Paris is a city full of history and great places to visit making it the most aesthetically pleasing city in Europe. The city itself is so vast a filled with many hidden gems that one could spend a lifetime finding. There are however, places that stand out and can be described as ‘the best attractions in Paris’. The following lists seven of the best attractions in Paris.
Notre Dame Cathedral
Notre Dame Cathedral is a triumph of gothic architecture and stands alone as the most beautiful Cathedral in the world. It is therefore an essential part of any trip to Paris. The Cathedral sits on an island in the middle of the River Seine and took over one hundred years to build. It was technologically advanced due to the use of flying buttresses. It was sadly pillaged during the French Revolution in the late 18th century and consequently the religious imagery, worth millions today, was lost. The Cathedral has since been restored to its former glory and is one of the best attractions in Paris. It is then a simple walk over a bridge from Notre Dame to get to another one of the best attractions in Paris, The Louvre.
The Louvre
The Louvre is home to the world’s largest collection of art including the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. It also has one of the largest Picasso collections anywhere in the world.
The Palais du Louvre is as ancient as some of the art it houses and was built in the twelfth century by Phillip II. The museum is said to symbolise humanities travel through time. Outside there are acres of gardens which are perfect for relaxing after the viewing the marvels within.
The Eiffel Tower
Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a visit to the famous Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is synonymous with romance and epitomises everything that Paris is about although, when it was constructed for the World Exposition in 1889, it received a poor reception from Parisians. This was such that that the Eiffel Tower’s life was almost cut short as plans to have it knocked down shortly after the World Exposition were drawn up. Parisians however eventually warmed to the Eiffel tower and it has since become the most popular attraction in Paris and annual pulls over 220 million visitors every year. The lawn below the Eiffel Tower is a great place to sit and admire its scale and beauty of a magnitude that no trip to Paris should be without.
Champs-Elysées
The Champs-Elysées is one of the best attractions in Paris simply because of the sheer diversity it has on offer to shoppers and tourists alike. To explore all of the arcades and flagship concept stores of companies such as Citroen and Hagen Dazs would take a lifetime as would sampling The Champs-Elysées many eateries and wine bars. The Champs-Elysées is also aon of the most picturesque avenues in the entire world and in spring is laced with blooming horse chestnut trees.
Owning a shop on the Champs Elysées however is not so relaxed as rent can be as much as € 1.1 million per year!
The 15th century, 2 kilometre long Champs-Elysées is one of the best attractions in Paris and leads to another, perhaps even more breathtaking, Parisian landmark, The Arc de Triomphe.
Arc de Triomphe
Created by Napoleon I in honour of his and France’s imperial might, the 164 foot Arc de Triomphe sits at the centre of the main Parisian street network. It is however rather difficult to actually touch as it sits in the centre of a four lane roundabout. However much of a potentially perilous pursuit crossing the famous roundabout may be, bravery is rewarded with a staggering piece of Parisian beauty from one of the best attractions in Paris.