Paris travel guide — where to stay, what to do, and where to eat in Paris, Île-de-France, France.
Paris has been continuously inhabited for over 2,000 years, growing from a small Iron Age settlement of the Parisii tribe on the Île de la Cité into one of the world's most influential capitals. Known to the Romans as Lutetia, the city was the seat of Merovingian and Carolingian kings, survived Viking raids, and became the unrivalled centre of medieval European learning. The French Revolution of 1789 transformed both France and the modern world, while Haussmann's 19th-century rebuilding created the iconic wide boulevard city recognisable today. Paris survived two World Wars, a Nazi occupation (1940–1944), and May 1968 student uprising, and has continuously served as a global centre of art, fashion, gastronomy, and political thought.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Paris.
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1
Parisii Celts establish a fishing settlement on the Île de la Cité
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2
Roman general Labienus defeats the Parisii; Lutetia Parisiorum established
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3
Roman Lutetia expands on the Left Bank; amphitheatre (Arènes de Lutèce), forum, and thermal baths (now Musée de Cluny) built
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4
St Denis, first Bishop of Paris, martyred on Montmartre; becomes patron saint of France
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5
Clovis I, King of the Franks, makes Paris his capital
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6
Viking raids on Paris; Siege of Paris (885–886) repelled — immortalised in the chanson de geste
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7
Hugh Capet elected King of France, consolidating Paris as the royal capital
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8
Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral built under bishops Maurice de Sully and subsequent clergy; Gothic masterpiece of medieval Europe
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9
University of Paris receives papal charter — one of the world's oldest universities; Sorbonne founded 1257
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10
Étienne Marcel leads merchants' revolt; marks early struggle for Parisian civic identity
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11
English occupation of Paris during Hundred Years' War; Joan of Arc wounded attempting to retake the city in 1429
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12
Wars of Religion; St Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572) kills thousands of Huguenots in Paris
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13
Louis XIV moves court to Versailles, diminishing Paris politically but boosting its cultural importance
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14
French Revolution: Bastille stormed 14 July; Declaration of the Rights of Man adopted; Louis XVI executed 1793
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15
Napoleon Bonaparte crowned Emperor at Notre-Dame; begins restructuring Paris including the Arc de Triomphe and Rue de Rivoli
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16
July Revolution and February Revolution further reshape French politics; barricades on Paris streets
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17
Baron Haussmann reshapes Paris under Napoleon III: 87 km of wide boulevards, sewers, parks, and unified façades
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18
Siege of Paris by Prussia; Paris Commune uprising (March–May 1871) crushed in the 'Bloody Week'
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19
Eiffel Tower built for the World's Fair (Exposition Universelle); initially controversial, becomes global symbol
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20
Paris hosts World's Fair and first modern Olympic Games; Métro opens first line (Vincennes–Maillot)
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21
World War I; Paris within range of German artillery; 'Taxis de la Marne' famously rush troops to the front
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22
Jazz Age and interwar golden era; Montparnasse café culture hosts Hemingway, Picasso, Gertrude Stein, and Josephine Baker
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23
Nazi occupation of Paris; General de Gaulle's Free French government in exile in London; Allies liberate Paris 25 August 1944
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24
May 1968 student and worker uprisings begin in Paris; left enduring mark on French culture and labour relations
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25
Centre Pompidou opens; radical inside-out design by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers transforms contemporary art in Europe
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26
I.M. Pei's glass pyramid opens at the Louvre; French Bicentennial celebrations
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27
Paris terrorist attacks at Bataclan concert hall and surrounding areas (13 November) kill 130 people; heightened security remains
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28
Notre-Dame fire (15 April) destroys spire and roof; major international restoration effort launched
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29
Paris hosts Summer Olympic Games (26 July–11 August 2024)
Historical eras
The chapters of Paris's past.
Roman Lutetia
Romans founded Lutetia on the Île de la Cité and developed the Left Bank with a forum, amphitheatre, and thermal baths. The Arènes de Lutèce (49 Rue Monge, 75005) and Musée de Cluny thermal baths are the most tangible remains.
Medieval Paris
The city grew around the royal palace on the Île de la Cité and became the largest city in Europe by the 13th century. Notre-Dame, the Sainte-Chapelle, and the Conciergerie all date from this era.
Royal & Renaissance
Successive kings expanded the Louvre from a fortress to a palace. Henri IV created the Place des Vosges (1612), Paris's oldest planned square. Louis XIV built Versailles but also commissioned grand Paris projects.
Revolution & Empire
The Bastille storming, Terror, and Revolutionary reforms were followed by Napoleon's monumental ambitions: Arc de Triomphe, Madeleine church, and the Vendôme Column.
Haussmannisation
The most dramatic physical transformation of Paris: 87 km of new boulevards, creation of 24 parks, a modern sewer network, and the architectural uniformity of the beige limestone Haussmann buildings recognisable today.
Belle Époque
Post-Franco-Prussian War prosperity spawned Art Nouveau architecture, the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, and a cultural flowering in the arts. The Moulin Rouge (1889) and Montmartre artist colony date from this era.
20th Century
Two world wars, the Lost Generation, French New Wave cinema, the existentialist cafés of Saint-Germain, and major architectural projects: Pompidou Centre (1977), Opéra Bastille (1989), and the Grande Arche de La Défense (1989).
Historical sites
Places where Paris's past comes alive.
Conciergerie
Where: Île de la Cité, 1st arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €12 (~$13.08) individual; €20 combined with Sainte-Chapelle; free under 18 and EU residents under 26
Sainte-Chapelle
Where: Île de la Cité, 1st arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €15 (~$16.35); combined with Conciergerie €20 (~$21.80); free under 18
Musée de Cluny (Musée National du Moyen Âge)
Where: Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €12 (~$13.08); free first Sunday of month; free under 18 and EU under 26
Catacombes de Paris
Where: 14th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €29 (~$31.61) online (mandatory timed entry); €15 audio guide
Panthéon
Where: Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €13 (~$14.17); free under 18 and EU under 26
Arc de Triomphe
Where: Place de l'Étoile, 8th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: €16 (~$17.44); free under 18 and EU under 26; access via underground tunnel from Champs-Élysées
Arènes de Lutèce
Where: Latin Quarter, 5th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: Free
Notre-Dame de Paris
Where: Île de la Cité, 4th arrondissement, Paris
Admission: Free for the nave; tower access subject to separate ticketing (check current status at notredamedeparis.fr)
Museums
Curated collections that tell Paris's story.
Musée Carnavalet — Histoire de Paris
Specialty: History of Paris from prehistory to the present day; Revolutionary artefacts, Louis XVI furniture, Proust's reconstituted bedroom
Hours: Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00; closed Monday
Admission: Free permanent collection; temporary exhibitions charged (€8–€14 / ~$8.72–$15.26)
Mémorial de la Shoah
Specialty: Holocaust memorial and research centre; names wall with 76,000 French Jews deported; permanent exhibitions and archives
Hours: Sun–Fri 10:00–18:00 (Thu until 22:00); closed Saturday and Jewish holidays
Admission: Free
Musée de l'Armée
Specialty: French military history from Middle Ages to present; Napoleon's tomb; 500,000 artefacts
Hours: Daily 10:00–18:00 (17:00 in winter); closed first Monday of month
Admission: €15 (~$16.35); includes Napoleon's tomb (Dôme des Invalides)
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.