France

Paris, Banks of the Seine

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Paris, Banks of the Seine, comprises many of the main treasures of the French capital from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

The area stretches from Saint-Chapelle and Notre Dame Cathedral in the east to the Eiffel Tower in the west. Along this kilometers-long route, one can find monuments such as the Notre Dame, Saint-Chapelle, the Louvre, the Gare d'Orsay and the Place de la Concorde. It also shows Haussmann’s urban planning, which inspired the construction of the great cities in Latin America.

Community Perspective: All these monuments are tempting of course (Hubert has provided an overview), but it is already worthwhile to take a boat trip or walk the whole included stretch along the Banks of the Seine. Be aware that a relatively small part of Paris is covered by the core zone of this WHS. And it’s not all rosy either: there are crowds and Parisian rudeness, and Ian hates the lanes of heavy traffic that cross the area.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Paris, Banks of the Seine (ID: 600)
Country
France
Status
Inscribed 1991 Site history
History of Paris, Banks of the Seine
1991: Revision
Includes former TWHS Hotel des Invalides de Paris, Tour Eiffel, Sainte-Chapelle de Paris (1981)
1991: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • i
  • ii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Urban landscape: Post-medieval European
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
One million visitors or more
The Louvre welcomed 8.7 million visitors in 2024. // 8.1 million visitors to the …
Exact locations inscribed twice (or more)
Exact locations inscribed twice (or more)
Tour Saint-Jacques is also part of the French Route to Santiago de Compostela.
Recent Connections
View all (175) .
Connections of Paris, Banks of the Seine
Individual People
  • Hitler was here
    Hitler paid a "victory visit" on Jun 23 1942. The "climax" of his visit was to the Tomb of Napoleon! His car had crossed Pont d'Iena and passed the Eiffel Tower/Ecole Militaire. At les Invalides he got out of his car (the only occasion he did!) and walked through the Church and courtyard to be picked up the other side and taken laong the Quai d'Orsay.
  • Painted by JMW Turner
  • King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Rama V)
    (12-16 Sep) met Felix Faure, visited Eiffel Tower, Louve Museum etc.
  • Works by David Hockney
    Eiffel tower by Day 2010. an example of Hockey's exploration of the possibilities of Digital Art using his iPad "The composition juxtaposes the historical Eiffel Tower with the modern medium, creating a dialogue between past and present. Hockney's use of digital colour brings the Parisian sky to life, infusing the scene with energy that transcends the static nature of the subject. By printing this digital creation, Hockney bridges the gap between new and traditional media, challenging perceptions of digital tools in fine art, reflecting the ongoing evolution of contemporary printmaking techniques"

    See www.myartbroker.com

  • André Malraux
    In 1964, Reynold Arnould transformed part of the north wing of the Grand Palais, at the request of André Malraux, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, into National Galleries (Galeries nationales) intended to host major temporary exhibitions.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Gae Aulenti
    In 1981, Aulenti "was chosen to turn the 1900 Beaux Arts Gare d'Orsay train station, a spectacular landmark originally designed by Victor Laloux, into the Musée d'Orsay, a museum of mainly French art from 1848 to 1915."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Cousteau
    Cousteau received a ceremony of national hommage at Les Invalides after his death.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Peter the Great
    Peter the Great visited Les Invalides in 1717.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Leonardo da Vinci
    Painted the Mona Lisa, now at the Louvre museum
  • Rabban Bar Sauma
    Sawma remained in Paris for a month and during this time he was shown the educational institutions of Paris, with their 30,000 pupils, who were maintained by the king. One day he was taken into the church of St. Denis, containing the mausoleum of the Kings of France, and on another day into the famous Sainte Chapelle. (see source at link)

    See www.aina.org

  • Théodore Monod
    23 Quai de Conti (Académie des sciences) + 57 Rue Cuvier (Muséum national d'histoire naturelle). There are significant connections between Monod and Parisian scientific and cultural institutions, some located in UNESCO-listed areas. Académie des sciences: He was a member of the association. His speeches and pleas were noted, particularly for science and ethics. Muséum national d'histoire naturelle: He was a professor there and director of the ichthyology laboratory. He worked there for much of his life. It was one of the major centers of his scientific research.
  • Jean-Michel Jarre
    For Bastille Day in 1979, Jarre produces his first free open-air concert on the Place de la Concorde. In 1995, 1.25 million people attend a concert on the Champ de Mars for Bastille Day and the 50 year anniversary of Unesco. (Wikipedia)
  • Mozart
    Travel as child prodigy
  • Alexander II of Russia
    "During the 1867 World's Fair in Paris, Polish immigrant Antoni Berezowski attacked the carriage containing Alexander, his two sons and Napoleon III. His self-modified double-barreled pistol misfired and struck the horse of an escorting cavalryman." (the World Fair was held at the Champ de Mars) (Wikipedia)

