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The Hôtel Dieu, now the hospital for central Paris, was built on the site of a foundling home in 1866–78; the original 12th-century building on the Ile de la Cité was demolished during the urban renewal schemes of the 19th century. A monument in the courtyard commemorates a courageous battle here in 1944 when Paris police held out against the German Nazis.

Three floors of pilasters feature on this 1713 mansion. Formerly the Russian embassy, Czar Nicolas II lived here in 1896. It is now a government building.

Dating from 1728, this mansion belonged to the Avaray family for nearly 200 years. It became the Dutch Embassy in 1920.

Designed by the architect François Mansart in the mid-17th century, this splendid mansion now houses a Hunting Museum.

One of the most beautiful mansions in the area, built in 1721, is now the official residence of the French prime minister.

Designed in the style of a Greek temple in 1764, this prominent church in Paris’s financial district, on the edge of the Opéra Quarter, is one of the city’s most distinctive sights, spectacularly surrounded by 52 Corinthian columns. The church was consecrated to Mary Magdalene in 1845. The bronze doors, which include bas-reliefs depicting the Ten Commandments, and the Last Judgment on the south pediment are exterior highlights, while the ornate marble and gold interior has many fine statues, including François Rude’s Baptism of Christ . Organ recitals are often held in the church.

The city’s great university had humble beginnings in 1253 as a college for 16 poor students to study theology, but France’s first printing house was also established here in 1469. After suppression during the Revolution it became the University of Paris.

The city’s Grande Mosque was built during the 1920s as a tribute to North African Muslims who gave military support to France during World War I. It features beautiful Moorish architecture, executed by craftsmen brought over from North Africa, and a peaceful interior courtyard.