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Paris’s Natural History Museum in the Jardin des Plantes contains a fascinating collection of animal skeletons, plant fossils, minerals and gemstones. Its highlight is the magnificent Grande Galerie de l’volution, which depicts the varying interaction between man and nature during the evolution of the planet.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

The prime exhibits here are eight of Monet’s huge waterlily canvases (see Blue Waterlilies) and the gallery, located in a corner of the Tuileries, has recently been renovated to provide an improved setting for their display. The Walter-Guillaume collection covers works by Renoir, Picasso, Modigliani and other modern masters from 1870–1930.

Housed in a grand Marais mansion, this museum presents Parisian decorative arts through the ages. The collection includes painting, sculpture and antique furniture, re-creating private residences of the 16th and 17th centuries. There is also a collection of mementoes from the Revolution. Classical music concerts are occasionally held here.

Head-shrinking, tattooing and mummification are some of mankind’s more unusual rituals, explored in this ethnological and anthropological museum housed in the Palais de Chaillot. The collection of artifacts dates back to 3.5 million years BC, and ranges from Africa to South America, to Asia and the Pacific (see Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle).

France’s proud military history is on display in this museum, housed in a wing of the Hôtel des Invalides. Exhibits include military art and artifacts from ancient times through to the 20th century, with a large modern exhibit devoted to World War II. Napoleon’s campaign tent, his stuffed dog, and suits of armour and weapons from medieval times are among the many highlights.

French and Italian sculpture, Greek and Roman antiquities and paintings from the 12th to 19th centuries are just some of the highlights of the world’s largest museum.

On a sunny day, head straight for the gardens of the Musée Rodin, in the Hôtel des Invalides complex, where you can enjoy some of the French sculptor’s most famous works, including The Thinker and The Burghers of Calais , while strolling among the shady trees and rose bushes. Then pay a visit inside the beautiful 18th-century mansion, the Hôtel Biron, where Auguste Rodin (1840–1917) lived and worked for nine years, until his death. An extensive collection of his works from throughout his career is on display.

The remains of the 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre from the settlement of Lutetia (see Roman Settlement) lay buried for centuries and were only discovered in 1869 during construction of the rue Monge. The novelist Victor Hugo, concerned with the preservation of his city’s historic buildings, including Notre-Dame (see The Man Who Saved Notre-Dame), led the campaign for the restoration. The original arena would have had 35 tiers and could seat 15,000 spectators for theatrical performances and gladiator fights.

Built for the daughter of Louis XIV in 1722, the Palais Bourbon has housed the lower house of the French parliament since 1827. The Council of the Five Hundred met here during the Revolution, and it was the headquarters of the German Occupation during World War II. Napoleon added the Classical riverfront façade in 1806 to complement La Madeleine (see Place de la Madeleine) across the river.

One of the most famous avenues in the world came into being when the royal gardener André Le Nôtre planted an arbour of trees beyond the border of the Jardin des Tuileries in 1667. First called the Grand Cours (Great Way), it was later renamed the Champs-Elysées (Elysian Fields). In the mid-19th century the avenue acquired pedestrian paths, fountains, gas lights and cafés, and became the fashionable place for socializing and entertainment. Since the funeral of Napoleon in 1840, this wide thoroughfare has also been the route for state processions, victory parades and other city events. The Rond Point des Champs-Elysées is the prettiest part, with chestnut trees and flower beds, but the upper end, near the Arc de Triomphe, has sadly lost its glamour with the influx of fast-food chains and tourist services. Yet a walk along the avenue is still an obligatory part of any visit to Paris.

To the southeast of the city centre lies the vast parkland of the Bois de Vincennes. Amid its greenery are three lakes, including a boating lake, along with the “Parc Floral” and its Four-Seasons Garden, a zoo, Buddhist Centre, and a summer amusement park. The beautiful Château de Vincennes, surrounded by a wall and a moat, was the French royal residence prior to the building of Versailles. After the Revolution Napoleon converted it into an arsenal.

This famous Left Bank boulevard runs for more than 3 km (2 miles) anchored by the bridges of the Seine at either end. At its heart is the church of St-Germain-des-Prés, established in 542, although the present church dates from the 11th century. Beyond the famous cafés, Flore and Les Deux Magots (see Café de Flore, Les Deux Magots), the boulevard runs west past art galleries, bookshops and designer boutiques to the Pont de la Concorde. To the east, it cuts across the Latin Quarter through the pleasant street market in the place Maubert, to join the Pont de Sully which connects to the Ile St-Louis (see Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis).