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Painted by Claude Monet
    Monet was born in Paris and lived in the city several times during his lifetime. In 1860, he enroled in the Académie Suisse, situated on the Île de la Cité. During his lifetime, he made several paintings of the Tuileries and the quays and bridges (e.g. Pont Neuf) along the Seine.
  • Sackler Family Donation
    "l'aile Sackler des Antiquités orientales", Louvre

    See www.lejournaldesarts.fr

  • Elias Burton Holmes
  • Louis XIV
    Louis ordered the construction of the Hôtel des Invalides
  • Carl Linnaeus
    Jardin des plantes in Paris is where Linnaeus got most of his plants from when he restored the Hortus Upsaliensis. Prof. Bernhard de Jussieu in Paris was an important contact to Linnaeus (off description)
  • Diana, Princess of Wales
    On 31 August 1997, Diana was fatally injured in a car crash in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel in Paris (wiki)
  • Naser ed-Din Shah
    "And so we reached the Place de la Concorde, where they have erected a lofty obelisk brought from Egypt."
  • Napoleon was here
    Ecole Militaire (1784-5 - completed 2 year course in 1)
  • Giovanni Belzoni
    The Louvre Egyptian Collection contains a large number of items collected by Belzoni. e.g the Sarcophagus Box of Ramesses III. Champollion was a curator there and advised Charles X to buy Salt's second collection which the British Museum considered too expensive!
Geography
  • Located in a Capital City
    Paris (Capital of France)
  • Linear inscriptions
    Focus is on the linear stretch of the Seine
  • Former Islands
    The Ile des Cygnes - not to be confused with the still existing Ile aux Cygnes - was an island in the Seine, between Invalides and the Champ de Mars. The channel between the island and the river bank was filled in in 1812, during the construction of the pont d'Iéna. The Musée du quai Branly is located on the site of the former island. (wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

Trivia
History
  • The Crusades
    1185: Heraclius of Caesarea calls for the Third Crusade from the still-incomplete Notre Dame cathedral. (wiki)
  • Famous suicides
    In 1931, the Mexican writer and feminist Antonieta Rivas Mercado shot herself at the altar of Notre Dame de Paris, after being rejected by the Mexican writer and politician José Vasconcelos.

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Congresses and Conferences
    The Paris Peace Conference (1919) to end WWI (The various treaties - Versailles, Saint-Germain, Trianon etc were signed elsewhere as per their titles) was held in the Salon de l'Horloge at the French Foreign Ministry in the Quai d'Orsay.

    See www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

  • History of Aviation
    Enri Giffard (commemorated on the Eiffel Tower), Alberto Santos-Dumont (rounded the Eiffel Tower)

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Built in connection with an Anniversary
    “The design of the Eiffel Tower….. was envisioned after discussion about a suitable centrepiece for the proposed 1889 Exposition Universelle, a world's fair to celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution.” (Wiki)
  • Contains significant structures from the 20th Century
    Palais de Chaillot
  • Insurrections
    Place de la Concorde and La Conciergerie for French Revolution
  • Places of Execution
    Place de la Concorde was the location of the Parisian guillotine during the "Terror". Then called the Place de la Revoultion" - "the guillotine stood in the corner near the H?tel Crillon where the statue of Brest can be found today" (Wiki).
  • Coronation Locations
    Notre Dame de Paris for Napoleon I
  • Ancient Roman colonies
    Lutetia
  • Treaties
    For over a century and a half, the Foreign Minister's hotel (Hôtel du ministre des Affaires étrangères) has been the setting for major international negotiations such as the Treaty of Paris in 1856 which ended the Crimean War.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Sieges and Battles
    Vikings 885/6
  • Medici
    The construction of the Tuileries Palace started on the orders of Catherine de' Medici, who also created the Tuileries Gardens as a garden for the palace.

