Paris has many museums and special collections, but few are as intriguing as the Cabinet des Médailles. This remarkable collection is part of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and is located within the Richelieu site. It holds a unique place in French history, tracing its origins back to the royal collections of the 16th century.
The Cabinet des Médailles houses an impressive range of artifacts. Visitors can find coins, antique gems, and medals from different periods, as well as rare jewelry, cameos, and ancient objects. Many of these items once belonged to kings and queens of France, and some date all the way back to ancient Greece, Rome, and the Middle East. The collection also features pieces from the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.
The gallery itself feels like a step back in time. With its historic woodwork and elegant display cases, the space gives a sense of what royal cabinets of curiosity may have looked like centuries ago. The cabinets are carefully arranged so visitors can admire both the beauty and the history of each object.
The Cabinet des Médailles is open to the public and welcomes visitors interested in history, art, and numismatics. Guided tours are sometimes available and provide more detailed stories about individual items in the collection. The Richelieu site is centrally located in Paris, making it easy to reach by public transport or on foot from nearby attractions.
For an interesting take on Paris, check out the underground sewers of Paris. See swords found in the sewers over the years and get an appreciation for what it takes to keep Paris running.
CLOSED UNTIL LATE 2024 OR 2025 FOR RENOVATION WORKS. Built in 1900 for the universal exposition, the Grand Palais was an engineering feat and a milestone of design, marking the transition between historicism and modern architecture. It remain impressive today due to its unique, exquisite style and sheer volume of its main nave. The Grand Palais, managed by the state-owned institution Rnm who also manage the Musee de Luxembourg, is used both for temporary exhibitions of historic and contemporary art collections (both beaux arts and applied) and unique events, such as catwalk shows during the Paris Fashion Week, Bonhams car auctions and prestigious galas.
Guimard's own home, built in 1909-12. It is less decorated than Castel Béranger, but still beautifully shaped. Privately owned and not open to the public.
This street is named in honor for Nicolas Appert, a French businessman who invented airtight food preservation. On January 7th, 2015, it was the site of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack, which resulted in the deaths of 12 people. A plaque in front of a former office building memorializes the victims of the satirical magazine's staff.
Mainly used as a concert hall and venue for fashion shows today, the Cirque d'Hiver was built in 1852, as the name would suggest, as a winter venue for circuses.
Tourists cross this park with the large fountain on the way to the Place du Trocadéro viewpoint to the Eiffel Tower.
The magnificent setting of The Phantom of the Opera, the inside is as opulent as the outside. However, since the opening of the Opera Bastille (12th) in 1989, the Palais Garnier has been reserved mostly for dance performances, particularly ballet.
The Jewish quarter, with many small delis and shops. Lively on most days except for Saturdays.
Since 2021 the 18th-century former Bourse de Commerce building has been the Paris home of the art collection of the French business magnate François Pinault, showing a rotating selection of contemporary artworks either newly commissioned or taken from his collection.
Considered one of the most colourful Parisian parks, a local favourite, the Parc Montsouris was opened in 1878, having been designed by Alphand for Baron Haussmann. A large man-made lake and waterfalls are surrounded by long stretches of gently sloping lawns. Bronze statues are to be found studding the grounds, amongst the 1,400 trees, including such exotic varieties as the giant sequoia and the ginkgo. The park is featured in the film Cléo de 5 à 7. It is popular among families (there are two playground areas for children) and students.
For a taste of the French countryside, a visit to Bercy Village brings to life the spirit of market shopping inside Paris.
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).
Contained within two historic houses (hotels), the museum explores the history of Paris through objects in over 140 separate rooms.
A symbol of Paris and one of the most famous landmarks in the world. Built by Gustave Eiffel in 1887-1889, the tower was almost torn down in 1909 and only saved due to its use as a telegraphy antenna. The queues can be very long. The tower allows online reservations at its website. You can select a date and time frame. If you miss the time on your ticket, you have lost your money. The north, west, and east pillars have elevators that go to the first and second floors; the south pillar has stairs that can be climbed to the second floor. To reach the top floor, an additional elevator ride is required, and the wait for this can be very long as well. Disabled visitors are not allowed beyond the second floor due to safety concerns. Taking the Métro as far as Ecole Militiare and then strolling up the Champ de Mars is a lovely way to arrive at the tower. Another phenomenal approach is to exit the Metro at Trocadero and see the Eiffel Tower from the other side of the Ecole Militaire.
The Stade Charlety is a massive multi-sport arena, hosting football (soccer), tennis, rugby and squash matches.