France

Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and the most visited monument in Paris. Standing on the Ile de la Cite, the island in the Seine where Paris was born, the cathedral has been the spiritual heart of the city for over 800 years.

Construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and took nearly 200 years to complete. The cathedral introduced several innovations that became hallmarks of Gothic architecture: flying buttresses that allowed the walls to be thinner and the windows larger, creating the luminous interior that still astonishes visitors today. The rose windows, dating from the 13th century, are among the largest and most famous in the world.

On April 15, 2019, a devastating fire destroyed the 19th-century spire and most of the oak roof. The images of the burning cathedral shocked the world. Within hours, over 1 billion euros was pledged for reconstruction.

The restoration, led by architect Philippe Villeneuve, was completed in five years. Notre-Dame reopened to the public on December 7, 2024, with a new spire faithful to the Viollet-le-Duc design from 1860 and restored interior stonework that revealed the original medieval colours hidden beneath centuries of grime.

The cathedral is free to enter. If you're on a Questo quest through the Ile de la Cite, Notre-Dame is a stop where 800 years of faith, fire, and renewal tell the story of Paris itself.

Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

Sainte-Chapelle is a Gothic chapel on the Ile de la Cite, and its stained glass windows are among the most breathtaking in the world. When sunlight streams through 1,113 panels of 13th-century glass, the entire interior glows with colour.

The chapel was built between 1242 and 1248 by King Louis IX (Saint Louis) to house his collection of Passion relics, including what was believed to be the Crown of Thorns worn by Christ. Louis paid 135,000 livres for the relics and only 40,000 livres for the chapel itself, suggesting the relics were worth more to him than the building.

Sainte-Chapelle has two levels. The lower chapel, with its lower ceiling and darker interior, was used by the palace staff. The upper chapel, reached by a narrow spiral staircase, was reserved for the king and his court, and this is where the stained glass creates its magic. The windows rise 15 metres and depict 1,113 scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

Nearly two-thirds of the glass is original 13th-century work, making it one of the most extensive collections of medieval stained glass in the world.

The chapel sits within the grounds of the Palais de Justice, Paris's main courthouse. It's a short walk from Notre-Dame and the flower market.

If you're on a Questo quest through the Ile de la Cite, Sainte-Chapelle is a stop where 800-year-old glass turns light itself into art.

Sainte-Chapelle

The Pantheon is a neoclassical monument in the Latin Quarter, originally built as a church but transformed during the French Revolution into a secular mausoleum honouring France's greatest citizens.

The building was commissioned by King Louis XV in 1744 as a church dedicated to Saint Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris, after he recovered from a serious illness. Designed by Jacques-Germain Soufflot and completed in 1790, just as the Revolution began, it was immediately repurposed.

The Pantheon's most famous residents rest in the crypt. Voltaire and Rousseau were among the first to be interred. Victor Hugo was buried here in 1885 after a state funeral attended by 2 million people. Emile Zola, Louis Braille, Marie Curie (the first woman honoured here, in 1995), and Alexandre Dumas have all been "pantheonized."

The building has a scientific claim to fame too. In 1851, physicist Leon Foucault hung a 67-metre pendulum from the dome to demonstrate the rotation of the Earth. A replica of Foucault's Pendulum still swings beneath the dome today.

The dome itself, 83 metres high, offers panoramic views over Paris from the colonnade gallery.

If you're on a Questo quest through the Latin Quarter, the Pantheon is a stop where the greatest minds of France are honoured beneath a pendulum that proved the Earth moves.

Pantheon

The Pont des Arts is a pedestrian bridge crossing the Seine between the Institut de France and the Louvre, and it has one of the most storied histories of any bridge in Paris.

The original bridge, completed in 1804, was the first iron bridge in Paris. It was designed by Louis-Alexandre de Cessart and named after the Palais des Arts, as the Louvre was known during Napoleon's time. The structure was damaged by barge collisions and bombing during the two World Wars, and by 1977 it was closed after a partial collapse. The current bridge, a faithful reconstruction in steel, was completed in 1984.

For years, the Pont des Arts was famous for the "love locks" that couples attached to its railings, often throwing the key into the Seine. The tradition exploded in the 2010s, and by 2015 the combined weight of the locks had reached an estimated 45 tonnes, prompting the city to remove them all and replace the railings with glass panels.

