Musee d’Orsay

Located on the Left Bank of the Seine, the Musee d’Orsay is Paris’ “lesser known” museum, but has become equally as popular in recent years.

Jardin du Luxembourg

Located in the 6th arrondisement, the Luxembourg Garden is one of the most enjoyable summer attractions in Paris. Whether you take a bite to eat for lunch or kick back on the public chairs and people watch, you’ll be sure to enjoy the summer sunshine for a few hours in the gardens.

Opéra Garnier

The Paris Opera is one of the world's greatest opera and ballet houses. Founded more than three centuries ago by Louis XIV, it possesses two theatres, the Palais Garnier (1875) and the Opéra Bastille (1989). Its mission is to preserve and develop our operatic and ballet heritage and it gives more than 350 performances per year. Great composers such as Rameau, Gluck, Rossini, Verdi, Wagner, Gounod, Massenet, Poulenc and Messiaen all gave the first performances of their works here. The ballet company, rich in historical tradition, performs all around the world. Over the years it has played host to the greatest choreographers: George Balanchine, Serge Lifar, Rudolf Nureyev, Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart, and of course Pina Bausch.

Panthéon

The Pantheon Paris (Latin Pantheon, from Greek Pantheon, meaning "Every god") is a building in the Latin Quarter
of Paris, France. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve, but after many changes now 
combines liturgical functions with its role as a famous burial place. It is an early example of Neoclassicism, with a
facade modelled after the Pantheon in Rome surmounted by a dome that owes some of its character to Bramante's "Tempietto".

Located in the 5th arrondissement on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève, the Panthéon looks out over all of Paris. Its
architect, Jacques-Germain Soufflot, had the intention of combining the lightness and brightness of the gothic 
cathedral with classical principles. Soufflot died before his work was achieved, and his plans were not entirely 
followed. The transparency he had planned for his masterpiece was not attained. Nevertheless, it is one of the 
most important architectural achievements of its time and the first great neoclassical monument.

As with most famed buildings, the Pantheon Paris has its unique story. The reason the it was was built was to 
replace the damaged Sainte-Genevieve church under the orders of Louis XV who was putting this monument up as 
a gratitude to God after his health had recovered. Soufflot was chosen for accomplishing the task. He wanted to 
have the Gothic style combined with the classical structure. Because of financial problems, Soufflot could not finish 
the building during his life; he died before seeing it completed and his pupil who finished it, did not exactly have the
same ideas of his master and made some changes. However there is little doubt that this building is one of the greatest neoclassical monuments and a true masterpiece.

Les Invalides

Itr is a hotel in Paris. The characteristic golden dome of Les Invalides is easily recognizable because of its height and cheer beauty. And what lies inside the dome is definitely worth a visit: Napoleon’s Tomb. But there are other great highlights and curiosities in this 17th century building that should not be missed. Les Invalides should therefore be on top of your sightseeing list, no matter how long you stay in Paris.

Sainte chapelle

The Sainte-Chapelle was constructed within the heart of the Palais de la Cité, Parisian royal residence, in the middle of the XIIIth century by Louis IXth. Conceived as a monumental reliquary, the Sainte Chapelle housed the Crown of Thorns of Christ’s Passion. Today, the architecture and famous-glass windows of the Sainte Chapelle represent a major example of the Radiant Gothic period.

L'Arc de triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile {ahrk duh tree-ohmf' duh lay-twahl'}, the world's largest triumphal arch, forms the backdrop for an impressive urban ensemble in Paris. The monument surmounts the hill of Chaillot at the center of a star-shaped configuration of 12 radiating avenues. It is the climax of a vista seen the length of the Champs Elysées from the smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries gardens, and from the Obélisque de Luxor in the place de la Concorde. In 1806, Napoleon I conceived of a triumphal arch patterned after those of ancient Rome and dedicated to the glory of his imperial armies. The structure was designed by Jean François Thérèse Chalgrin (1739-1811), completed in 1833 and inaugurated in 1836 by the French king, Louis-Philippe. Its deceptively simple design and immense size, 49.5 m (162 ft) in height, mark it unmistakably as a product of late 18th-century romantic neoclassicism. The arch also serves as a reminder that Chalgrin was a pupil of Etienne Louis Boullée, the father of visionary architecture. The most famous of its sculptural reliefs is La Marseillaise (1833-36) of François Rude. Specific historic associations notwithstanding, the arch has become an emblem of French patriotism.