DK Travel : Paris

From Notre-Dame to the Eiffel Tower, Paris holds some of the world's most famous sights and these highlights should be top of the list for any first-time visitor. With the exception of the overtly modern Pompidou Centre, they have been landmarks of this elegant and romantic capital for centuries and remain awe-inspiring sights, no matter how often you visit the city.

More on guided tours in Paris

1. Musée du Louvre

The world’s largest museum unsurprisingly also contains one of the world’s most important collections of art and antiquities. To complete the superlatives, the building was once France’s largest royal palace.
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2. Musée d’Orsay

This remarkable conversion has turned a former railway station into one of the world’s leading art galleries and is, for many, reason alone to visit Paris.
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3. Eiffel Tower

Some six million visitors a year ascend to the top of this most famous Paris landmark for the spectacular views. It was erected for the Universal Exhibition of 1889.
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4. Notre-Dame

This great Gothic cathedral, founded on the site of a Roman temple, was completed in 1334 and is a repository of French art and history. It also represents the geographical heart of France.
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5. Sacré-Coeur

The terrace in front of this monumental white-domed basilica in Montmartre affords one of the finest free views over Paris.
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6. Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon’s triumphal arch, celebrating battle victories, stands proudly at the top of the Champs-Elysées and, along with the Eiffel Tower, is one of the city’s most enduring images.
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7. Centre Georges Pompidou

Home to the Paris Museum of Modern Art, the design of the Pompidou Centre makes it a distinctive exhibition in itself. The Centre also has extensive research facilities.
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8. The Panthéon

The great and the good of France are buried in the Panthéon, including Voltaire and Victor Hugo.
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9. Sainte-Chapelle

Called “a gateway to heaven”, this splendid medieval church was built to house the relics collected by St Louis on his many Crusades.
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10. Hôtel des Invalides

The glowing golden dome of the Hôtel des Invalides church is unmistakable across the rooftops of Paris.
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