The main drag of the Latin Quarter was created in the late 1860s as part of Baron Haussmann’s city-wide makeover (see The Second Empire), and named after a chapel that once stood near its northern end. It’s now lined with a lively mix of cafés, clothes shops and cheap restaurants. Branching off to the east are rues de la Harpe and de la Huchette, which date back to medieval times. The latter is an enclave of the city’s Greek community, with many souvlaki stands and Greek restaurants. In the place St-Michel is a huge bronze fountain that depicts St Michael killing a dragon.

These long formal gardens, stretching between the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire, were laid out in 1765–7 as a parade ground for the military school, but the “Field of Mars” was opened to the public in 1780. Three years later crowds gathered for the launch of the first hydrogen-filled balloon. On 14 July 1790, a sullen Louis XVI watched as 300,000 citizens celebrated the first anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, an event which is commemorated here annually (see Marais and the Bastille). Five world exhibitions were held here between 1867 and 1937; the 1889 event gave Paris the Eiffel Tower.

This is the most visited cemetery in the world, largely due to rock fans who come from around the world to see the grave of the legendary singer Jim Morrison of The Doors. There are about one million other graves here, in some 70,000 different tombs, including those of Chopin, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Colette, Molière and Delacroix (see Oscar Wilde, Père Lachaise Cemetery). There are maps posted around the cemetery to enable you to find these notable resting places, or a more detailed plan can be bought at the kiosks around the grounds.

The Square des Innocents is a Les Halles crossroads and a hang-out for street performers and students. It was built atop a cemetery in the 18th century, and two million remains were transferred to the Catacombs at Denfert-Rochereau. The splendid Renaissance fountain, the last of its era built in the city, was designed by Pierre Lescot and carved by sculptor Jean Goujon in 1547. It originally stood against a wall on rue St-Denis, and was later moved to the new square, when the fourth side was added.

Ten years after the original market was demolished, the so-called “largest urban hole in Europe” was filled with this con- troversial shopping complex. This largely underground maze caters to the young, with music shops and boutiques selling trendy fashions. Outside, buskers, students and tourists mill about the steps and gardens. Separate metal and glass buildings house the Pavillion des Arts and the Maison de la Poésie, cultural centres for art and poetry respectively. Today, it’s more of a sore spot than a hotspot and French architect David Mangin has been brought in to revamp the area during 2007–8.

This immense belle époque exhibition hall was built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900. Its splendid glass roof, visible from all over Paris, is a landmark of the Champs-Elysées. The façade, the work of three architects, is an eclectic mix of Art Nouveau ironwork, Classical stone columns and a mosaic frieze, with bronze horses and chariots at the four corners of the roof. The Galleries du Grand Palais host temporary art exhibitions.

The most exciting and imaginatively designed display in the Natural History Museum is the Great Gallery of Evolution. Elephants, giraffes and other stuffed animals rise out of a re-created savannah, a huge whale skeleton hangs from the ceiling, while lighting, sound effects and interactive displays help tell the story of the development of life on earth. Nature workshops are held for children under 12 years old (see Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle).

This waxworks museum was founded in 1882 and retains an old-fashioned charm. Kids will get most enjoyment from seeing celebrities from the world of pop music and film, although there are wonderful tableaux from French history.

The 17th-century royal medicinal herb garden was planted by Jean Hérouard and Guy de la Brosse, physicians to Louis XIII. Opened to the public in 1640, it flourished under the curatorship of Comte de Buffon in the mid-18th century. It contains some 10,000 species, including the first Cedar of Lebanon planted in a French tropical greenhouse, and Alpine, rose and winter gardens (see Cedar of Lebanon).

An unusual feature is this designated garden which brings together more than 400 different varieties of iris.