Even without the locks, the Pont des Arts remains one of the most romantic spots in Paris. The views from the bridge are exceptional: the towers of Notre-Dame to the east, the Eiffel Tower to the west, and the dome of the Institut de France directly ahead.

If you're on a Questo quest along the Seine, the Pont des Arts is a stop where history, love, and some of the best views in the city come together.

Pont des Arts

Saint-Germain-des-Pres is the oldest church in Paris, with parts of the current building dating back over 1,000 years. It sits at the heart of the Left Bank neighbourhood that bears its name.

The church was founded in 542 AD by King Childebert I, who built a basilica here to house relics brought from Spain. A Benedictine abbey was established on the site and became one of the most important religious centres in medieval France. The church was rebuilt multiple times; the current bell tower dates to around 1000 AD, making it the oldest structure in Paris still in daily use.

During the French Revolution, the abbey was dissolved and the church was used as a saltpetre factory. Much of the medieval complex was destroyed. The church itself survived, though it was badly damaged and not fully restored until the 19th century.

By the mid-20th century, the neighbourhood around the church had become the intellectual centre of Paris. Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir held court at the Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots, both just steps from the church. Albert Camus, Boris Vian, and Miles Davis (who recorded in a nearby studio) were all part of the Saint-Germain scene.

The church is free to enter and holds regular concerts that take advantage of its remarkable acoustics.

If you're on a Questo quest through Saint-Germain, the church is a stop where 1,500 years of Parisian history begins with a bell tower that has been standing since before Notre-Dame was even imagined.

Église de Saint-Germain-des-Prés

The Luxembourg Gardens are the most beloved park in Paris, 23 hectares of formal gardens, tree-lined promenades, and open lawns on the Left Bank, surrounding the Luxembourg Palace.

The gardens were created in 1612 by Marie de Medici, widow of King Henry IV, who commissioned both the palace and the Italianate garden to remind her of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens in her native Florence. The design was later modified by Andre Le Notre (who also designed Versailles) and has evolved over the centuries into a blend of French formal and English landscape styles.

The central octagonal basin and its surrounding terrace are one of the most iconic spots in Paris. Children have been sailing miniature boats here since the 19th century, and you can still rent model sailboats by the hour. There are also pony rides, a puppet theatre (Theatre du Luxembourg, running since 1933), a playground, and 106 statues throughout the gardens.

The Medici Fountain, in the northeastern corner, is the park's most romantic spot: a Baroque grotto fountain built in 1630, with a long reflecting pool shaded by plane trees.

The gardens are free and open daily, with hours varying by season. If you're on a Questo quest through the Left Bank, the Luxembourg Gardens are a stop where a Florentine queen's homesickness created one of the most perfect green spaces in Europe.

Luxembourg Gardens

The Church of Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is a landmark of the Marais district and the first church in Paris to completely abandon the Gothic style in favour of Baroque architecture.

The church was built between 1627 and 1641 by the Jesuit order, on the orders of Louis XIII. Its design, by architects Etienne Martellange and Francois Derand, was inspired by the Gesu Church in Rome, the mother church of the Jesuits. The first mass was celebrated on May 9, 1641, by Cardinal Richelieu himself.

The church's history is intertwined with French royalty. It once held urns containing the hearts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV. During the French Revolution, the heart of Louis XIII was reportedly seized by a painter who ground it up to use the material for pigment. The heart of Louis XIV was later returned to the church.

Another notable parishioner was Antoine Lavoisier, the father of modern chemistry and a major patron of the church, who was guillotined during the Reign of Terror in 1794.

The 55-metre dome was the first of its kind in Paris and influenced the design of later Parisian churches. The interior retains much of its Baroque decoration, including paintings by Delacroix.

If you're on a Questo quest through the Marais, Saint-Paul-Saint-Louis is a stop where a king's heart, a chemist's guillotine, and the birth of Parisian Baroque all share the same walls.

Saint Paul Saint Louis Church 

Place des Vosges is the oldest planned square in Paris and one of the most elegant public spaces in Europe. Hidden behind the narrow streets of the Marais, it catches most visitors by surprise with its perfect symmetry and quiet grandeur.

The square was commissioned by King Henry IV in 1605 and completed in 1612 for the celebration of the marriage of Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. It was originally called Place Royale and was renamed Place des Vosges in 1800 to honour the first French department to pay its taxes.

The design is strikingly uniform: 36 houses, nine on each side, built of red brick and cream stone with steeply pitched slate roofs. Each house has a ground-floor arcade, creating a continuous covered walkway around the entire square. Two taller pavilions, the King's Pavilion (south) and the Queen's Pavilion (north), mark the entrances.