    See en.wikipedia.org

Ecology
Architecture
  • Art Deco
    Palais de Chaillot
  • Designed by Gustave Eiffel
  • Renaissance
    Louvre
  • Architectural design competitions
    Eiffel Tower: "A budget for the exposition was passed and, on 1 May, Lockroy announced an alteration to the terms of the open competition being held for a centrepiece to the exposition, which effectively made the selection of Eiffel's design a foregone conclusion, as entries had to include a study for a 300 m (980 ft) four-sided metal tower on the Champ de Mars. (A 300-metre tower was then considered a herculean engineering effort.) On 12 May, a commission was set up to examine Eiffel's scheme and its rivals, which, a month later, decided that all the proposals except Eiffel's were either impractical or lacking in details." (wiki)

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Domes
    Les Invalides, Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Paris
  • Restored by Viollet-le-Duc
    Notre Dame de Paris and Sainte-Chapelle
  • Baroque
    Les Invalides
  • Neoclassical architecture
    Église de la Madeleine
  • Designed by Jules Hardouin-Mansart
    Louvre, Les Invalides.
  • Replicas within the WHS
    Some of the statues in the Tuileries Gardens have been replaced by replicas. Some of the originals can be found in the Louvre, e.g. "Lion au serpent". Other originals have been returned to the museums or parcs where they were beforehand, e.g. the Farnese Hercules in the parc of the Castle of Sceaux

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Octagons
    The Octagonal Basin ("Bassin octagonal") in the Tuileries Gardens

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Designed by André Le Nôtre
    Jardin des Tuleries
  • Gold Surfaces
    Les Invalides. Dome - "6kg of gold leaf"
  • Double chapel
    Sainte-Chapelle is separated in two parts connected by a staircase : a lower chapel used by the Cité palace inhabitants, and an upper chapel used by the king and his family.
  • Gothic
    Notre Dame Cathedral and Saint Chapelle
  • Iron Structures
    Eiffel Tower - Wrought Iron
  • French (formal) garden
    The Tuileries are the most important and the oldest French formal garden of the capital.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Designed by Paul Landowski
    "He produced over thirty five monuments in the city of Paris and twelve more in the surrounding area. Among those is the Art Deco figure of St. Genevieve on the 1928 Pont de la Tournelle." (wiki)
  • Art Nouveau
  • Steel-Framed construction
    Grand Palais: "Designed according to Beaux-Arts tastes, the building features ornate stone facades, glass vaults and period innovations that included iron and light steel framing and reinforced concrete."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Mosaic art
    In the interior of the Grand Palais, the floors of the elliptical hall are in porcelain stoneware mosaic. The exterior friezes consist of a long band of bright colours enhanced with gold using the traditional mosaic technique

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Palladio and Palladian style
    The Ecole militaire has Palladian-inspired facades

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Modern Urban Planning
    Haussmann's wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.
  • Gothic Revival
    The central spire of Notre Dame
  • Reinforced Concrete
    The general structure of the Palais de Chaillot is in reinforced concrete.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Spolia
    For the construction of the Pont de la Concorde, cut stones from the demolition of the Bastille were used.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Exhibition gardens
    Jardins du Trocadéro: "The entire site was formerly the garden of the original Trocadéro Palace, laid out by Adolphe Alphand for the Exposition Universelle (1878). The present garden has an area of 93,930 m2, and was created for the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937). This was the design of Parisian architect Roger-Henri Expert."

    See en.wikipedia.org

Damaged
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
Human Activity
  • Zero Meridians
    Paris was the main "competitor" to the choice of Greenwich at the Conference of Washington. France did not immediately accept the decision of that conference and continued to use the Paris line for some time thereafter. The line is based on the location of the Paris Observatory which is outside the inscribed area, but a line of markers called The Arago Medallions (named after a French astronomer) follows the line across Paris and The Louvre area (within the inscribed boundaries) contains a significant number.

    See tions.net

  • Museum History
    During the French Revolution (1793), the National Assembly decreed that the Louvre should be used as a museum, to display the nation's masterpieces.

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Crown Jewels
    The surviving French Crown Jewels and main regalia including a set of historic crowns are principally on display in the Galerie d'Apollon of the Louvre
  • Re-routed rivers
    The original effluence of the River Bievre into the Seine was where the Rue de Bievre is situated today - situated on the south bank at the eastern end of Ile de la Cite. It has since been moved further east. See

    See parisisinvisible.blogspot.com

  • Mints
    Hôtel de la Monnaie

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Armouries
    Les Invalides

    See www.musee-armee.fr

  • Famous tapestries
    105 carpets prepared by Le Brun for the Louvre
  • Grand Tour
  • Locations for playing sport
    Jeu de Paume (early Tennis)
Constructions
  • Notable Bridges
    Pont Neuf (1607), a stone arch bridge with two spans; Pont de la Concorde (1791), the most perfect masonry arch bridge by Jean-Rodolphe Perronet. Also: Pont de Bir-Hakeim (steel bridge 1903).

