Paris: What to See [IV]

While in Paris, plan to spend one day walking. Just walking. The best way to experience the city with all five senses is spend time outdoors- hearing its car horns; smelling its bakeries and its sewers; peering longingly at Chanel dresses in its designer shop windows... So lace up your most practical pair of shoes and get going.

The following is a list of sites that, if you happen to pass by them on your walking tour, are definitely worth a second look. (I've included metro stops simply because you have to start somewhere.)

When in Paris, be sure to stop and gawk at...

l'Hôtel-de-Ville

What it is... Paris City Hall. It's been on the same site since 1357. The current building, reconstructed after a fire in 1871, is magnificent- particularly at night.

How to get there... (M) Hôtel-de-Ville

Place Vendôme

What it is... An elaborate square where Napoleon I erected a column to commemorate his own greatness after his victory at Austerlitz. Although the idea behind it is laughable, it is impressive.

How to get there... (M) Tuileries

L'Église de la Madeleine

What it is... Modelled after a well-preserved Roman temple in Nîmes, this church is the site of Paris' most fashionable weddings.

How to get there... (M) Madeleine

Places des Vosges

What it is... The oldest planned square in Paris, dating from 1605. Several famous Parisians have made this their home, including Victor Hugo (there is a museum dedicated to his memory inside), Cardinal Richelieu and Alphonse Daudet.

How to get there... (M) Bastille

Tour Saint-Jacques

What it is... The remains of Église Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie, which was built in 1505 and demolished in 1797. In the nineteenth century, it was used as a shot tower. The city of Paris bought the tower in 1836. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1998.

How to get there... (M) Châtelet

Église Saint-Germain-des-Près

What it is... The burial site of France's Merovingian Kings, as well as philosopher René Descartes. You can go into the church and take a look around at no charge- as long as you don't take pictures.

How to get there... (M) Saint-Germain-des-Près

Grand Palais

What it is... A large hall built for the 1900 Paris Exhibition. It now houses an art gallery and a science museum. The hall often plays host to Chanel, which holds many of its couture shows on-site.

How to get there... (M) Concorde

La Samaritaine

What it is... An eleven-storey, 48000m² art deco department store housed that first opened as a small boutique in 1869. Sadly, it was purchased by LMVH and has been closed for renovations since 2005. It will reopen in 2011 at the earliest.

How to get there... (M) Pont-Neuf






Place de la République

What it is... The former site of one of Paris' medieval walls, now home to the Château-d'Eau statue.

How to get there... (M) République

Fontaine des Innocents

What it is... Paris' oldest monumental fountain, originally titled the Fountain of Nymphs. Construction began in 1547. If you visit in the winter, make sure to walk by... the city sometimes leaves the water turned on even in freezing temperatures, and the results are beautiful.

How to get there... (M) Les Halles





l'Arc du Carrousel

What it is... A triumphal arch at Place du Carrousel. It is less celebrated than l'Arc de Triomphe (possibly because it was always intended to be an arch- l'Arc de Triomphe began life as a giant elephant.) but, in many ways, prettier.

How to get there... (M) Tuileries