If you’re planning a trip to Paris, here’s a guide to the most important, impressive, and iconic monuments you absolutely need to visit.
Arc de Triomphe
The journey through Paris’s greatest monuments can only start at the Arc de Triomphe. Set at the top of the Champs Elysées—the city’s world-renowned avenue of luxury, easily reachable with flights from Bari to Paris—it was designed in 1806 by Napoleon himself and completed after 30 years. You can climb to the top with an admission ticket—easily bookable online—for remarkable city views.
Hotel de Ville – Paris City Hall
The Hotel de Ville is the grand building on Rue de Rivoli, south of the Seine, hosting the city’s administration. A historic stage for uprisings and protests, it’s a political icon symbolizing Paris’s past and worth admiring, if only for the central façade and its impressive clock.
Eiffel Tower
This iron tower, built by Gustave Eiffel in 1889 for the Paris World’s Fair, has become the symbol of the city, featured everywhere from guidebooks to keychains. With over 7 million visitors a year, it’s the world’s most visited paid monument. The top of the Eiffel Tower at 279 meters remains the highest viewing platform in Europe open to the public, offering unparalleled views. Every evening, the tower comes alive with spectacular light shows, but nothing compares to the Bastille Day fireworks on July 14th—perfect timing to book flights from Naples to Paris.
Palais Garnier – Paris Opera House
The Palais Garnier, built between 1861 and 1875, today hosts the Paris Opera. You can visit even without seeing a ballet performance—but attending one is an extraordinary experience! This iconic Paris monument was also immortalized in Gaston Leroux’s novel The Phantom of the Opera (1911).
Palace of Versailles
Located just outside Paris, the Palace of Versailles spans 20 square kilometers and is the ultimate symbol of the opulence of the French court in the 1600s. The royal palace and center of the Ancien Régime boasts not only baroque interiors but also a spectacular 815-hectare garden, so plan to spend the whole day visiting.
Grand Palais des Beaux-Arts
Near the Champs Elysées, the Grand Palais, along with the Petit Palais and Avenue Churchill, forms a remarkable architectural complex. The enormous palace, in a sumptuous style dating to 1897, was erected for the 1900 World Expo and today hosts most of Paris’s major exhibitions and trade shows.
Pont Alexandre III
No visit to Paris is complete without a scenic walk along the Seine. While you’re at it, head to Pont Alexandre III between the seventh and eighth arrondissements. Built in 1896, it represents a message of peace between France and Russia; Tsar Nicholas II himself laid the first stone. The bridge, 154 meters long and 45 meters wide, is adorned with intricate symbolic decorations.
Now that you have some inspiration for must-see monuments, plan your itinerary in the world’s most romantic city—and don’t forget to explore its museums, gardens, churches, and even cemeteries!
