10 things to do in Paris

Paris, a city which I always want to visit, but never really managed to do so. From Luxembourg, it’s only a 3 and 1/2 hour car drive away, so it’s really a pity that I haven’t been there earlier in my life.

In April 2015, we drove to Paris by car. From the very first sights of Paris, I fell in love with it. So I am really excited to let you know my 10 things to do in Paris. Even though, there are plenty of those lists on the internet, I really enjoy reading such lists to plan my trips. So here we go…

Eiffel Tower

It is THE emblem of the city and everyone knows the Eiffel Tower. For those of you who don’t, it is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It got its name from its engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. It was built from 1887 to 1889 and had become the most visited paid monument in the world. Until 1930 it was the highest building in the world with 324 meters.

The tower has three levels, which are accessible for visitors. The first and the second floor can be reached by lift or stairs. On those two levels, there are restaurants. The third level, which is 276 meters above the ground, can only be reached by lift and is the highest accessible monument to the public in the European Union.

If you’re planning a trip to Paris, be sure to buy your tickets online. It will save you a lot of time, because there are crowds of people who wanted to visit the Eiffel Tower everyday!

Another fact, which can have an impact on your visit to the Eiffel Tower, is the french mentality of striking. On our last day in Paris, we headed early in the morning to the Eiffel Tower. When we arrived, we were really happy that there were no waiting lines, but as soon as we realized why, we were so angry with the French people. The Eiffel Tower was closed because of a strike – which is not so uncommon in France. So there were panels, which announced the opening of the Tower at 18 o’clock and so we had to spent still the whole day in Paris, to get finally up on the Eiffel Tower in the late afternoon. My tip: be prepared for everything!

Arc de Triomphe

The Arc the Triomphe, or in English the Triumphal Arch, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It was built in 1806 and inaugurated in 1836. With its 50 meters of high, it’s not one of the highest buildings in Paris, but surely a place not to miss on your Paris trip. As a European student, the entrance is free, so be again sure to have your student card with you.

The arch is a very historical memorial, because it honors all those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars. It has all the names of French victories and generals written on its inner and outer surfaces. And in the middle of the arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I.

Again, you can get inside and up on the monument. Inside, there are a lot of war things, like uniforms and weapons and from the top of the monument, you’ll have again an amazing view on the Eiffel Tower. So be prepared on a crowd, which will make selfies with the Eiffel Tower.

Montmartre

Montmartre is a large hill located in the 18th arrondissement in Paris. It is basically known for the white Basilica of the Sacré Coeur, which is located on its summit. It is such an impressive building, that you absolutely have to enter it, even if you’re not a Christian. On the other side, the hill is famous for its nightclub district. We went there by evening, so I didn’t feel really comfortable. Everywhere were people trying to sell you stuff like small Eiffel Towers. They were really creepy and I was very happy to finally leave this hill.

But, I really liked the artists, which worked on the Place du Tertre. This is a square located a few streets away from the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur. This square is such a charming place, that we decided to have dinner there on a terrace.

Another thing, which I had on my to do list for Paris, was to get painted by an artist in Montmartre. So we did this on the Place du Tertre. I didn’t want a normal portrait, so we had us painted as a  caricature. I really like it. So if you want to have a special memory from Paris, make sure to make yourself painted.

Statue of Liberty

Yes, there is a Statue of Liberty in Paris! Most of the people doesn’t know this and are surprised by this fact. So, as I haven’t been in New York before, I absolutely wanted to see at least this Statue of Liberty.

It is located on the Île aux Cygnes, which is an artificially created island. The Statue of Liberty is a one-fourth scale replica of the one in New York. Therefore, the 22 meters high statue is facing west in the direction of its larger sibling in New York. It was given to Paris by the Parisian community of America on the 4th July 1889 as a commemoration of the French Revolution. At the beginning, it was facing the Eiffel Tour, but in 1937, it was turned west for the exposition universelle. Its tablet in the left hand is recognizing the American Independence Day.

