Sights · Our pick in Paris
Paris on the Seine: the back story
The back story
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Benh LIEU SONG · CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia CommonsAbout Paris on the Seine: the back story
UNESCO lists the banks of the Seine in Paris as a World Heritage site (1991): the river from the Pont de Sully to the Pont d’Iéna, with the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde, the Grand and Petit Palais, Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle. Two islands sit at the heart of it: the Île de la Cité, with Notre-Dame and the Sainte-Chapelle, and the Île Saint-Louis.
The islands
On the Île de la Cité stand Notre-Dame, reopened in December 2024, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. The quieter Île Saint-Louis lies just upstream.
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © Dietmar Rabich · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia CommonsThe Right Bank
The Louvre and the Tuileries, the Place de la Concorde and, beyond, the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
Walk the quays at dusk, or take a boat; book the big sights online.
The Left Bank
The Musée d’Orsay in its old railway station, the Invalides, and the Eiffel Tower on the Champ-de-Mars.
On the water
Bateaux Mouches cruises leave from the Pont de l’Alma, and the Batobus hops between the main sights. In summer, the city opens swimming spots in the Seine.
Our advice: start at the Pont Neuf, the oldest standing bridge in Paris, and walk west along the river.
Why it's on our list
- The islands
- The Right Bank
- The Left Bank
- On the water
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Paris on the Seine: the back story before you go.