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Pyramids
    Louvre
  • Obelisk
    Luxor Obelisk

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Glass floored Skywalks
    Eiffel Tower

    See www.traveller.com.au

  • Historical Zoos
    Ménagerie du Jardin des plantes
  • Theatres and Opera Houses
    Théâtre du Rond-Point, Théâtre Marigny
  • Quadriga
    2 on the Grand Palais "A monumental bronze quadriga by Georges Récipon tops each wing of the main façade. The one on the Champs-Élysées side depicts Immortality prevailing over Time, the one on the Seine side Harmony triumphing over Discord." Wiki - see

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Equestrian Statues
    Gilt bronze statue from 1874 of Joan of Arc on horseback by Fremiet in the Place des Pyramides. The statue on view today is not the original as the sculptor decided to have a second go later and make Joan bigger in relation to the horse. There are other versions of the same statue in Nancy, Melbourne, New Orleans LA, Philadelphia PA and Portland OR

    See www.publicartaroundtheworld.com

  • Monumental Fountains
    Fontaines de la Concorde, Fontaine Saint-Michel de Paris
  • Elevators
    Eiffel Tower
  • Sundial
    There are sundials on the facades of the Cour d'honneur of Les Invalides.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Horse Stables
    The ground floor of the Grande Galerie du Louvre housed stables to house the many horses needed to serve the palace.

    See fr.wikipedia.org

  • Railways
    Musée d'Orsay is housed in the former railway station, the Gare d'Orsay. Also, Gare de Paris-Austerlitz.
  • Historic Military Parade Grounds
    Champ de Mars "The construction, in 1765, of the École Militaire designed by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, was the first step toward the Champ de Mars in its present form. Grounds for military drills were originally planned for an area south of the school, the current location of the place de Fontenoy. The choice to build an esplanade to the north of the school led to the erection of the noble facade which today encloses the Champ de Mars" (Wiki)
  • Triumphal Arches
    Arc de triomphe du Carrousel
  • Prison
    La Conciergerie
  • Sphinx
    Hotel de Ville
  • Latrines
    Lavatory Madeleine

    See www.atlasobscura.com

  • Zero Mile or Kilometer Markers
    A marker exists at ground level in the square facing the main entrance of Notre Dame Cathedral.
  • Hospitals
    Les Invalides
  • Greenhouse
    Grandes serres du Jardin des plantes
  • Large squares
    Place de la Concorde, 86000 m2
  • Notable Hotels
    Le Meurice

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Sites of Parliament
    Palais Bourbon, seat of the French National Assembly
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
WHS Hotspots
Science and Technology
  • Scientific Developments
    "In 1910, Father Theodor Wulf measured radiant energy at the top and bottom of the tower. He found more at the top than expected, incidentally discovering what are known today as cosmic rays."

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Botanical Gardens
    Jardin des plantes de Paris
  • International Exhibitions
    Champs de Mars "Exposition Universelle"- 1855, 1867 (with Palais du Trocadero), 1878, 1889 (with Eiffel Tower) and 1900. "Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la vie Moderne" 1937 (with new Palais de Chaillot on site of Palais du Trocadero)
  • Early Printing
WHS Names
18
News
bbc.com 04/15/2019
Notre Dame on fire
economictimes.indiatimes.com 09/19/2017
Eiffel Tower starts work on anti-t…
travelandleisure.com 04/23/2017
Strolling Along the Seine Just Got…
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Community Reviews

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First published: 25/06/25.

Ilya Burlak

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Ilya Burlak

I love Paris. It is one of the first places that comes to my mind in the context of "there is no other place I'd rather be". We've been to this wonderful city dozens of times, but for various reasons, only passingly in the last decade and a half. In April of 2025, we made a concerted effort to reacquaint ourselves with Paris. 

The city is still wonderful - there are not enough superlatives to express that. However, in the last few years, it has become significantly more time-consuming to visit the most popular attractions. I remember twenty years ago walking up to the Louvre Pyramid in the afternoon or to Sainte-Chapelle whenever I felt like it, and getting inside in a matter of minutes. These days, with hundreds of online tickets sold for timed entry and then the entrance intervals strictly enforced with time-marked lines, coupled with airport-level security checks that create non-trivial bottlenecks, getting inside a top sight may easily require upward of an hour.

