Top Tourist Attractions In Paris

by Claire Quaty

If you are visiting Paris for the first time, you might be overwhelmed when planning your itinerary and deciding which attractions to visit and in what order. Let's take a look at the top attractions in Paris that are a must see when planning your visit.

First you'll want to visit the Eiffel Tower. This icon of Paris is located at Eiffel Tower Champs de Mars. Admission to the tower is 10,70 Î . The phone number is 33 (0) 1 44 11 23 23. The Eiffel Tower was built in 1899 and was originally supposed to be a temporary symbol for the 1899 World's Fair. If you really want to be "wowed" by this structure, visit it in the evening, as the lights of Paris are a breath taking view from the top floor. The tower includes restaurants and shopping. Tickets to the second floor and the top floor can be purchased at the information office at the base of the tower. Expect to wait for the elevator and expect to be a little confused by its configuration. Even with these slight inconveniences, a trip to Paris wouldn't be complete without a trip to the magnificent Paris icon - the Eiffel Tower.

After visiting the Eiffel Tower, your next stop in Paris should be the Muse du Louvre. Admission is 8,50 euros. The phone number is +33 1 40 20 53 17. You may want to plan to visit the Louvre more than once during your trip, as it is impossible to see the entire 30,000 piece collection in the world's largest museum. The Louvre was built in 1200 and in the 1500s became the royal family's palace. The Louvre was opened as a museum in 1793. In the 1980s, glass pyramids were built to serve as the entrance and are a fantastic sight. Once inside the museum, be sure to stop at the information desk first to pick up a free map and to get the schedule of the 90 minute guided tours being offered that day. The museum can be confusing even with the map and a guided tour is recommended. The Louvre is broken up into three wings: Richelieu, Sully and Denon. Within these three wings, the museum is then divided into nine collections: the History of the Louvre and Medieval Louvre, Oriental Antiquities, Arts os Islam, Egyptian Antiquities, Sculptures, Objects d'art, Paintings, Prints and Drawings, and Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Photography is allowed at the museum so don't forget your camera.

The next stop on your tour of Paris, France should be the Notre Dame Cathedrale located at 6 place du Parvis Notre-Dame. The Cathedrale Notre-Dame was built in 1163 but was not completed until the 14 th century. This is a very historical sight in Paris. Napoleon crowned himself emperor here and General de Gaulle gave thanks here when the Germans freed Paris. One thing to be wary of is that the Cathedrale is under restoration construction and part of it may be unobservable.

Next on the tour is Basilique du Sacre-Coeur located at 35, rue du Chevalier-de-la-Barre. The phone number is +33 1 53 41 89 00. The main reason for visiting this church that sits atop a large hill just past Montmarte's main square is to take in the amazing view of Paris that this location offers. While in the area be sure to walk around the streets of Montmartre's Place du Tertre. It is almost as if this area has been frozen in time and remains very similar to the time when Van Gogh resided here.

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Top Tourist Attractions In Paris

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