These gardens were first laid out as part of the old Tuileries Palace, adjacent to the Louvre, which was built for Catherine de Médici in 1564 but burned down in the Paris Commune of 1871. André Le Nôtre redesigned them into formal French gardens in 1664, and they were opened to the public. At the Louvre end is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, erected by Napoleon in 1808. Here is also the entrance to the underground shopping centre, the Carrousel du Louvre. Nearby, sensuous nude sculptures by Aristide Maillol (1861–1944) adorn the ornamental pools and walkways. At the far end is the hexagonal pool, the Jeu de Paume gallery and the Musée de l’Orangerie, famous for its giant canvases of Monet waterlilies.

This 25-ha (60-acre) park is a swathe of green paradise on the very urban Left Bank. The formal gardens are set around the Palais du Luxembourg, with broad terraces circling the central octagonal pool. A highlight of the garden is the beautiful Fontaine de Médicis (see Molière Fountain). Many of the garden’s statues were erected during the 19th century, among them the monument to the painter Eugène Delacroix and the statue of Ste Geneviève, patron saint of Paris. There is also a children’s playground, open-air café, a bandstand, tennis courts, a puppet theatre and even a bee-keeping school.

The flair of French artistic vision and Parisian style are both clearly shown by this modern urban development. This new business and government centre was purposely built to the west of the city to allow the centre to remain unmarred by skyscrapers. More than just offices, however, the area is also an attraction in its own right, with stunning modern architecture including the Grande Arche, a cube-like structure with a centre large enough to contain Notre-Dame, and surrounded by artworks, a fountain, cafés and restaurants.

Paris’s world-famous university was founded in 1253 and was originally intended as a theology college for poor students but it soon became the country’s main centre for theological studies. It was named after Robert de Sorbon, confessor to Louis IX. Philosophers Thomas Aquinas (c.1226–74) and Roger Bacon (1214–92) taught here; Italian poet Dante (1265–1321), St Ignatius Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Jesuits, and church reformer John Calvin (1509–64) are among its impressive list of alumni. Its tradition for conservatism led to its closure during the Revolution (it was re-opened by Napoleon in 1806) and to the student riots of 1968 (see Top 10 Events in the French Revolution).

The “Defender of Time”, Paris’s modern public clock, stands appropriately in the Quartier de l’Horloge (Clock Quarter) shopping area. This fantasy mechanical sculpture of brass and steel by Jacques Monastier is 4 m (13 ft) high and weighs one tonne. When the clock strikes the hour, the warrior fends off a savage bird, crab or dragon (representing air, water and earth) with his sword, with accompanying sound effects. At noon, 6pm and 10pm he vanquishes all three, to the crowd’s delight.

French author Victor Hugo (1802–85) lived on the second floor of the Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, the largest house on the place des Vosges, from 1832 to 1848. He wrote most of Les Misérables here (see Les Misérables) and many other works. In 1903 the house became a museum of his life, with portraits and memorabilia.

The country’s oldest public zoo was founded during the Revolution to house the four surviving animals from the royal menagerie at Versailles. Other animals were donated from circuses and abroad, but during the Siege of Paris in 1870–71 (see Top 10 Events in the French Revolution) the unfortunate creatures were eaten by hungry citizens. A favourite with children (see Grande Galerie de l’volution), the zoo has since been rehoused with monkeys, large cats, birds and reptiles.

Devoted to the history of Paris, this museum sprawls through two mansions, the 16th-century Carnavalet and 17th-century Le Peletier. The former was the home of Madame de Sévigné, the famous letter-writer, from 1677–96 and a gallery here portrays her life. The extensive museum contains everything from period rooms filled with art and portraits to Revolutionary artifacts and memorabilia of 18th-century philosophers Rousseau and Voltaire.

Designed by Charles Garnier for Napoleon III, Paris’ opulent opera house resembles a giant wedding cake. Begun in 1862, it took 13 years to complete and comprises a range of styles from Classical to Baroque, incorporating stone friezes and columns, statues, multicoloured marbles and a green, copper cupola. The ornate interior has a Grand Staircase, mosaic domed ceiling over the Grand Foyer and an auditorium with a ceiling by Marc Chagall. There’s even an underground lake beneath the building – the inspiration for Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera (see Entertainment Venues).

Designed by Charles Garnier for Napoleon III, Paris’ opulent opera house resembles a giant wedding cake. Begun in 1862, it took 13 years to complete and comprises a range of styles from Classical to Baroque, incorporating stone friezes and columns, statues, multicoloured marbles and a green, copper cupola. The ornate interior has a Grand Staircase, mosaic domed ceiling over the Grand Foyer and an auditorium with a ceiling by Marc Chagall. There’s even an underground lake beneath the building – the inspiration for Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera (see Entertainment Venues).