A Saturday in mid-April is definitely a busier time than a Wednesday in January, so unlike Aitia, we weren't able to get into Notre-Dame at all. We actually wanted to buy tickets in advance, but they become available only a few days ahead and get sold out in minutes. On the day, Place Jean-Paul II was almost entirely overtaken by the entry-lane barriers. If that was a "walk-in" line, its visible standstill suggested at least a 90-minute wait; if people in …

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First published: 24/02/25.

Aitia

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Aitia

Hasn't everything already been said about this WHS? In fact, 2 events took place in 2024 that are worth looking at Paris again (and nothing to do with the Olympics!).

First of all, the reopening of Notre-Dame de Paris in December 2024. On the headlines of the media around the world, many of us have seen these images of Notre-Dame fully restored. Wishing to form my own opinion on the quality of this restoration, I waited mid-January, until the media blast had subsided, and I was able to enter the cathedral without booking online and without queuing (okay, it was a Wednesday!). Despite the crowd inside, I was speechless looking at the colors and the stunning lighting. While the restoration of Chartres cathedral is clearly exaggerated, this one is, in my opinion, successful. The stone has been cleaned, cleaned a lot certainly, but we can see that it's an old building. Enclosure of the choir, stained glass windows, wall paintings by Viollet le Duc, I rediscovered the cathedral that I have known for almost 25 years. I particularly appreciated the "Mays", these large paintings offered by the parisian goldsmiths' corporation in the 17th century: their colors are resplendent. 
What a shame, however, that the archaeological excavations could not last a few more months... When one see the remains of the jube which have been found, one wonder what treasures are hidden under the choir! I hope the project of Notre-Dame museum located in Hôtel-Dieu will come true and will allow …

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First published: 10/06/23.

Ian Cade

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Ian Cade

Paris is great, it justifiably is one of the metropoles around which Europe seems to revolve and the Banks of the Seine show the finest parts of it. But I just want to focus on one specific part of the inscribed area.


“Oh Dad, THERE IS AN OBELISK! Can we go and visit it?”

Now I am a seriously proud Dad of a 5 year old that can not only recognise an obelisk, but gets properly excited by them, however at this precise moment I really didn’t want to indulge the request, partially because we were on a boat enjoying a cruise, but also I knew that this lump of Luxor that so enthused my daughter was in a place I hate above most other places I have visited on this World Heritage Site quest.


Yep, the obelisk was the famous one at the centre of Place de la Concorde.


But being somewhat weak willed and always wanting to reinforce any form heritage geekery from my family, we obviously disembarked at the next the Batobus quai. From here it was a short walk back up to Quai des Tuileries.


From here the grim visiting experience starts.


Before getting into details, I can understand that Place de la Concorde is an important place, I had so looked forward to visiting the first time I arrived two decades previously. In fact I think it is this discombobulation between what I expected and the reality is why …

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First published: 24/08/22.

Jean Lecaillon

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Jean Lecaillon

Firstly and to be honnest, I was born in Paris, I live in Paris and I work in Paris... I am probably partial but when you live in one of the most beautiful city in the world and the most visited, it's hard to appear fair.

But finally, it's not the point, and if you come in Paris, don't hesitate to contact me, I know the best beer craft pubs ;)

Like other members, I think the core of this WHS is too small ; the whole city clearly deserves this status. I really don't care, but Montmartre, the Opera Garnier, Les Champs-Elysées, the Quartier Latin (Sorbonne) are so many valuable places which can be the subject of an extension of this WHS.

Back now to the inscribed property:

One of the most beautiful human construction I have ever seen is clearly the Sainte-Chapelle. In front of all these stained glasses, you are forced to wonder how it can remain standing (cf. picture), it's really impressive.

In addition, you have one of the most famous museum in the world that everybody knows: Le Louvre. A wonderful castle like the Ermitage in St Petersburg, and a collection of works of art like the British museum or Pergamon museum have. The musée d'Orsay is another famous museum on the other side of the Seine: an old station turned into a museum of impressionist art.

From the river, you can appreciate in particular the Institut de France. …

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First published: 28/11/20.

