1. The Eiffel Tower – icon of Paris

When most people think of Paris thy think of the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower was originally built for the 1889 World Exposition. When the tower was first unveiled, Parisians thought it was a towering monstrosity, and it was nearly torn down. Since then, over 200 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower, and it has become a national icon for France as well as Paris. The tower is impressive to look at by day or by night when it’s lit up, and offers a spectacular view from above, or below.

2. Notre Dame de Paris – The Cathedral

The Notre Dame catholic cathedral took over a century to build, and was once the centre of medieval Paris. It is probably the most typical cathedral of Europe. Being situated on an island, there are great views of the flying buttresses from the river banks.

3. The Arc de Triomphe and The Champs Elysees

The great arch “Arc de Triomphe” was built by Emperor Napolean, and offers a fantastic view down the Champs Elysees and all around. No trip to Paris is complete without seeing the sculptures and reliefs that adorn the arch. The wide pavemented boulevard offers some spectacular shopping opportunities, as well as an assortment of cafes.

4. Versailles

Near enough to Paris to be included in any Paris Break itinery is the Palace of Versailles. Versailles was home to the King of France, as well as the seat of their government for more than 100 years. A walk through this remarkable palace, will ensure you feel like your walking in the footsteps of nobility. Inside you’ll find the Hall of Mirrors, which consists of 250ft of sheer glass.

5. The Louvre

The Louvre is the most famous museum or art gallery in the world, and quit rightly so as it’s home to some of the most famous works of art in the world.

6. Pere Lachaise Cemetery

On the outskirts of central Paris, The crypts at Pere Lachaise Cemetery are amazing to discover. There are some extremely famous people buried here, including Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Richard Wright of Pink Floyd fame.

7. Seine River Cruise

See the majesty of Paris glide by while riding in a glass boat on the beautiful river Seine. You’ll get to see the Eiffel Tower, old historic bridges and even the Notre Dame Cathedral.

8. The Musee d’Orsay

One of the most visited museums on the planet, the Musee d’Orsay has the largest collection of paintings and sculptures produced between 1848 and 1914. If you’re a lover of art, then this is a destination sight you won’t want to miss on even the shortest Paris trip.

9. The Sorbonne

Founded in 1257, the Sorbonne is one of the oldest universities in Europe, and many a great thinker has wandered its halls and enjoyed the surrounding Latin Quarter.

10. Sacre Coeur and Montmartre

The basilica of Sacre Coeur breaks the horizon from miles around, dominating the highest point of Paris. Consecrated in 1909, it boasts gold mosaic interiors, and offers a magnificent view of the city below.

So those are the ten chosen highlights for planning Paris breaks but you could probably add a dozen or so more just to make it completely impossible to cram everything essential into one visit to Paris.

Gare du Nord map for Paris breaks

Of course these onward journey points are all well signposted at the station itself but it dosn’t do any harm to reassure yourself you know where you are going especially if it’s your first Paris break from the UK.

Notre Dame from the rear

Originally uploaded by Andyrob

Notre Dame de Paris is probably the most famous cathedral in the world so naturally a lot of tourists on Paris breaks no matter how short want to see it in real life for themselves. Fortunately the reality and location is such that it won’t be a disappointment at all. You can combine a visit to Notre Dame with a walk along the banks of the Seine and lunch in the latin quarter, or a river trip on the batobus.

The architecture of the Notre Dame is remarkable enough, but it’s definitely worth walking around from the big open space at the front of the building in order to view Notre Dame from the rear, exposing the magnificent flying buttresses and gargoyles.

Originally uploaded by Andyrob
Unmissable on Paris breaks if you’ve never been is the Rodin museum. The garden and house are full of this famous sculptors creations including The Kiss as illustrated, the Gates of Hell and the Burgers of Calais.

There’s also an excellent cafe in the garden of the Rodin Museum, so you don’t need to let hunger or thirst curtail a visit. It’s about fifteen minutes walk from the Bateaux Bus stop at Musee D’Orleans, which will be the subject of further Paris Breaks articles here.