show you my 12 favorite spots in this incredible city!

Unmissable Places to Visit in Paris

Looking for the coolest things to do in Paris? Visit the iconic Eiffel Tower, explore world-renowned art at the Louvre Museum, and admire the stunning architecture of Notre-Dame Cathedral. Wander through the charming streets of Montmartre and take in breathtaking views from the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur. Whether you’re interested in history, culture, or breathtaking landmarks, here are the top attractions to visit in Paris.

1. Eiffel Tower

• 🏆 Best For: Romantics ❤️, photographers 📸, height enthusiasts 🏙️
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Iconic iron lattice design, breathtaking city views, magical evening light shows, symbol of Parisian elegance
• 📸 Top Experiences: Ascending to the summit for panoramic views, picnicking on Champ de Mars, witnessing the sparkling light show after dark
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel Le Walt – Boutique hotel with stunning Eiffel Tower views from select rooms

Find a cheap flight to Paris and this is undoubtedly the first place you’ll see…either on the plane or when you touch down. Standing atop this 330-meter icon in the 7th arrondissement will instantly reset your perspective on life. The Eiffel Tower offers three observation levels with the summit providing views stretching 70km on clear days. Skip the long lines by booking tickets online or arriving early.

The tower transforms after sunset with a dazzling light show every hour until 1am. For the perfect Instagram moment, head to Trocadéro Plaza across the Seine. Between visits, relax on the grassy Champ de Mars with locals enjoying picnics beneath this engineering marvel that once scandalized Parisians.

2. Louvre Museum

• 🏆 Best For: Art enthusiasts 🎨, history buffs 📜, architecture admirers 🏛️
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Stunning blend of Renaissance and modern architecture, world’s greatest art collection, magnificent former royal palace
• 📸 Top Experiences: Viewing the Mona Lisa, discovering the Venus de Milo, exploring the opulent Napoleon III Apartments
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel du Louvre – Historic luxury hotel directly facing the museum

I remember my first time at the Louvre. I could’ve spent months inside! Several visits later, and I’m nowhere down exploring all of it!

This former royal palace in the 1st arrondissement houses enough inspiration to last a lifetime. The Louvre Museum contains over 35,000 artifacts spanning 9,000 years of human civilization. I’ve visited three times and still discovered new treasures. Enter through the striking glass pyramid designed by I.M. Pei.

Beyond the famous Mona Lisa, seek out the dramatic Winged Victory of Samothrace atop its grand staircase. Visit Wednesday or Friday evenings when the museum stays open late with smaller crowds. Pro tip: use the less crowded Porte des Lions entrance near the Seine. The nearby Palais Royal Gardens offer a peaceful retreat afterward.

3. Notre-Dame Cathedral

• 🏆 Best For: Architecture lovers 🏛️, history enthusiasts 📚, spiritual seekers 🙏
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, breathtaking stained glass rose windows, fascinating gargoyles and chimeras
• 📸 Top Experiences: Admiring the cathedral’s exterior restoration, exploring the archaeological crypt, visiting Point Zero (France’s geographic center)
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel de la Cité – Charming hotel in a historic building with views of the cathedral

Looking to see one of the most historic landmarks in the world? This 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece on Île de la Cité stands at Paris’s historic heart. Notre-Dame Cathedral continues its phoenix-like restoration after the 2019 fire. While interior access remains limited, you can appreciate its magnificent façade from the forecourt.

The flying buttresses and intricate stone carvings showcase medieval craftsmanship. Find the small bronze marker called Point Zero outside…the official center point of Paris. Nearby, Shakespeare and Company bookstore provides a literary haven. For the best views of Notre-Dame’s rose windows, cross to Île Saint-Louis or walk along the Left Bank of the Seine.

4. Montmartre and the Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur

• 🏆 Best For: Artists 🎨, bohemian souls 🎭, panorama seekers 🌄
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Village-like atmosphere, artistic heritage, stunning white-domed basilica, sweeping city views
• 📸 Top Experiences: Watching artists at work in Place du Tertre, climbing to the Sacré-Cœur dome, exploring hidden vineyards and windmills
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Maison Souquet – Sumptuous boutique hotel in a former Belle Époque pleasure house

This bohemian hilltop village in northern Paris feels worlds away from your corporate existence. Montmartre retains authentic charm with cobblestone streets winding past ivy-covered buildings. The gleaming white Basilica of the Sacré-Cœur crowns the summit, offering spectacular city views.

This neighborhood once attracted Picasso and Van Gogh. Today, artists continue this tradition in bustling Place du Tertre. I can spend hours wandering these streets. Avoid tourist traps by exploring side streets like Rue des Saules, home to the city’s last working vineyard. After sunset, catch a cabaret show at the legendary Lapin Agile, a favorite haunt of artists for over a century.