Tour Montparnasse

The Tour Montparnasse was the first thing I visited in Paris. Basically, it is a 210 meters skyscraper located in the Montparnasse in Paris. Until 2011, it was the tallest skyscraper in France and still as of February 2015, is is the 17th tallest building in the European Union.

I was really fascinated by the Tower, because I’ve never been on such a high building. This means that you can visit the top of the tower. You can take one of the fasest lifts in the world to reach the 56th floor, which is also called Panoramic Floor. This entire floor is reserved for tourist visits. For me, the tower is really perfect to get a first impression of Paris. From the Tour Montparnasse, you’ll see the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame, the Basilica of the Sacré Coeur etc. If you’re a student, be sure to have your student card with you, because you’ll get a discount.

Notre Dame

I think everyone knows the cathedral Notre Dame from the movie „The Hunchback of Notre-Dame“. It is a historic Catholic cathedral located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The Notre Dame is amongst the largest and most well known church buildings in the world.

We didn’t go inside, because there was a huge line in front of it and we didn’t want to wait. But if you have the chance to visit it from the inside, do it. The cathedral is also stunning from the outside. It is considered as one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. I really like the chimera statues.

Even if we were not able to visit it from the inside, I really enjoyed the Notre Dame and it really should be on your bucket list while visiting Paris.

Musee du Louvre

The Musee du Louvre is basically known for the Mona Lisa portrait painted by Leonardo da Vinci. But the Louvre Museum has a lot more to offer. It is one of the largest museums on earth. It was built in 1792 in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. The building in which the museum is established, is the Louvre Palace. This one was originally built as a fortress under Philip II in the late 12th century.

Thousands of people are coming to the Louvre to see and take a selfie with the Mona Lisa Portrait. I have to admit, that I also mainly wanted to visit the Louvre because of this famous painting, but now, after visiting this huge museum, I have to say, that it has a way more attractive things in it as the Mona Lisa portrait. I really liked the Venus de Milo statue and all the other Greek statues. Unfortunately, the Egyptian exposition was closed on that day, but someday I will come back to discover this one.

Champs Elysée

This boulevard is basically the most famous boulevard on earth beside the Times Square. It is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris and runs between the Place the la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is situated. The Avenue des Champs-Elysées is a 1,9 kilometers long boulevard full of luxury shops, theaters and cafés.

If you have a lot of time, you can take a beautiful walk from the Notre Dame Cathedral to the Arc de Triomphe. From the Notre Dame, you walk along the Seine to the Louvre, then through the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries to the Place de la Concorde. Then starts the Champs Elysée which will guide you to the Arc de Triomphe.

I really enjoyed walking along the Champs Elysées, even though I can’t buy something in most of the shops. It is really worth visiting once in your life.

Catacombes de Paris

The visit to the Catacombs of Paris wasn’t planned initially, but as we had our hotel just in front of the entrance, it resulted from that fact. Basically, you’ll enter the catacombs by stairs to get under the earth. First, you’ll walk through a 1,5 kilometer and twisted hallway. Then you’re standing in front of a stone portal. This is the ossuary entry. Above the portal is written in French „Arrête! C’est ici l’empire de la Mort“, which means in English „Stop! This is the Empire of the Dead“.

By entering the ossuary, you have to be silent. All the halls and hallways are full of arranged bones of people. This really attracts people, and so the Catacombs became a very tourist attraction in Paris. I think you should visit this „museum“, because it is something different from all the other touristic sightseeing places.

Galeries Lafayette

Lastly, I recommend the Galeries Lafayette. It is a French department store located in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Basically, it has a lot of luxury products of all the famous luxury brands, but also some things for normal people. I really like it and so I recommend you to visit it, even if you’re not buying anything!

 

I hope you liked my post about Paris and that I could help you organizing your trip a little bit. If you have anything to add, please let me know.