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History

Paris, city of art and culture

Sightseeing in Paris is like plunging into ancient history: remains of the old Roman Lutetia, grand medieval abbeys, gothic masterpieces, classical architecture, collections from Napoleonic times, perspectives defined by Haussmann ...
A remarkable density of artistic and cultural treasures to choose from at each visit! 180 museums and monuments for your enjoyment: discover internationally-renowned collections of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, go in search of iconic emblems, symbols of the influence of an era, take inspiration from a wealth of contemporary heritage - all this makes Paris a capital of the arts, both past and present.

Museums

Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Monet, Rodin, Delacroix or Picasso: all these icons of the art world are represented in the museums of Paris. But art is also prehistory, antiquities from the four corners of the world, collections of miniatures and precious objects, or even the future of space exploration… The majority of Parisian museums are open at the weekend and closed on Monday or Tuesday as well as some public holidays. Most of them stay open late one evening each week. Guided tours often need to be booked in advance. Admission to the permanent collections of museums run by the Paris City Council (Ville de Paris) is free and admission to national museums is free on the first Sunday of each month. Certain museums also offer free admission other days of the week. You can check the details in our information pages or directly with the museums themselves. In all cases, any reductions apply to permanent collections and not to visiting exhibitions. Children, students, job-seekers and seniors can also benefit from special reductions.

Monuments

Paris is famed throughout the world for the beauty and variety of its monuments. Towers, churches, palaces, archways, bridges or fountains… an extraordinary collection of landmarks that transports us back in time. Of course, Paris wouldn’t be Paris without the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame or Sacré Coeur. And each evening a special magic takes over the city when all these splendid constructions are illuminated! A sense of romance along the Pont Neuf, a shiver in the catacombs or an exotic mood at the Mosque: Paris is also a mix of atmospheres and cultures. From the must-see to the more unusual, all these monuments relate two thousand years of the capital’s history. Most of the monuments in Paris stay open at the weekend and close on one weekday, as well as on some public holidays. They are usually open late one evening a week. Guided tours often need to be booked in advance and special reductions are available for children and groups. Check our information pages for details or contact the monuments directly.