The Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés stands as the oldest church in Paris, with origins dating back to the year 542. It was founded by King Childebert and has witnessed centuries of dramatic history. While its foundations are ancient, most of the church seen today was built in the 11th century, during its time as the heart of a powerful Benedictine abbey.
The French Revolution brought significant upheaval to the abbey. In 1794, the monastic community was dissolved, and many of the surrounding buildings were destroyed by fire. Just two years earlier, in September 1792, tragedy struck nearby when a mob killed 318 priests, marking one of the Revolution’s darkest episodes.
Over time, the church has undergone various restorations, especially in the 19th century. This has helped preserve its unique combination of architectural styles: ancient marble columns from the 6th century, Gothic vaults, and Romanesque arches all stand together under one roof. The blend of styles tells the story of the church’s long and varied past.
The Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés is also known for being the burial site of several famous individuals. Among those laid to rest within its walls are the philosopher René Descartes, poet Nicolas Boileau, and King John Casimir of Poland, who served as abbot of the monastery before his death in 1669.
Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Germain-des-Pr%C3%A9s_(abbey)
The burial place of existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, feminist Simone de Beauvoir (both of whom lived nearby); musician Serge Gainsbourg; artist Man Ray; the poets Charles Baudelaire, Guy de Maupassant, Charles Sainte-Beuve, and Marguerite Duras; the founders of the Theatre of the Absurd Samuel Becket and Eugene Ionesco; the sculptors Constantin Brancusi and Ossip Zadkine; the composers Camille de Saint-Saens and César Franck; the actors Maria Montez and Jean Seberg; the French officer Alfred Dreyfus; the founder of the Larousse encyclopedia, Pierre Larousse; the industrialist André Citroen, and many others.
Contained within two historic houses (hotels), the museum explores the history of Paris through objects in over 140 separate rooms.
The northwest corner of the Bois de Boulogne is occupied by the oldest operating amusement park in the world, the Jardin d'Acclimatation, which is mainly known for offering a wide range of amusements which are appropriate even for very small children. They have miniature roller-coasters for children as small as three years, and the usual range of pony rides etc.
Castel Béranger is an apartment building that was the first entirely art nouveau building in Paris, insulted at the time as "Castel Derangé". Its richly decorated facade won a city competition in 1898. It contains 36 apartments, all of which are still privately owned and not open to the public.
One of the last remnants of medieval Paris outside of the 4th, this tower was once part of a castle called l'hôtel de Bourgogne.
The foundation opened its doors in May 2003. It preserves Henri Cartier-Bresson and Martine Franck’s archives. Exhibition of photographs, paintings, sculptings, and illustrations.
A sculpture by Auguste Rodin in memory of the French novelist Honoré Balzac. The artwork is sometimes considered the first truly modern sculpture.
One of the largest collections outside Asia of Southeast Asian, Indian, Afghan, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean art.
Suspended above the train tracks this garden is surprisingly calm and chilled-out.
The Paris Botanical Garden, founded as the royal medicinal garden in 1626 by King Louis XIII's doctor, contains over 10,000 species. The grounds also include a small zoo known as La Ménagerie, and the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, which includes the Grande Galerie de l'Evolution (where you can see thousands of naturalized animals from all over the world) and the 'Galerie de paléontologie et d'anatomie comparée' (same thing, but with skeletons).
The early Gothic Cathédrale de Notre Dame (Our Lady) has a 12th century design but wasn't completed until the 14th. Still it is a good example of the development of the style, though the west or main portal is a bit unusual in its rigidity. A April 2019 fire caused severe damage, but after extensive renovation the cathedral was reopened to the public in December 2024.
The Museum of Mankind, accommodated in the Palais du Chaillot, is an anthropological museum covering the history of mankind and human societies.
Enter Bastille station through any entrance or on any train and then make your way to the Bobigny/Pablo Picasso-bound platform. All that's left of the fortress whose front steps used to lead up from place de la Bastille are some foundation stones which you can see while waiting for a north bound train on this metro platform. There are maps and explanations showing where the fortress used to be relative the place and surroundings (basically the location of the old front steps are now occupied by Café des Phares).
Part gallery - part restaurant - part nightclub, La Cite (Les Docks) is a modern building that is instantly recognisable due to being draped on one side with a large neon green shell covering the stairwells and roof the building. Roughly translated in English as The City of Fashion and Design, this is a trendy spot at the weekends and is used for event like Paris Design Week. The restaurant in the building is open all year round.
One of Paris's best kept secrets, painted by Monet numerous times. It is a very elegant centre of green in the middle of cosmopolitan Paris. Make sure you check out the statues, entrance rotunda and the surrounding mansions. Thanks to Haussmann himself this precious slice of parkland was reserved for the enjoyment and leisure of the people of Paris. It is unusual in France due to its casual, informal "English" style planning, and is a contrast to other Parisian parks such as the classically laid out and formal Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries. Randomly placed throughout the park are scaled-down architectural replicas including an Egyptian pyramid, Dutch windmill, and a Chinese fort. Free Wi-Fi in the park.
A little district within the district. Very charming little streets on a hill on the west end of the 13 district. Nice for lunching/dining activities. This is the place where the band "Mano Negra" was hanging around.
The national library preserves collections of historic documents of both French and international origin. It holds 5,000 Greek manuscripts. You can get a day pass to visit or choose to visit only the expositions the library hosts.
The Petit Palais was built as a complement to the Grand Palais for the 1900 universal exhibition, and afterwards became the prime exhibition venue for the City of Paris' vast collection of artworks spanning centuries from ancient history to around 1914. (Later material is at the Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris in the 16th). There is a permanent exhibition of selected artworks of artifacts, complemented by temporary exhibitions of historic artworks. The Petit Palais also features an on-site cafe/restaurant, as well as a book and gift shop.