Victor Hugo lived at No. 6 from 1832 to 1848, and his apartment is now a free museum. He wrote much of "Les Miserables" while living here.

The central garden, shaded by lime trees, was originally used for royal ceremonies and duels. Today, it's a popular picnic spot and one of the most peaceful places in the Marais.

If you're on a Questo quest through the Marais, Place des Vosges is a stop where royal ambition created perfection, and Victor Hugo found the quiet to write one of the greatest novels in the French language.

Place des Vosges

Place de la Concorde is the largest public square in Paris and one of the most historically charged places in France. Sitting at the eastern end of the Champs-Elysees, it connects some of the most important landmarks in the city.

The square was designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel in 1755 and originally named Place Louis XV, after the equestrian statue of the king at its centre. During the French Revolution, the statue was torn down and replaced by the guillotine. Between 1793 and 1795, more than 1,300 people were beheaded here, including Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and the revolutionary leaders Danton and Robespierre.

After the Revolution, the square was renamed Place de la Concorde (Square of Harmony) in an effort to move past the bloodshed. The Luxor Obelisk, a 3,300-year-old Egyptian obelisk from Luxor Temple, was placed at the centre in 1836 as a gift from Egypt. Standing 23 metres tall and weighing 227 tonnes, it is the oldest monument in Paris.

The square is framed by the Tuileries Garden to the east, the Champs-Elysees to the west, and two matching 18th-century buildings to the north, one of which houses the Hotel de Crillon.

If you're on a Questo quest through Paris, Place de la Concorde is a stop where an Egyptian obelisk older than Rome stands on the spot where a revolution changed the world.

Place de la Concorde

The Palais Garnier is one of the most opulent buildings in Paris and the setting that inspired Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera." It opened on January 5, 1875, and remains one of the world's most celebrated opera houses.

The building was designed by 35-year-old architect Charles Garnier, who won a competition in 1860 from among 171 entries. When Empress Eugenie asked him what style the building was in, he reportedly replied, "It's in the Napoleon III style, Madame." Construction took 14 years, delayed by the Franco-Prussian War, the Paris Commune, and the discovery of an underground lake beneath the building site.

That underground lake is real, and it inspired the subterranean lake in Leroux's 1910 novel. The building actually sits above a water reservoir that the Paris fire brigade still uses as a water reserve.

The Grand Staircase, made of white Carrara marble with a polychrome marble balustrade, is one of the most photographed interiors in Paris. The auditorium ceiling was repainted by Marc Chagall in 1964, a controversial decision that replaced the original 1869 work.

The Palais Garnier seats 1,979 and continues to host opera, ballet, and orchestral performances. Self-guided visits are available when no rehearsals are scheduled.

If you're on a Questo quest through Paris, the Palais Garnier is a stop where real architecture inspired fiction, and where a phantom might still be lurking beneath the Grand Staircase.

Palais Garnier

The Moulin Rouge is the world's most famous cabaret, sitting at the foot of Montmartre in the Pigalle district of Paris. Its red windmill has been a symbol of Parisian nightlife since it opened on October 6, 1889, the same year the Eiffel Tower debuted.

The cabaret was founded by Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler as an entertainment venue for all social classes. It quickly became famous for the can-can, a high-energy dance that was considered scandalous at the time. One of the most legendary dancers, La Goulue (Louise Weber), was so skilled she could kick a man's hat off his head while dancing.

The venue was immortalized by the paintings of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who spent years sketching the dancers, musicians, and audience members. His posters for the Moulin Rouge are some of the most recognized images in art history.

In 1915, a fire destroyed much of the original building. It was rebuilt in 1921 and has continued to reinvent itself ever since. Today's show, "Feerie," features 60 performers from around the world, 1,000 costumes, and elaborate stage sets including a giant aquarium on stage.

The Moulin Rouge draws around 600,000 visitors a year. Dinner shows and late-night shows are both available, and booking in advance is strongly recommended.

If you're on a Questo quest through Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge is a landmark that connects you to the artistic revolution that made this hillside neighbourhood legendary.

Moulin Rouge

Sacre Coeur

The Musee de Montmartre is the neighbourhood's own museum, housed in a cluster of 17th-century buildings on Rue Cortot that once served as home and studio to some of the most famous artists in history.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir lived and painted here in 1876, including "Bal du moulin de la Galette," one of the most celebrated Impressionist works. Suzanne Valadon and her son Maurice Utrillo also lived in the building, and Valadon's studio has been recreated inside the museum.

