20 timeless photos that prove Paris will never go out of style
Published 19 Jul 2019, 13:11 BST
A family visits the Musée d’Orsay, housed in the former Gare d’Orsay—a Beaux-Arts railway station built at the turn of the 20th century. The museum holds the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world.
Photograph by Paolo Mangoni, Your ShotThe Louvre is the most visited museum in the world, attracting over 10 million annual visitors. The château-turned-gallery houses over 35,000 artworks ranging from Egyptian to Islamic art. Don’t miss the “Mona Lisa,” “The Raft of the Medusa,” “Venus de Milo,” and the “Winged Victory of Samothrace” among the masterpieces. Once you step inside I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid, be sure to look up—you’ll catch one of the best views of the Parisian landmark.
Photograph by Marco Silva Neto, Your ShotCrowds mass beneath the iconic structure of the Eiffel Tower.
Photograph by Irina Sigl, Your ShotSince it was first hung in the Louvre in 1804, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” has only left Paris a few times. One noteworthy case in the 1960s was when First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy brought the iconic painting to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and Washington, D.C.’s National Gallery of Art. Today, the 500-year-old masterpiece attracts millions of visitors each year, making it the world’s most famous painting.
Photograph by Charly Lataste, Your ShotNearly every French square, or 'place', in Paris is photogenic—and there are more than 400 of them to visit. Some of the more architecturally—and historically—significant squares include the jewellery shop-lined Place Vendôme or Place de la Concorde, which sits at the end of the Champs-Élysées, crowned by the centerpiece 3,300-year-old Luxor Obelisk.
Photograph by Vittoria Zanetti, Your ShotCycle past Paris’s monuments starting at Place de l’Alma, where you can admire one of the best views of the Eiffel Tower. Then, continue along the mansion-lined George V, which leads to Paris’s most iconic thoroughfare: the Champs-Élysées. This route also runs along the Seine, with paths winding down to the pedestrian-only Parc Rives de Seine, a UNESCO World Heritage site filled with terraces, picnic spots, and pétanque (boules) courts.
Photograph by Colette du Toit, Your ShotIn 1989, Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei’s 72-foot-high, metal-and-glass pyramid debuted in the courtyard of the Louvre, transforming a parking lot into an elegant entrance to the world-renowned museum.
Photograph by Yann Veslin, Your ShotThe Kings of France left medieval palace Conciergerie at the end of the 14th century and the Gothic-style space was converted into a tribunal and prison where Marie-Antoinette was held during the French Revolution. Next door in the Palais de la Cité, find Saint-Chapelle, a 13th-century chapel built to house Christ’s Crown of Thorns. Initially designed to showcase royal relics, the chapel’s only remaining treasures are the 15 towering, stained-glass windows filled with 1,113 painted panes depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments.
Photograph by Raffi B, Your ShotThe French capital is a playground for children, with antique carousels, puppet and pony shows, and water-themed attractions popping up in its many gardens. One standout spot is the 19th-century amusement park Jardin d’Acclimatation in the 16th arrondissement, which features everything from boat rides to mini rollercoasters.
Photograph by Wenpeng Lu, Your ShotGuinean soccer player Iya Traoré (a former member of the Paris Saint-Germain football club) has taken his skill from the field to the streets, freestyling across Paris in a more artistic fashion. He’s often found putting on a show swinging from streetlamps in quartiers such as Montmartre.
Photograph by Costanza Nicolosi, Your ShotAfter making your way to the top of the Eiffel Tower to snap shots of the city, take in views of Paris—and the monument itself—from one of the many prime vantage points nearby, such as the Champ-de-Mars park or the terraces of the “Troca” balcony, located on the opposite side of the River Seine.
Photograph by James Kuan, Your ShotIf you’re up early wandering through Paris in the morning, you’ll come across one of the many lime green-clad street cleaners who silently hand sweep and hose down the city’s 800-plus miles of crisscrossing streets.
Photograph by Michael James Lee, Your ShotAn image of the Eiffel Tower reflects off a puddle in Parc du Champ-de-Mars, which extends from the École Militaire (a training school for French army officers built during the reign of Louis XV) to the Eiffel Tower. A popular spot for picnicking with vin and fromage in the lawns, the park is also a favorite in the evening for its unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower’s twinkling light show.
Photograph by J. Komsta, Your ShotTake a break from strolling through the city at one of the 400-plus parks in the center, such as the Jardin du Luxembourg—which is filled with 106 statues and three fountains. In Paris, one stumbles across plenty of regal Renaissance fountains like the Fontaine des Innocents in Les Halles, as well as more modern styles such as the Stravinsky Fountain near the Centre Pompidou.
Photograph by Siddhartha Khandelwal, Your ShotThe Roman-Byzantine Sacré-Cœur basilica is home to the largest mosaic in France, the Christ in Glory, which stretches nearly 5,100 square feet across the ceiling. Climb 300 steps to reach the top of the dome; the effort proves worth it for the 360-degree vistas over Paris.
Photograph by Eduardo Ramirez, Your ShotThe cliché of Parisians cycling around the city with a baguette in their bike basket still holds up. Skip pricey taxis and avoid city traffic by exploring the city on two wheels instead; tourists can easily rent Vélib’ bicycles by the day from one of 1,800 stations scattered around town.
Photograph by Mattia Zambaldi, Your ShotOn the longest day of the year, June 21, France transforms into a country-wide street party dubbed Fête de la Musique. Musicians—both professionals and amateurs—take over street corners and major squares, with stages sprouting up everywhere from the Louvre to the Luxembourg Gardens.
Photograph by Markús Efraím, Your ShotMusicians and performers can be found serenading passersby everywhere from the 300 metro stations hiding beneath the city’s streets to bridges like the Pont des Arts, which stretches across the Seine River from the 6th arrondissement to the Louvre Museum.
Photograph by Nitin Jain, Your ShotDon’t be intimated by autumn showers in Paris—autumn remains one of the best seasons to visit the city. The capital starts calming down after its summer swell, meaning less crowded landmarks (and shorter lines), in addition to photo-worthy fall foliage livening up Paris’s parks with leaves in shades of fiery red and orange.
Photograph by Edgar Espinoza, Your ShotEmbark on your own photo tour of town, snapping shots of chic Parisians or former film locations such as Café des Deux Moulins from French flick Amélie and the Gare du Nord train station featured in The Bourne Identity.
Photograph by Shahrzad L., Your Shot