Paris is undoubtedly one of the most distinct and romanticized cities on the planet. To gain such a status is not an easy task, but during the years, Paris has become famous for so many things that it makes it looks like a breeze.
Being one of the world’s top cities for centuries, the City of Lights kept getting more and more recognizable through the years, developing a specific style as signature as the Eiffel Tower itself.
Prepare for a glamourous adventure throughout chic boutiques and global landmarks because we’re about to find out exactly what is Paris famous for!
Eiffel Tower
Well, duh. Of course, Paris is famous for the Eiffel Tower. Famous is even an understatement in this case. The iron giant and the City of Lights are entangled so intimately in people’s minds that imagining one without the other just feels wrong.
But things weren’t always like that. Once the decision to build the tower was announced, the Parisians were pissed off. They prided themselves on the beautiful landscape of their city and didn’t want some giant monstrosity to ruin it. The Eiffel Tower was so universally hated that Gustav Eiffel had to promise he would dismantle it in 20 years.
Fortunately, in the next 20 years, radio waves became a thing, so the Eiffel Tower was repurposed as a giant antenna and eventually saved for the generations. Can you imagine if they had dismantled it? Paris without the Eiffel Tower? It would’ve been a disaster.
Arc de Triomphe
Paris is THE city when we talk about global landmarks. We already discussed the Eiffel Tower, so now we’ll check the other mainstream symbol of the city – Arc de Triomphe.
Paying homage to the heroically fallen French soldiers in the Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, the giant arc is covered from top to bottom with the names of prominent generals and their victories.
Few people are aware you can actually climb on top of the Triumphal Arch. It requires booking an online ticket a few days in advance or waiting for a couple of hours in a line, but it’s absolutely worth it. The arc is situated on the crazy-busy roundabout known as L’Étoile, and the bird-eye view of the landscape around can rival the best ones in Paris.
The Louvre and the other museums
The Louvre is the biggest, most renounced, and unimaginable museum there is, and it’s something Paris is famous for pretty much everywhere. I mean, is there a person in the world who doesn’t know about Mona Lisa and her mysterious smile? I’m pretty sure there isn’t.
Let me tell you a story about my Mona Lisa experience. I booked the first possible ticket to the Louvre and got there an hour early (at one of the faster side entrances nonetheless). When the museum opened, I was the first visitor of the day. In just a minute, though, people were running around me. Literally sprinting to see Mona Lisa. Good thing I’m in good shape; otherwise, I would’ve missed the rare opportunity to see La Gioconda without having to fight a horde of people. It was absolutely insane.
But the Lovre and Mona Lisa are not the only top museum in Paris. No, sir. The city has a handful of world-class establishments. And when I say world-class, I mean it. Places like Musée D’Orsay, Musée de l’Orangerie, the Centre Pompidou, or even the Branly Museum are such high quality that if they were in any other city, they would’ve been the biggest highlight there.
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Champs-Élysées and shopping
Ask a shopaholic what is Paris famous for, and the answer won’t be the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre but Champs-Élysées and Louis Vuitton. Indeed, Paris is not only the City of Lights, the city of art and global landmarks but also the Mecca for fashion and shopping.
And Champs-Élysées is the most-renounced shopping street in town. I warn you, though, shopping there is a premium experience that would empty your wallet faster than a blond golddigger.
If shopping on Champs-Élysées is on your Paris bucket list, then I suggest timing your visit with one of their massive sales. When a wholesale hit Champs-Élysées, brands such as Prada, Hermès, Chanel, Armani, Gucci, etc. may get up to 80% discount! It would still cost a fortune but at least a smaller fortune.
Love locks
There are many cities around the world claiming the title City of Love. The original one, however, is none other than Paris. A prime destination for honeymoons and romantic getaways, no place on the planet has seen more marriage proposals than the top of the Eiffel Tower.
And every couple that visits Paris is tempted to take part in the romantic tradition of love-locking. What’s that? A love lock is an ordinary lock with the couple’s names written on it that they set on a bridge, throwing the key in the river. It’s a symbol of eternal love, and when you walk around Paris, you’re guaranteed to see thousands of them.