Nan

Paris, Banks Of The Seine By Nan

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Nan

In 2019, just a few weeks before Notre Dame went up in flames, I passed through the city, walking along the Seine from Bercy to Centre Georges Pompidou and then Gare du Nord. Comme l'Habitude, I got my ice cream at Berthillon (Cassis!) on Ile de la Cité. But I didn't really have any sites to hit or visit, it was just me strolling around town.

Having been repeatedly as a kid and adolescent, I have ticked off most of the must sees (Louvre, Tour Eiffel, Les Invalides, Notre Dame) and plenty of other sites. But Paris being Paris and the options endless, I still have places in Paris on my bucket list. For instance, I never went to the Musée d'Orsay. The Le Corbusier sites near town would be nice. And when researching this post I saw some Art Deco buildings I definitely want to see. But I like coming back to Paris, so I have never make a dedicated effort to finish up the town.

The inscribed area is not all of Paris, but a stretch of the city running along the banks of the Seine from Ile St Louis (Eastern most) to Champ de Mars (Western end point). Some components extend away from the banks of the Seine, specifically (East to West):

  • Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries, Petit & Grand Palais
  • Hôtel des Invalides
  • Champ de Mars, Tour Eiffel, Palais de Chaillot

Smaller sites of note on the banks extending …

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First published: 08/05/19.

Zoë Sheng

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Zoë Sheng

Paris is a lovely city. I don't go for “city of love” or anything like that, from a pure sightseeing point of view there is so much to do the 3 days I spent here were not enough, and that's didn't even include Versailles and the other things past the A86 ring road such as Saint Denis cathedral, the Nestle chocolate or Hangar Y. The arc, the tower, the basilica, Notre Dame (no access due to the fire which is very sad), the Louvre and that's just a few highlights. The only downsides I have are crowds (tourist groups) and general Parisian rudeness.

I also did the unthinkable: drive to some of these places! May 1st had zero traffic in town and parking is free. We decided that 5 people buying another metro pass would be too expensive and in the end walking and transportation exchanges would have taken triple the time. Why not just park 50m away from the Eiffel tower or just off the roundabout of the Arc the Triomphe? The only problem was that the Arc was off limits with a massive police presence all around town (ensuring no protests take place?)

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First published: 27/02/18.

Caspar Dechmann

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

There is no perfect way do determine the exact boundaries of a city WHS. And while there are cities like Quito that seem to have no boundaries at all or like Samarkand that include huge and also some less interesting parts of a city. On the other hand there is at least one city on the list with absurdly narrow boundaries: Paris.

I think even most WH travellers are unaware how little of the centre of Paris is included into the core zone while a buffer zone doesn’t even seem to exist. It includes naturally the most iconic sites like the Ile de la Cité, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre and seems beyond that mainly interested in the buildings from the world exhibitions: the Trocadero and the Palais de Tokyo. Both of them are not very attractive if you view them closely and in a surprisingly bad state. On the other hand it excludes several iconic sights that border directly the current core zone. Among them the Champs-Elysées, the Palais Royal, the Chatelet and the magnificent St. Julien le Pauvre. It also excludes many of the unique sites just a block or two further away from the Seine: The Palais Garnier, possible the most fairy tale theatre in the world, the Arc de Triomphe, St. Eustache, the Place des Vosges, the Jardin de Luxembourg, the Pantheon, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the oldest church of Paris. It doesn’t either include the old quarters that escaped the Hausmannian changes of the city like the …

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First published: 09/07/17.

Jay T

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Jay T

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Paris, Banks of the Seine World Heritage Site, one of the most famous and visited sites in the world, is that 16 French World Heritage Sites were inscribed in previous years before it was finally added to the list in 1991. Paris is easily one of the most picturesque cities I have ever seen, with amazing views from the heights of Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and Montmartre (of which the last is not part of the inscribed site), as well as at street level, with grand boulevards and squares. Even the underground sewer system (so thoroughly described by Hugo in Les Misérables) and catacombs are tourist attractions, though I believe the official site boundary stops at surface level. Of the inscribed properties in this site, I particularly appreciated Sainte-Chapelle, with its beautiful stained glass which glows in morning light, and the Musée d'Orsay, with its impressionist and post-impressionist art displayed throughout a former train station. As alluded to in previous reviews, the Seine is the heart of Paris, and a walk or a boat ride along it, at any time of day, is highly recommended, and one of the best ways to appreciate the feel of this world-class city.