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5. Champs-Élysées and Arc de Triomphe

• 🏆 Best For: Shoppers 🛍️, history enthusiasts 🏛️, urban explorers 🚶
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Grand ceremonial boulevard, majestic triumphal arch, perfect urban planning, luxury atmosphere
• 📸 Top Experiences: Climbing to the Arc’s rooftop viewpoint, shopping at flagship luxury stores, strolling through Jardins des Champs-Élysées
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel Barrière Le Fouquet’s – Prestigious hotel where luxury meets Parisian tradition

Want to shop until you drop? This legendary 1.9-kilometer shopping boulevard stretching from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe will give you gloriously tangible reasons to swipe again. The Champs-Élysées perfectly balance history and luxury. Begin at the Egyptian obelisk in Place de la Concorde and work westward.

Flagship stores of global brands line the avenue alongside historic theaters and cafés. The imposing Arc de Triomphe, commissioned by Napoleon, offers perhaps the most spectacular viewpoint in Paris. From its rooftop, I gazed upon the city’s perfect geometric layout with 12 avenues radiating outward like a star. Visit at sunset when golden light bathes the Haussmanian buildings.

6. Seine River Cruises

• 🏆 Best For: Romantic couples ❤️, photographers 📸, relaxation seekers 🛥️
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Unique perspective of Paris from the water, UNESCO-listed riverbanks, iconic bridges, magical evening ambiance
• 📸 Top Experiences: Evening dinner cruises under illuminated monuments, hop-on-hop-off boat tours, picnicking along the riverbanks
• 🏨 Where to Stay: OFF Seine – Paris’s first floating hotel moored near Gare de Lyon

Remember when “going with the flow” wasn’t just corporate jargon? Drift away from deadlines on these tranquil waters that elegantly bisect Paris into Left and Right Banks. The Seine River showcases the city’s evolution from medieval Notre-Dame to contemporary Bibliothèque Nationale. A one-hour cruise offers a uniquely tranquil perspective on major monuments while passing under 37 distinctive bridges.

The ornate Pont Alexandre III with its gold-accented sculptures is particularly photogenic. For the ultimate experience, book an evening cruise when monuments light up the shoreline. Between cruises, join locals picnicking along the UNESCO-protected riverbanks near the Hôtel de Ville, which transform into vibrant social spaces each evening.

7. Luxembourg Gardens

• 🏆 Best For: Nature lovers 🌿, people-watchers 👀, art enthusiasts 🎨
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Meticulously manicured formal gardens, historic fountains, tree-lined promenades, and stunning sculptures
• 📸 Top Experiences: Sailing miniature boats on the Grand Basin, admiring the Medici Fountain, lounging in iconic green chairs, visiting the Orangerie
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel Les Jardins du Luxembourg – Charming boutique hotel steps from the garden entrance

Need a stylish escape from endless museum lines? Luxembourg Gardens delivers the quintessential Parisian afternoon without the crowds. Located on the Left Bank, this 25-hectare oasis blends French precision with Italian romance.

The grand Luxembourg Palace overlooks the central basin where children sail wooden boats as Parisians have for generations. I’ve spent hours here just watching locals play chess while sipping espresso. The gardens showcase over 100 statues, including the original model for the Statue of Liberty.

Hidden treasures include centuries-old beehives, an apple orchard, and secret grottos. When Parisian hustle wears you down, claim one of the iconic green chairs and master the art of stylish leisure amid beauty cultivated since 1612.

• Read next: 13 Places to Go in Paris for Young Adults

8. Pantheon

• 🏆 Best For: History buffs 📜, architecture admirers 🏛️, literature lovers 📚
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Stunning neoclassical architecture, awe-inspiring dome, breathtaking interior with Foucault’s pendulum
• 📸 Top Experiences: Paying respects at tombs of French luminaries, climbing to the dome for panoramic views, watching Foucault’s pendulum demonstration
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel Les Dames du Panthéon – Elegant hotel with rooms overlooking the monument

Instagram-worthy views and intellectual bragging rights await at the Panthéon. This neoclassical giant dominates the Latin Quarter skyline from atop Montagne Sainte-Geneviève.

Step inside to find soaring marble columns and the mesmerizing Foucault’s Pendulum swinging from the central dome. The pendulum silently proves Earth’s rotation as you watch.

Below in the crypt lie France’s greatest minds: Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie, and Alexandre Dumas. The quiet is almost electric with their collective genius.

For the perfect Paris photo, climb to the dome’s colonnade. The 360° panorama stretches from Sacré-Cœur to the Eiffel Tower. This monument perfectly captures the French reverence for intellect over royalty.