The museum opened in 1960 and was classified as a Musee de France in 2003. It tells the story of Montmartre's golden age (roughly 1850-1950), the period when the hilltop village transformed from a rural commune into the artistic capital of Europe.

The Renoir Gardens behind the museum are a highlight in their own right. Carefully restored to reflect the landscape that inspired Renoir's work, they offer views over the last vineyard in Paris, the Clos Montmartre, which still produces around 1,500 bottles of wine each year.

The museum is a short walk from Sacre-Coeur, Place du Tertre, and the Wall of Love. If you're on a Questo quest through Montmartre, the museum is a stop where the walls that sheltered Renoir and Valadon still stand, and the gardens still look like an Impressionist painting.

Musée de Montmartre

The Wall of Love is a public art installation in the small Jehan Rictus garden in Montmartre, where the words "I love you" are written 311 times in more than 250 languages.

Created in 2000 by calligrapher Frederic Baron and mural artist Claire Kito, the wall measures 40 square metres and is made up of 612 tiles of dark blue lava stone. The phrases were collected over years, with Baron asking friends, colleagues, embassy workers, and travellers to contribute the phrase "I love you" in their native language or dialect. The result is a mosaic that includes everything from major world languages to rare dialects and sign language.

Splashes of red scattered across the tiles represent the fragments of a broken heart, symbolising the idea that love is fragile but universal.

The garden is tucked behind the Place des Abbesses, one of the prettiest squares in Montmartre, and the Abbesses metro station, which at 36 metres deep is one of the deepest in Paris. The neighbourhood itself is full of romantic associations, from the Sacre-Coeur basilica to the winding streets that Amelie Poulain made famous on screen.

The wall is free to visit and accessible anytime the garden is open. If you're on a Questo quest through Montmartre, this stop might challenge you to find a specific language or decode a phrase hidden among the 311 declarations.

The Wall of Love (Le Mur de je t'aime)

Shakespeare & Company is an English-language bookshop on the Left Bank of the Seine, across from Notre-Dame Cathedral. It has been a gathering place for writers, readers, and wanderers since 1951.

The shop was opened by George Whitman, an American who had come to Paris after the war. He named it after the famous original Shakespeare and Company, the bookshop run by Sylvia Beach that published the first edition of James Joyce's "Ulysses" in 1922. Beach's shop closed during the German occupation of Paris, and Whitman carried the name forward with her blessing.

Whitman created a tradition he called the "Tumbleweeds": aspiring writers could stay in the shop for free, sleeping among the bookshelves, in exchange for working a shift and reading a book a day. Over the decades, more than 30,000 people have taken him up on the offer.

The shop's guest list reads like a literary hall of fame. Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Anais Nin, and Henry Miller all passed through. Ethan Hawke slept here before he was famous.

Today, the shop is run by George's daughter, Sylvia Whitman. It hosts readings, literary festivals, and a small cafe next door. The cramped, book-stacked rooms feel like stepping into another era.

If you're on a Questo quest along the Left Bank, Shakespeare & Company is a stop where the spirit of literary Paris is alive and well, tucked between the spines of 30,000 books.

<ol><li>The original Shakespeare and Company bookstore was founded by Sylvia Beach in 1919 and was a popular gathering place for writers and artists during the 1920s. Beach published James Joyce's groundbreaking novel "Ulysses" through the store and was a close friend of many famous writers of the time, including Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald.</li><li>George Whitman, the founder of the current Shakespeare and Company bookstore, was inspired by the original store and modeled his own store after it. He was known for his love of books and his generosity to aspiring writers, offering them a place to sleep and work in the store in exchange for a few hours of help per day.</li><li>Shakespeare and Company has played host to numerous literary events over the years, including readings, book clubs, and writing workshops. It has also been the site of several film and television productions, and has been featured in numerous books and articles. The store has become a beloved institution in Paris and a must-visit destination for book lovers and literature enthusiasts.</li></ol>

Interesting things to know about Shakespeare and Company

Romantic Paris: A Forbidden Love Adventure along the Seine

Visit Shakespeare & Company, Paris's iconic English bookshop since 1951. Home of the 'Tumbleweed' program, across from Notre-Dame, with 30,000+ books and free literary events.

Shakespeare & Company, Paris — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

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