Logistics: Walk along the banks. Take a tour boat, or, if you prefer a cheaper, non-narrated option, buy a pass for the Batobus river boat shuttle. Explore, but take time to relax and enjoy this beautiful city.

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First published: 27/01/17.

Tsunami

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Tsunami

The most visited site by our community.

I was back in Paris for some personal business in mid-Januaruy 2017.

I just wanted to add a photo here, as I don't see too many photos of the banks of the Seine here. It is my re-creation of a shot from a Robert Bresson movie. :)

When I looked at the map of the core zone of this WHS again, I noticed that some areas of the core zone are off the Seine. Such areas include the Madeleine and the park where Eifel Tower is situated. I was also happy to see the Tomb of Napoleon, my man, in the core zone. There are many tombs around the world that are World Heritage Sites, and Napoleon's should be one of them, even though it may be a relatively recent one.

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First published: 03/04/16.

Hubert

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Hubert

Paris, the No. 1 on the list of most visited WHS on this website and truly a wonderful city. And it is one of those WHS that I have visited most frequently. At the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, I had an annual scientific meeting in Paris in late March, a perfect opportunity to extend a business meeting to a long weekend trip. Moreover, I visited Paris twice on private trips, most recently in September 2015 at the end of our tour to northern France. So I had plenty of opportunities to visit all the major tourist sights over the years.

All the monuments and museums along the banks of the Seine are well known, well described and - crowded. So, just a few comments.

Notre Dame - A perfect starting point to explore the city and to get a feel for the crowds of tourists. Ile de la Cité is the oldest part of the city and somehow still its centre.

The Towers of Notre Dame - Long queues. Climbing church towers is very often not worth the effort, mostly the views are less exciting than expected. So it is with Notre Dame. But it is so popular because you can have a close look at the quirky statues that watch over Paris (photo).
By the way: You have the best view over Paris from the top of Arc de Triomphe: unobstructed views in all directions. Or for free from the roofs of the …

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First published: 03/04/15.

Kyle Magnuson

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Kyle Magnuson

I visited Paris in 2007, and at that time I only had a vague notion of UNESCO. Therefore, when I wandered Paris it certainly was not UNESCO themed, but instead focused on some of the icons of France.

I spent considerable time at Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. Luckily, I also unintentionally visited a few other sections of the inscribed area. I only have positive memories of my time in Paris, indeed many of the stereotypes I'd heard about France and Paris were far from my mind as I enjoyed this beautiful city.

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First published: 07/09/12.

Clyde

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Clyde

There are so many historical and cultural sights in Paris that it surely must have made more sense to include them all in one WHS. From the Notre Dame Cathedral to Montmartre, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from Place de la Concorde to the Opera Garnier. Paris and the Banks of the Seine offer a new discovery and a new experience every time I visit. Old and new intertwine in a perfect symbiosis and offer one of the richest experiences you can get when visiting a WHS.

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First published: 26/02/06.

Anonymous

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

From the time I was 8, I had read so much about Paris that it became the number 1 place I wanted to visit. I got my wish at 14 and the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, it took my breath away. My parents, my sister, and I all purchased Sorbonne sweatshirts and we all wore them for a family photo in front of the Eiffel Tower (so cheesy, I know, but it was a proud moment for me then)! I remember taking the boat tour on the River Seine and just taking in the sites. I'd love to visit again as an adult but then again, there are 800 other WHS to see!

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First published: 20/02/06.

Ian Cade

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Ian Cade

I have now visited Paris twice and almost by accident I have indulged in two clichés, the first time I visited I stumbled in on Bastille Day and was treated to an amazing firework display whilst standing on the banks of the Seine. The second time I took my girlfriend there for Valentines Day and had the most fantastic time strolling along the river from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower. There is so much to do that I would have no problems having another trip here.

There are many points of interest along the river banks, and it is two of Paris most famous sights that captivated me most, it can some times be disappointing to see ‘world class’ attractions however the Eiffel Tower and Musée du Louvre were just enchanting. Having now visited many of the great grand museums of the Western World (Pergamon, British, Smithsonian etc.) I feel that the Louvre has the distinction of, in my humble opinion, being the best of the bunch. The exhibits are world class and the way they are displayed is sensational, it manages to combine both a classical Palace setting with fine contemporary architecture and in a way that is hard to beat, and I only see about a 5th of the collection.

However the highlight of the city for me has to be the Eiffel Tower, I wanted to not like it, I wanted to be unimpressed but I just couldn’t, it is massive and an exceptional feat of …

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First published: 27/07/05.

