Paris Icons

The Eiffel Tower

Paris’s Iron Superstar

You can’t talk about France without starting here.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair and was originally intended to stand for only about 20 years. At first, some prominent artists and writers strongly objected to the unusual iron structure.

More than a century later, it’s the ultimate symbol of Paris.

The tower rises more than 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the city, with observation levels offering views across the Seine and Paris.

At night, thousands of lights make the tower sparkle for five minutes at the beginning of each hour after nightfall.

Did You Know? Gustave Eiffel also created a small private apartment near the top of the tower.

Teen Tip: If you’re up for it, take the stairs to the second floor instead of the elevator. There are 674 steps, so you’ll definitely earn your next croissant.

The Louvre

Way More Than the Mona Lisa

Before the Louvre became one of the world’s most famous museums, it was a medieval fortress and later a royal palace.

Today its enormous collections span thousands of years of human history.

You’ll find ancient Egyptian artifacts, Greek and Roman sculpture, decorative arts and masterpieces including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and Winged Victory of Samothrace.

The modern glass pyramid in the courtyard was completed in 1989, creating one of Paris’s coolest contrasts between old and new.

Teen Tip: Don’t try to see everything. Pick three or four things you really want to find and explore from there.

Did You Know? During World War II, Louvre staff evacuated thousands of artworks—including the Mona Lisa—to protect them from the war.

Notre-Dame Cathedral

The Medieval Heart of Paris

Standing on the Île de la Cité in the Seine, Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the world’s most famous Gothic cathedrals.

Construction began in 1163 and continued for generations. Its flying buttresses, towers, sculptures and enormous rose windows helped make it an architectural icon.

A devastating fire in 2019 destroyed the cathedral’s roof and spire, launching a massive restoration project. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024.

Look outside for Point Zéro des Routes de France, the point used as the reference for measuring road distances from Paris.

Book Connection: Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame helped renew interest in the neglected cathedral during the 1800s and contributed to a major restoration campaign.

Arc de Triomphe

Napoleon’s Monument to Victory

At the western end of the Champs-Élysées stands one of Paris’s most recognizable monuments.

Napoleon commissioned the Arc de Triomphe in 1806 to honor his armies, although it wasn’t completed until 1836.

Beneath it lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring French soldiers who died in World War I. Its eternal flame has been rekindled ceremonially every evening since 1923.

Climb to the top and you’ll see 12 avenues spreading outward from the monument like giant spokes.

Teen Tip: Never try to cross the giant traffic circle to reach it. Use the underground pedestrian passage.

Palaces & Castles

Palace of Versailles

Where Royal Luxury Went Next-Level

If you want to understand how powerful French kings once were, go to Versailles.

Louis XIV, the Sun King, transformed a royal hunting lodge into an enormous palace and moved his court and government there in 1682.

Inside, the Hall of Mirrors is the showstopper, lined with mirrors, chandeliers and windows overlooking the gardens.

Outside are fountains, sculptures, geometric gardens and smaller royal retreats.

Versailles wasn’t simply a fancy home. It was a political stage designed to demonstrate the king’s wealth, status and authority.

History Connection: In 1789, during the French Revolution, the royal family was forced to leave Versailles for Paris. The palace’s extravagant world became a lasting symbol of the old monarchy.

Loire Valley Châteaux

Real-Life Fairy Tales

The Loire Valley is packed with magnificent châteaux built or transformed by French kings, queens and nobles.

Three worth knowing:

Château de Chambord — Famous for its enormous scale, elaborate roofline and extraordinary double-helix staircase. Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas may have influenced the design, although there’s no proof that he personally designed the staircase.

Château de Chenonceau — One of France’s most recognizable castles, stretching gracefully across the River Cher. Powerful women played major roles in its history, earning it the nickname “the Ladies’ Château.”

Château d’Amboise — A royal château overlooking the Loire where Leonardo da Vinci is buried in the Chapel of Saint-Hubert. He spent the final years of his life nearby at Clos Lucé.

Teen Tip: If your schedule allows, exploring part of the Loire Valley by bike is a completely different experience from hopping between castles by car.

Carcassonne

Step Inside a Medieval Fortress

With massive walls, towers and narrow lanes, the fortified city of Carcassonne looks almost unreal.

Its defenses developed over many centuries, with sections dating back to Roman times. The medieval fortress eventually fell into decline before architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc led a huge restoration project during the 1800s.

Today you can walk along sections of the ramparts and explore the maze of streets inside the walls.

Game Connection: Yes, the popular board game Carcassonne was named after the French city.

Medieval Masterpieces

Mont-Saint-Michel

France’s Island Abbey

Rising dramatically from the tidal flats between Normandy and Brittany, Mont-Saint-Michel looks like something invented for a fantasy movie.

Its story goes back to the early 8th century, when a religious sanctuary was established on the rocky island. Over the centuries, a spectacular abbey grew above the village.