In the late 18th century this former royal palace and garden underwent extensive changes under the dukes of Orléans. The architect, Victor Louis, was commissioned to build 60 uniformly styled houses around three sides of the square and the adjacent theatre, which now houses the Comédie Française, France’s national theatre. Today the arcades house specialist shops, galleries and restaurants, and the courtyard is filled with striking modern works of art.

The “little palace” echoes its neighbour in style. Set around a semi-circular courtyard, with Ionic columns and a dome, the building now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris. This includes medieval and Renaissance art, 18th-century furniture and a collection of 19th-century paintings.

Today this notorious square is surrounded by a busy traffic circle, which is not the best spot for contemplating its grim history. Originally the Bastille was a fortress built by Charles V to defend the eastern edge of the city, but it soon became a jail for political prisoners. Angry citizens, rising up against the excesses of the monarchy, stormed the Bastille on 14 July 1789, setting off the French Revolution, and destroyed this hated symbol of oppression. In its place is the bronze Colonne de Juillet (July Column), 52 m (171 ft) high and crowned by the Angel of Liberty, which commemorates those who died in the revolutions of 1830 and 1848. Looming behind it is the Opéra Bastille, the largest opera house in the world, which opened on the bicentennial of the Revolution in 1989.

This historic octagonal square, covering more than 8 ha (20 acres), is bounded by the Tuileries Gardens on one side and marks the starting point of the Champs-Elysées on the other. It was built between 1755–75 to designs by architect Jacques-Ange Gabriel as the grand setting for a statue of Louis XV, but by 1792 it had become the place de la Révolution and its central monument was the guillotine. Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and more than 1,000 others were executed here (see Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis). In 1795, in the spirit of reconciliation, it received its present name. The central obelisk, 23 m (75 ft) tall and covered in hieroglyphics, is from a 3,300-year-old Luxor temple, and was a gift from Egypt, erected in 1833. Two fountains and eight statues representing French cities were also added. On the north side of the square are the mansions Hôtel de la Marine and Hôtel Crillon, also by Gabriel.

This bustling square has a village community feel, with busy cafés and restaurants and groups of students from the nearby university hanging out here after dark. In medieval times it lay outside the city walls, a remnant of which still stands. Notice the memorial plaque above the butcher’s at No. 1, which marks the site of the old Pine Cone Club, a café where François Rabelais and other writers gathered in the 16th century.

Surrounded by 52 Corinthian columns, the huge Classical-style La Madeleine church (see La Madeleine) commands this elegant square. On the east side a colourful flower market is held Tuesday to Saturday. The square is surrounded by some of the most up-market épiceries (food stores) and speciality shops in the city (see Fauchon).

Paris’s oldest square also has the honour of being one of the most beautiful in the world. Once the site of jousting tournaments, the square was commissioned by Henri IV. Its 36 houses with red-gold brick and stone façades, slate roofs and dormer windows were laid out with striking symmetry in 1612. Although they were originally built for silk workers, the likes of Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) and the playwright Molière (1622–73) quickly moved in and it remains an upper-class residential address. But everyone can enjoy a stroll around the area and the art galleries under the arcades.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the architect of Versailles, designed the façades of this elegant royal square for Louis XIV in 1698. The square was intended to house foreign embassies but bankers soon moved in and built lavish dwellings. It remains home to jewellers and financiers today. The world-famous Ritz hotel was established here at the turn of the 20th century (see Ritz Hotel). The central column, topped by a statue of Napoleon, is a replica of the one destroyed by the Commune in 1871.

Built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition to carry visitors over the Seine to the Grand and Petit Palais, this bridge is a superb example of the steel architecture and ornate Art Nouveau style popular at the time. Named after Alexander III of Russia, who laid the foundation stone, its decoration displays both Russian and French heraldry. The bridge creates a splendid thoroughfare from the Champs-Elysées to the Invalides.

