Paris

There are special passes that allow entrance into a number of the top tourist sites in Paris for a reduced fee. An MP3 key, with spoken tours of many of Paris'...See more » There are special passes that allow entrance into a number of the top tourist sites in Paris for a reduced fee. An MP3 key, with spoken tours of many of Paris' most popular sites, can also be purchased. Check out: Paris Info: City Pass Following is a selection of some of Paris' most popular tourist sites: * Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower) — One of the world's most recognizable sites, many Parisians were first horrified by what they thought was an ugly, industrial-looking eyesore. * Arc de Triomphe (Arch of Triumph) — The world's largest triumphal arch was conceived by Napoleon I, and took some 30 years to build. * Notre-Dame de Paris (Notre Dame) — A masterpiece of gothic architecture and construction, the cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. * Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre (Basilica of the Sacred Heart) — The basilica was completed in 1914 and was dedicated to the Sacred Heart. * Musée Du Louvre (Louvre Museum) — Originally built as a fortress in the twelfth century, the Louvre is one of the world's foremost museums of art. * Les Invalides — a complex of buildings that includes French military museums and monuments, a hospital, a retirement home and a church. * Centre Georges Pompidou (Pompidou Center) — France's main cultural center includes the National Museum of Modern Art/Industrial Design, the public information library (BPI), exhibition galleries, cinemas, show and concert halls, and a contemporary music research center (IRCAM). * Musée d'Orsay — Opened to the public in 1986, the museum exhibits 19th century paintings, sculpture, furniture, objets d'art and photography. * Montmartre — Paris' highest hill, Montmartre is the city's artists center. * Moulin Rouge — One of Paris' most famous cabarets, it is the home of the French cancan. * Paris Opéra/ Opéra Garnier — Designed by architect Charles Garnier, the Paris opera house opened to the public in 1875. * Champs Élysées — the road that connects the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde. * Panthéon — a burial place for France's most honored dignitaries, housing the tombs of Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Victor Hugo, among others. * Sorbonne — One of Europe's most respected and important institutions of higher learning, the Sorbonne refers both to the University of Paris and to the first college established in what became the university. * Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower) — France's tallest skyscraper. Best Time to Visit In general, high season is considered to run April 1–October 31 and low season November 1–March 31. Museums and public monuments are likely to be closed on January 1 (New Year's Day), May 1 (Labor Day) and December 25 (Christmas Day).See less »