Paris Monuments & Churches

Girls’ Guide Top 10 Paris Monuments

1. Eiffel Tower We love it especially when it twinkles at night.

2. Notre Dame (pictured above) You have to be impressed by a nearly 850-year-old church with these intricate carvings. Light a candle inside—you will feel inspired.

3. The Pyramid and the Louvre Is there anything more beautiful than the contrast between the sparkling Pyramid, by I. M. Pei, and the 12th-century stones of the Louvre? You don’t even have to enter the museum to appreciate this monument.

4. Sainte Chapelle The stained-glass windows will make your jaw drop!

5. Luxembourg Gardens Not only for the beautiful gardens, ponds and sculptures, but for the Musée du Luxembourg and the rotating photo shows that are often displayed outside on the fence that surrounds the park.

6. Palais Royal This is a must-see. Louis XIV spent his childhood at the Palais, Colette had an apartment here—this place just oozes Parisian beauty. Le Grand Véfour, the restaurant where Napoleon and Josephine dined, is still going strong under the arches of the palace. We simply love the gardens and the serenity of the Palais Royal.
7. Napoleon’s Tomb and Les Invalides A wonderful war museum and an over-the-top, terribly grand resting place for le roi de France. The beauty of the gold-domed roof on the church and the tranquil gardens of Les Invalides always strikes us.
8. Place de la Concorde A busy intersection with a spectacular 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk at its center. This place is home to a lot of history, including the decapitation of Marie Antoinette. Plus, you’ll find one of the most impressive hotels in the world here, the Hôtel de Crillon.
9. The Panthéon Originally a church, now a monument to French intellectuals. It’s a beautiful and quiet oasis.
10. Arc de Triomphe We especially like going to the top.  

Plus:
La Trip St.-Jacques This tower is all that remains of the gothic St.-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie church, which was destroyed in 1802. In the place where the tower stands is a small park with benches; it’s a good stop for photos if you happen to be in the area, or for sitting and admiring the intricate details of the architecture. The tower was recently renovated, and soon you will be able to climb it for a spectacular view of the city.

Best Churches

1. St. Sulpice
In the 6th Arrondissement This church, from 1646, houses a famous Delacroix painting, to the right as you walk in, and an impressive organ, on the second floor at the back. Now the church is even more well known because of the movie and book The Da Vinci Code. The fountains outside are nothing short of spectacular!

2. L’Église de la Madeleine
In the 8th We love the area around this church as much as the building itself.

3. L’Église St. Germain des Prés
In the 6th Terribly old and terrifically beautiful.

4. St. Julien le Pauvre
In the 5th This church from the 12th century is tiny but absolutely lovely, and it’s a great place to see classical music concerts.

5. St. Séverin
In the 5th Another very old church with both original and modern stained glass.