Paris, the City of Light is the world’s most visited capital. The city is proud of its many monuments from the iconic Eiffel Tower to the lofty Notre-Dame cathedral and the majestic Arc de Triomphe. No doubt this is Europe’s most enchanting capital! Here is our list for the top 10 most famous monuments of Paris, France. However, if you’re not familiar with the French capital’s iconic landmarks, you’ll surely recognise a few of them!

We often take for granted that all our readers should be familiar with the iconic monuments in Paris. As I toured with visitors from the Americas, the UK, India or Australia I found out that this was not always the case. Of course everyone knows the Eiffel Tower but not all our clients were able to recognise the Sacré-Cœur or Notre-Dame. Moreover, some had trouble distinguishing the dome of the Invalides from that of the Panthéon… I hope this little list of the most famous monuments of Paris will help some of you to discover the French capital. Please let us know of your favourite Parisian landmarks by commenting below, we’d love to hear from you!

The Luxembourg Palace, surrounded by its beautiful gardens, was built in 1617. It owes its name to the Duke of Piney-Luxembourg, landlord of a domain which was later acquired by Maria de Medici, widow of the King of France, Henri IV. The Italian-born Queen wished to create a residence to remind her of the Pitti Palace as well as establishing gardens evoking those of Boboli in Florence.  Furthermore, architect Salomon de la Brosse was entrusted the construction of the palace. It now houses the French Senate, the upper house of Parliament. The palace opens onto a beautiful park, actually one of my favourites in Paris. I love coming here in Spring and in Autumn. If you have kids it also has a brilliant play area.
 

 The Pompidou Centre in the district of Beaubourg is one of France’s most visited museums. Not far from the busy shopping precinct of Les Halles, the Pompidou centre was designed in the style of high-tech architecture. With its colour-coded pipes and ducts, the design of the modern art museum has been the source of much controversy since its construction.  However, inaugurated in 1977, some see it as an eyesore, others praise its architectural audacity. Honestly I don’t really know what to think of it, that’s why I much prefer to climb on the top floor to enjoy the panoramic views over the roofs of Paris where it also has a famous restaurant.

Now this is a place I’m much more familiar with as I used to work as a French teacher in a nearby language school.  The grand complex of Les Invalides on the Left Bank is easily recognisable by its magnificent golden dome reaching 107 metres high. It was originally built by Louis XIV to house the homeless and wounded veterans of the King’s army.  Today the Hôtel des Invalides is famous for housing the tomb of French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Finally, the Hôtel des Invalides also hosts three museums: the Army museum, the Order of the Liberation museum, and the Relief map museum.

Situated in the Latin Quarter, the Panthéon stands at the top of the Sainte-Geneviève hill. A massive colonnaded dome tops the neo-classical white monument.  Originally a church, the Panthéon has since become a necropolis for France’s greatest citizens and a popular national monument.  I recommend you climb the dome of the Panthéon to see the whole of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to Notre-Dame and Montmartre.