Bad thing is, while one lock is harmless, thousands of locks weigh quite a lot, which led to the collapse of the parapet of the original love lock bridge – Pont des Arts. Since 2015, setting a love lock is forbidden by law, but no one seems to care since thousands of new locks keep getting cut every year.
Notre Dame and the other churches
We already know Paris is famous for its globally recognized landmarks and museums but do you know the capital of France is also the place with the highest concentration of iconic churches? I guess not; church facts are not that popular today.
While there are hundreds of impressive temples in town, three of them have global fame and are strong candidates for the most iconic church in the world. Yup, while other top cities have one such temple (if they’re lucky), Paris has three!
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is the most famous church in the world period. It dates back to 1345 and took the whooping 182 years to be completed. It’s the finest example of gothic architecture there is and, believe it or not, receives more visitors than the Eiffel Tower itself. That’s when it was still open for visitations. In 2019 a devastating fire almost destroyed the beloved church, and currently, Notre Dame is closed for restoration works.
Famous church number two is Sacré‑Cœur. The blinding white Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris overlooks the historical Montmartre neighborhood and is one of the most popular spots in town for… a picnic. Yes, the hill the iconic church is topping is a favorite place for both locals and tourists to sit down and relax with a baguette sandwich and a glass of French wine. The white temple and the Paris panorama complement the experience flawlessly.
Number three is the church with the most stunning interior in the world – Sainte-Chapelle. Not as famous as the previous two, Sainte-Chapelle dates back to medieval times, and its most defining feature is on the second floor, where the purple stained glass windows are ready to blow your mind. Fifteen windows, 15 feet high (4.5m), depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments of the Bible to create one of the most jaw-dropping temple interiors on Earth.
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Longest queues in the world
Having countless iconic attractions and welcoming millions of people every year, it’s not surprising Paris is famous for (or more like infamous for) its long queues. And everyone who has ever visited the City of Lights knows this is not just a myth.
To get to the top of Arc the Triomphe, you’re looking for at least an hour-long queue, two queues for the Eiffel Tower, and at least a couple of hours for the Louvre (at least!). And that’s nothing compared to the queue for the Paris catacombs. If you want to explore the creepy underground labyrinth of skulls and bones, you should prepare for at least (wait for it) 4 hours of waiting. Yes, you can watch the entire Christopher Nolan release of the Justice League, and you still won’t be inside!
I know this sounds like a nightmare, but it’s manageable. If you prepare well enough and get all your tickets online, you will skip most of the queues or at least cut the waiting time in half. If you’re headed to Paris, I strongly recommend checking out my Paris itinerary guide, where everything is explained in detail.
Seine River
Every major city has its river, and Paris is no exception. It’s impossible to imagine the city without its signature river – Seine. Flowing through the heart of the city, making its way into the English Channel, Seine plays a big part in making Paris the City of Love.
No matter the day, if you take a stroll around its banks, you’re guaranteed to see couples in love having a romantic walk there. The banks of Seine are such a popular attraction that UNESCO declared them a World Heritage Site in 1991.
The best way to explore the Seine is via cruise. To make it extra special, my recommendation is to take an evening one. You’ll not only enjoy a romantic dinner on board (with some fine French wine), but you’ll also see Paris’ most prominent landmarks from another angle, bathed in magical golden light.
Parlez vous ingles?
Paris is known for its citizens and their refusal to speak English. To tell you the truth, before my visit, I thought this was just a myth. I mean, everywhere in Europe’s top tourist cities (and outside of Europe), the locals tried their best to communicate with tourists. That’s only logical since everybody likes tourist money.
Not in Paris, though. Cafes, restaurants, even souvenir shops; all refused to speak English. They did know English, everything I said was understood, and I got exactly what I wanted, but their replies were always in French. While it was a bit annoying, I know the French and the English have a centuries-old rivalry, and I get it why the Parisians refuse to speak English in their own capital city.