The surrounding bay is famous for its dramatic tides, which can completely transform the landscape.

Climb the steep lanes toward the abbey and the views get better with almost every step.

Safety Tip: Don’t wander across the tidal flats on your own. The tides, channels and quicksand can make the bay dangerous. Guided crossings are the way to do it.

Chartres Cathedral

Stained Glass That Survived the Centuries

About an hour from Paris, Chartres Cathedral is one of France’s great Gothic masterpieces.

It’s especially famous for its medieval stained glass. Much of it survives from the 12th and 13th centuries, filling the cathedral with deep blues, reds and jewel-like light.

There’s also a large medieval labyrinth set into the floor of the nave.

Look Closely: The cathedral’s two main towers don’t match. They were built in different styles and periods, creating one of its most recognizable features.

Reims Cathedral

Where French Kings Were Crowned

For centuries, Reims Cathedral was closely connected with the French monarchy.

Beginning with Louis VIII in 1223, most French kings were crowned here, continuing a tradition connected to the earlier baptism of the Frankish king Clovis at Reims.

One of the cathedral’s most famous sculptures is the smiling angel known as the Ange au Sourire.

The cathedral was badly damaged during World War I but later restored.

History Connection: This is where Charles VII was crowned in 1429, with Joan of Arc at his side after helping revive the French cause during the Hundred Years’ War.

Ancient France

Pont du Gard

Roman Engineering Without Modern Machines

France isn’t only filled with French history.

Near Nîmes, the Pont du Gard is an enormous Roman aqueduct bridge built nearly 2,000 years ago.

It formed part of a roughly 50-kilometer aqueduct system that carried water to the Roman city of Nemausus—modern-day Nîmes—using gravity.

Its three levels of stone arches make it one of the most impressive surviving Roman structures in France.

Think About It: Roman engineers achieved the incredibly precise slope needed to move water across miles of countryside without pumps or modern surveying equipment.

Teen Tip: In warmer months, kayaking or swimming in the river below can turn a Roman-history stop into one of the most fun outings of the trip.

Places Where Nature Steals the Show

Étretat Cliffs

Normandy’s Giant White Arches

Along Normandy’s coast, towering white chalk cliffs plunge into the English Channel.

The cliffs around Étretat are especially famous for their enormous natural arches and needle-like rock formations.

Artists including Claude Monet painted the landscape repeatedly, while writer Maurice Leblanc incorporated Étretat into his stories about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin.

Teen Tip: Hike above the town for the big view—but stay well back from cliff edges, which can be unstable.

Mont Blanc & Chamonix

The Roof of the Alps

The alpine town of Chamonix sits beneath Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe.

Chamonix became famous as a center for mountaineering and hosted the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924.

One of its biggest attractions is the cable car to the Aiguille du Midi, which climbs to an altitude of more than 3,800 meters and provides extraordinary views of glaciers and the surrounding Alps.

For the brave, there’s also Step Into the Void—a glass box suspended high above the mountain landscape.

Teen Tip: Even in summer, temperatures at high altitude can be dramatically colder than they are down in Chamonix. Bring layers.

A Landmark That Isn’t a Building

The Normandy D-Day Beaches

Where History Changed Course

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces landed along the Normandy coast in one of the largest amphibious military operations in history.

The five D-Day landing beaches were:

Utah • Omaha • Gold • Juno • Sword

Today the coast is peaceful, but museums, bunkers, memorials and cemeteries preserve the story of what happened there.

The Normandy American Cemetery, overlooking Omaha Beach, contains the graves of thousands of American service members and is one of the region’s most moving sites.

Travel Tip: If you’re interested in World War II history, this is one place where having a knowledgeable guide can make an enormous difference. Many important sites are spread across the countryside and aren’t obvious without knowing their stories.

More Landmarks Worth Knowing

France has far more than a dozen places worth seeing. If your trip takes you nearby, also look for:

Sacré-Cœur & Montmartre — A white-domed basilica above one of Paris’s most famous historic neighborhoods.

Palace of Fontainebleau — A royal residence used by French monarchs for centuries and later closely associated with Napoleon.

Pont Alexandre III — One of Paris’s most ornate bridges, built for the 1900 World’s Fair.

The Calanques — Dramatic limestone cliffs and turquoise Mediterranean coves between Marseille and Cassis.

And that’s still only scratching the surface.

Why France’s Landmarks Are Worth More Than a Photo

France’s landmarks aren’t interesting simply because they’re famous.

They connect directly to the country’s story.

The Pont du Gard takes you back to Roman Gaul.

Chartres and Reims put you inside medieval France.

The Loire châteaux and Versailles show how royalty lived and displayed its power.

The Arc de Triomphe connects to Napoleon.

The Eiffel Tower captures the ambition of 19th-century Paris.

And the Normandy beaches bring you face-to-face with events that changed the modern world.

So take the picture—but then look around.

The best landmarks aren’t just things to see. They’re places that help you understand where you are.