Marcel Schmitz

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

Paris, the Banks of the Seine? When I made a three days trip to Paris with friends we did lots of sight-seeing there, including many of the famous buildings, such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, Sacre Coeur, Arc de Triomphe and many more, but the best thing we did there was to take a boat trip on the Seine in the evening. It's such a wonderful moment to see the Eiffe Tower by night, shining because of all the small lamps on it.

Paris in general is always worth a visit, but besides all the lovely touristy places you soon will see that those great places always are very close to poverty/poor people who suffer while tourists spend 3 Euro for a glass of coke.

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First published: 09/06/05.

Klaus Freisinger

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

It is very appropriate that Paris´ World Heritage area is called "Banks of the Seine", because few cities are so defined by the river flowing through it as Paris is (none, I would say). Almost all the major sights are located on or close to the river, and there is no better way (who cares if it´s touristy and kitschy?) to enjoy Paris than by taking a river cruise in a bateau-mouche. Attractions like the Eiffel Tower (who would believe it was so unpopular to Parisians in the beginning?) and the Louvre are world-class sights in their own right anyway, but there´s so much else to see to keep you occupied for ages - Notre-Dame cathedral, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées (in my humble opinion the most beautiful street in the world), the Sacré-Coeur and Montmartre, to name just a few. I could be mistaken, but I believe Paris is the most visited city in the world, and it´s easy to understand why.

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First published: 07/06/05.

Ben Pastore

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

I visited Paris briefly during my honeymoon, because I couldn't call myself a world traveler and skip this Must-See location. Yes, it is all that you think, and yes, it has earned its spot on the list.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

I visited Paris mid Oct 2002 on an official visit from USA and with the little time I had, I decided to explore the banks of the Seine from Eiffel Tower to Notredame. I took the metro train from my hotel to Eiffel Tower and started my stroll along Seine. Weather was perfect and the landmarks both old and new were impressive. No entry fee for the stroll but I took the ascensors up Eiffel Tower for around 7 euros. The shops along the riverbank near the Notredame cathedral adds a quaint character to the walk.

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First published: 01/05/05.

Anonymous

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Anonymous WHS Traveller

I love Paris. It's a city that I always find myself coming back to whenever I find myself on the continent for any appreciable amount of time. Whether it be a trip with friends, a romantic getaway with a girlfriend, or simply a solo fling, Paris has never failed to amuse and delight. At the heart of this marvelous city flows the Seine, along whose banks many of the premier tourist attractions and generally amazing sights lie. One can gaze at the wonders of French impressionism at the Musee d'Orsay or cross the river to stroll around the cultural heritage of thousands of years of human history and of hundreds of different cultures at the Louvre. Notre Dame and Sainte-Chappelle stand as testament to the skill and faith of the residents of medieval Paris, while the Eiffel Tower looms large over the city as a symbol of man's ingenuity and technological drive. Still other sights and experiences await along the banks of this remarkable stretch of river for those who have the stamina or the time to explore. If Paris is the embodiment of French achievements of the last two millenia, then the Banks of the Seine are surely its masterpieces.

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First published: 27/02/02.

Els Slots

Paris, Banks Of The Seine

Paris, Banks of the Seine (Inscribed)

Paris, Banks of the Seine by Els Slots

I started my first visit to Paris at the Notre Dame Cathedral. A real surprise when you pop your head up from underground, having used the subway to get to de Ile de la Cité. So this is Paris. I think I'm going to like it here!

To enter nearby Saint-Chapelle I had to queue for about 20 minutes. It's a lovely small chapel, but whether it's worth the EUR 5,49 entrance fee and all the waiting?

In the afternoon I took a boat trip on the Seine. In the time span of an hour you get to see several of the city's highlights from the water, for example, the Pont Neuf, Gare d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower. It was a cold experience (sitting on the deck while it's nearly freezing), but not to be missed.

Ten years later, I was back in Paris for a second visit. I had some more time to spend: on Saturday I enjoyed two museums (d'Orsay and Guimet), and on Monday I walked the whole WHS-designated stretch along the Banks of the Seine.

It took me 3.5 hours, without getting inside any of the landmark sights I came across. I enjoyed it tremendously: around every corner, there's something pretty or remarkable to see. I saw so many equestrian statues that I think a whole book could be written about them. I had a glimpse into the Grand Palais through an open side door, what an amazing iron/steel/glass construction. I have …

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