See Also: What is Greece Known For?
Street cafes and Micheline restaurants
France is known for its passion for cuisine, so it’s not a surprise that Paris is famous for its cafes and restaurants. All food joints in the City of Light are of impeccable quality. I kid you not, the Parisians have very high standards about their food, and if a place can’t meet them, it simply can’t survive.
Michelin stars are the stamp for quality in the food world. You can already guess by the name that they were invented in France. Once they were Micheline guide books, later they became Micheline stars, and today Paris ranks second for overall Micheline stars awarded with 123 (behind Tokyo and their incredible 230 stars).
As for the street cafes, they may not have any stars, but their style and atmosphere are second to none. One of the greatest travel joys there are is savoring a croissant breakfast while indulging in a morning people-watch in the center of Paris. Castaway guaranteed!
Disneyland Paris
If you ask your kids what is Paris famous for, they will most likely scream Disneyland. When I was a kid, Disneyland was my most sacred dream, and there’s no other place in Europe that can offer a journey to the Magic Kingdom.
Established in 1992, Disneyland Paris covers an area of 19.425 km2 (4,800 acres) and has welcomed around 320 million guests (till 2017).
I may be older today, but Disneyland still stands high on my bucket list, and I’m planning a trip where I’ll have nothing else to do but enjoy this magical place for at least a week.
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Moulin Rouge and the cabarets
Throughout all its history, Paris was famous for its nightlife. Indeed, from operas and night shows before to trendy nightclubs and rooftop bars today, the city has plenty to offer in that department. The one form of nightlife that people instinctively connect to Paris, however, is the cabaret.
Dating back to the 1880s, the cabarets were small liqueur clubs where the audience was grouped around a platform. While there were all sorts of entertainment inside the cabarets (including poetry reading), the most emblematic show was performed in Moulin Rouge.
Established in 1889, Moulin Rouge started as a dance hall but quickly transformed into a cabaret. The signature Moulin Rouge dance, the can-can, is what most people think of when they hear the word cabaret.
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Palace of Versailles
While not exactly in Paris, the Palace of Versailles is easily reachable with Paris’ public transport, which qualifies it as a Paris attraction in my book.
Labeled as the palace of palaces, the Versailles is a synonym for an opulent and chic interior. As a former home to France’s Kings and Queens, including the Sun King Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette, the palace was seen as the symbol of absolute monarchy in France for centuries.
Today the glorious mansion is turned into a museum that also features an incredible set of gardens. It’s visited by nearly 10 million people every year and is one of the things Paris is known for everywhere in the world.
See Also: What is Prague Famous For?
The sweets
Ah, the Paris sweets! A little bites of heaven I can devour all day, every day. I’m no foodie, and I’m certainly not someone who can’t help his sweet tooth, but the Parisian macaroons, croissants, éclairs, cannelés, and crepes are simply irresistible.
You’ve probably tried local versions of them but trust me, the original ones are sooo much better. The best places for macaroons are Ladurée and Pierre Hermé, for croissants – Des Gâteaux et du Pain and Du Pain et des Idées, éclairs – Stohrer (also having the best cannelés) and L’Éclair de Génie. As for crepes, I love the street ones but for a fancier experience, you can check out the Breizh Café or Josselin.
The neighborhoods
The last answer to what is Paris famous for would be its vibrant and historic neighborhoods.
Picturesque Montmartre, home of the Sacré Coeur Basilica, is basically a synonym of Paris. When people think of a Paris alley, they visualize Montmartre. Full of vintage French charm and artsy vibes, there are few neighborhoods on the continent that can rival this vintage Parisian district.
Another emblematic historical neighborhood is Saint Germain-des-Près, where Oscar Wild himself used to live. And if you’re looking for a bit more frivolous environment, the Latin Quarter is the student area of town where you can find a lively atmosphere, fresh bistros, and some of the best street food in town.
That’s all from me, now you know what Paris is famous for. To get your even more Paris-excited I reccomend checking my awesomeParis quotes collection.
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