Top 10 Most Famous Monuments of Paris

Paris, the City of Light is the world’s most visited capital. The city is proud of its many monuments from the iconic Eiffel Tower to the lofty Notre-Dame cathedral and the majestic Arc de Triomphe. No doubt this is Europe’s most enchanting capital! Here is our list for the top 10 most famous monuments of Paris.

What are the most famous monuments of Paris?

We often take for granted that all our readers should be familiar with Paris’ iconic monuments. As I toured with visitors from the Americas, the UK, India or Australia I found out that this was not always the case. Of course everyone knows the Eiffel Tower but not all our clients were able to recognise the Sacré-Cœur or Notre-Dame, had trouble distinguishing the dome of the Invalides from that of the Panthéon… I hope this little list of the most famous monuments of Paris will help some of you to discover the French capital. Please let us know of your favourite Parisian landmarks by commenting below, we’d love to hear from you! Oh and by the way thank you to all our readers for making this post our most successful ever published! 🙂

1. Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower at sunset © French Moments

The world-famous metallic tower was built for the Paris International Exhibition in 1889 for the centenary of the French Revolution. At the time of its inauguration, it was the world’s tallest monument.

Read more about the Eiffel Tower.

2. Notre-Dame

Notre-Dame Cathedral rising above the River Seine © French Moments

The cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-Paris is a jewel of Gothic architecture and arguably one of the finest churches in Europe. Built from the Middle-Ages, it is renowned for being at the centre stage of “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame”, a 19th century novel written by French writer Victor Hugo.

Read more about Notre-Dame.

3. Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe © French Moments

The monumental triumphal arch sits at the top of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place de l’Étoile (or Place du Général Charles de Gaulle) where 12 avenues radiate. The Arc de Triomphe was built in honour of the French Imperial army of Napoleon.

>> Get your Tickets for Arc de Triomphe: Skip The Line + Rooftop Access <<

4. Palais du Louvre

The Louvre, Paris © French Moments

It is said that the Louvre is the world’s largest museum. Whether it is true or not, it is one of the most majestic palaces of Europe.

Former residence of the Kings of France, the Louvre and its glass pyramid open onto the garden of the Tuileries at the starting point of the Historical Axis.

>> Get your Tickets for the Louvre: Skip The Line and meet Mona Lisa! <<

5. Sacré-Cœur

Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre © French Moments

The Romanesque-Byzantine basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre stands like a whipped-cream edifice atop the hillock and shares more resemblance with the Taj Mahal in India than the Notre-Dame cathedral!

It was built between 1875 and 1914 by architect Paul Abadie, also known for restoring the cathedral of Périgueux.

Read more about Sacré-Cœur.

6. Panthéon

Panthéon, Paris © French Moments

This neo-classical white monument with its formidable colonnaded dome stands at the top of the Sainte-Geneviève hill. Originally a church, the Panthéon has since become a necropolis for France’s greatest citizens and a popular national monument.

7. Opéra Garnier

The Opéra Garnier at the end of the Avenue de l’Opéra © French Moments

The opulent Paris Opera house was built from 1861 to 1875 by Charles Garnier during the reign of Napoleon III. It is part of the great reconstruction of Paris by Baron Haussmann during the Second Empire. The auditorium seats nearly 2,000 people and features the grand chandelier and a fine ceiling painting by Marc Chagall.

>> Get your Tickets for Opera Garnier: Self-guided visit! <<

8. Les Invalides

Hôtel des Invalides, Paris © French Moments

The grand complex of Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement is easily recognisable by its magnificent golden dome. It was built by Louis XIV to house the homeless and wounded veterans of his army. Today the Hôtel des Invalides is famous for housing the tomb of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. The Hôtel des Invalides also hosts three museums: the Army museum, the Musée de l’Ordre de la Libération, and the Musée des Plans-Reliefs.

>> Get your Tickets for Les Invalides: the Army Museum [Priority Entrance], Napoleon’s tomb and see war memorabilia! <<

9. Centre Pompidou

Centre Pompidou, Paris © French Moments

The Pompidou Centre in Beaubourg (4th arrondissement) is one of France’s most visited museums.

Not far from the busy shopping precinct of Les Halles, the Pompidou Centre was designed in the style of high-tech architecture. The top floor offers panoramic views over the roofs of Paris. With its colour-coded pipes and ducts, the design of the modern art museum has been the source of much controversy since its construction. Inaugurated in 1977, some see it as an eyesore, others praise its architectural audacity.

>> Get your Tickets for Pompidou Centre: Priority Entrance! <<

10. Palais du Luxembourg

The Luxembourg Palace, Paris © French Moments

The Luxembourg Palace, surrounded by the garden, was created in 1617 and owes its name to the Duke of Piney-Luxembourg, landlord of a domain which was later acquired by Maria de Medici, widow of the King of France, Henri IV. The Italian born Queen wished to create a residence to remind her of the Pitti Palace as well as establishing gardens evoking those of Boboli in Florence. The construction of the palace, opening onto a park comprising 8 hectares, was entrusted to Salomon de la Brosse. It now houses the French Senate, the upper house of Parliament.

Read more about the Luxembourg Garden.

Looking for a great guide of Paris? We bought The Rough Guide to Paris and found what we needed to know for discovering the must-sees to the more offbeat sites of the French capital. The guide gives an accurate practical information on everything from public transport to opening hours and museum passes.

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English-French Vocabulary for famous monuments of Paris

Notre-Dame, one of the most famous monuments of Paris © French Moments

(f) for féminin, (m) for masculin, (adj) for adjective and (v) for verbs

• arch = arc (m)
• basilica = basilique (f)
• cathedral = cathédrale (f)
• church = église (f)
• Eiffel Tower = Tour Eiffel (f)
• French Revolution = Révolution Française (f)
• garden = jardin (m)
• Middle-Ages = Moyen-Âge (m)
• monument = monument (m)
• most famous monuments of Paris = plus célèbres monuments de Paris (p)
• museum = musée (m)
• necropolis = nécropole (f)
• opéra = opéra (m)
• palace = palais (m)
• Senate = Sénat (m)
• triumphal arch = arc de triomphe (m)