Commissioned by Napoleon and named after his victory over the Austrians at Rivoli in 1797, this grand street links the Louvre with the Champs-Elysées (see Avenue des Champs-Elysées). It was intended as a backdrop for victory marches but was not finished until the 1850s, long after the emperor’s death. Along one side, railings replaced the old Tuileries walls, opening up the view, while opposite, Neo-Classical apartments sit atop the long arcades. These are now filled with a mix of shops, selling luxury goods or tourist souvenirs.

Although the rue Mouffetard is famous today for its lively street market held every Tuesday to Sunday, it has an equally colourful past. In Roman times this was the main road from Paris to Rome. Some say its name comes from the French word mouffette (skunk), as a reference to the odorous River Bièvre (now covered over) where waste was dumped by tanners and weavers from the nearby Gobelins tapestry factory. Though no longer poor or Bohemian, the neighbourhood still has lots of character, with its 17th-century mansard roofs, old-fashioned painted shop signs and affordable restaurants. In the market you can buy everything from Auvergne sausage to horse meat to ripe cheeses.

With its majestic arches and pillars, St-Eustache is one of the most beautiful churches in Paris. Although Gothic in design, it took 105 years to build (1532–1637) and its interior decoration reflects the Renaissance style that blossomed during this time. The church was modelled on Notre-Dame, with double side aisles and a ring of side chapels. The stained-glass windows made from sketches by Philippe de Champaigne (1631) and the ornate tomb of politician Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–83) are highlights. Don’t miss the naive sculpture in Chapelle St-Joseph which recalls Les Halles’ market days.

When the Valois kings moved to the Louvre palace in the 14th century (see Musée du Louvre), this became the church of the royal family. On 24 August 1572, the tolling of its bell was used as the signal for the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, when thousands of Huguenots who had come to Paris for the wedding of Henri of Navarre to Marguerite of Valois were murdered (see Marguerite of Valois). The church features a range of architectural styles, from its Flamboyant Gothic façade to its Renaissance choir. Try and visit on Sunday afternoon when there are organ recitals.

Begun in 1646, this enormous church unsurprisingly took 134 years to build. Its Classical façade by the Florentine architect Giovanni Servandoni features a two-tiered colonnade and two incongruously matched towers. Notice the two holy water fonts by the front door, made from huge shells given to François I by the Venetian Republic. Jacob Wrestling with the Angel and other splendid murals by Delacroix (1798–1863) are in the chapel to the right of the main door.

The top day-trip from Paris has to be Versailles. This stunning chateau, begun by Louis XIV in 1664, is overwhelming in its opulence and scale. Plan carefully what you want to see as even a full day may not be long enough to take it all in. Much of the palace is only accessible on a guided tour, so arrive early as on sunny days the queues can be incredibly long.

Originally home to the caretaker and guards of the Palais de Justice, the Conciergerie was turned into a jail at the end of the 14th century. It took its place in history during the Revolution, when more than 4,000 citizens (including Marie-Antoinette) were held prisoner here, half of whom were guillotined. It remained a prison until 1914.

The final resting place of Napoleon Bonaparte is the beautiful Dôme Church in the Hôtel des Invalides complex – an elaborate monument to French Classical style. Built as the chapel for the resident soldiers of the Invalides, its ornate high altar is in stark contrast to the solemn marble chapels surrounding the crypt, which hold the tombs of French military leaders. Its golden dome can be seen for miles around (see Hôtel des Invalides).

This 17th-century mansion was home to the Duc de Sully, chief minister to Henri IV. It now forms part of the Jeu de Paume.

Paris’s town hall sports an elaborate façade, with ornate stonework, statues and a turreted roof. It is a 19th-century reconstruction of the original town hall, which was burned down in the Paris Commune of 1871. Though the pedestrianized square in front is pleasant now, it was once the site of gruesome executions: Ravaillac, assassin of Henri IV, was quartered alive here in 1610.

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 enormous building that now houses the French law courts and judiciary dates back to Roman times and was the royal palace until the 14th century, when Charles V moved the court to the Marais. During the Revolution, thousands were sentenced to death in the Première Chambre Civile, allegedly the former bedroom of Louis IX.

Marie de Médicis had architect Salomon de Brosse model this palace after her childhood home, the Pitti Palace in Florence. Shortly after its completion she was exiled by her son, Louis XIII. It was seized from the crown during the Revolution to become a prison. The building now houses the French Senate.