9. Opéra Garnier

• 🏆 Best For: Cultural enthusiasts 🎭, architecture lovers 🏛️, luxury seekers ✨
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Opulent Second Empire architecture, grand staircase, Marc Chagall ceiling, crystal chandeliers
• 📸 Top Experiences: Taking a guided tour of the sumptuous interiors, attending a performance, marveling at the grand chandelier
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hotel Dress Code & Spa – Chic boutique hotel with elegant rooms, a relaxing spa, and a short walk to the Opera House

Looking for the most extra building in Paris? Opéra Garnier serves dramatic luxury that would make your social media followers jealous. Located in the 9th arrondissement, this theatrical temple defines Parisian opulence.

The Grand Staircase alone is worth the visit. This multicolored marble masterpiece was designed for seeing and being seen. Opera-goers still parade up these steps in their finest.

The auditorium dazzles with red velvet and gold leaf beneath a ceiling painted by Marc Chagall. His colorful work floats above a massive 7-ton crystal chandelier.

Yes, this is where “Phantom of the Opera” is set—and there really is a water tank beneath the building. The phantom’s underground lake actually exists!

10. Sainte-Chapelle

• 🏆 Best For: Art enthusiasts 🎨, religious architecture admirers ⛪, photography lovers 📸
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Spectacular 13th-century stained glass windows, soaring Gothic architecture, jewel-box interior
• 📸 Top Experiences: Witnessing the kaleidoscope of light through the stained glass, attending a classical concert, exploring the lower chapel
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel de Lutèce – Historic hotel on nearby Île Saint-Louis with medieval character

Forget the Instagram filters…Sainte-Chapelle creates natural light effects no app can match. Hidden within the Palais de Justice on Île de la Cité, this medieval masterpiece will leave you speechless.

Built in just seven years (1242-1248), the chapel once housed Christ’s Crown of Thorns. The upper chapel features 15 towering stained glass windows containing 1,113 Biblical scenes.

When sunlight streams through these medieval panels, the entire space transforms into a kaleidoscope of jewel-toned brilliance. Each window tells a different Biblical story through colored light.

Want the ultimate experience? Attend an evening concert here. The combination of medieval artistry and classical music creates pure magic in the heart of Paris.

11. Place de la Concorde

• 🏆 Best For: History enthusiasts 📜, photo lovers 📸, luxury shoppers 🛍️
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Harmonious 18th-century urban design, Egyptian obelisk, historic fountains, panoramic views
• 📸 Top Experiences: Standing at Paris’s geographic heart, photographing the obelisk framing the Champs-Élysées, watching the fountains illuminate at night
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Hôtel de Crillon – Legendary luxury palace hotel overlooking the square

Channel your inner influencer at Paris’s most epic crossroads. Place de la Concorde offers the perfect backdrop for that “I’m casually in Paris” shot. This massive octagonal plaza connects the Louvre, Tuileries Gardens, and Champs-Élysées.

The square’s dark past adds edge to your visit. During the French Revolution, 1,119 people lost their heads here by guillotine, including King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

Today, the 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk marks the spot where royal blood once flowed. Two magnificent fountains inspired by Rome’s Piazza Navona flank this Egyptian treasure.

Visit at sunset when golden light bathes the square. The fountains illuminate as night falls, creating a magical atmosphere at Paris’s historic heart..

12. Marais District

• 🏆 Best For: Fashionistas 👗, foodies 🍽️, architecture lovers 🏛️
• ✨ What Makes It Beautiful: Preserved medieval streets, magnificent hôtels particuliers, vibrant Jewish quarter, cutting-edge galleries
• 📸 Top Experiences: Exploring Place des Vosges, sampling falafel on Rue des Rosiers, discovering hidden courtyards, browsing trendy boutiques
• 🏨 Where to Stay: Pavillon de la Reine – Ivy-covered boutique hotel on Place des Vosges

Craving Parisian cool that won’t appear in typical travel guides? The Marais delivers medieval charm with cutting-edge style. This district in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements escaped Haussmann’s 19th-century renovations.

Narrow cobblestone streets lead to hidden courtyards and aristocratic mansions from the 16th century. At its heart lies Place des Vosges—Paris’s oldest planned square, where Victor Hugo once lived.

The northern section houses Paris’s vibrant Jewish quarter around Rue des Rosiers. Their falafel shops create lines down the block for good reason.

Fashion-forward boutiques now occupy centuries-old buildings alongside museums like the Picasso Museum. The neighborhood perfectly balances Paris’s rich history with its trendsetting present.

• For more Marais exploration: Paris Guide: 13 Things to Do & Places to Go for Young Adults