Tour Paris by Photograph

Take a tour through Paris and get your fill of La Ville-Lumière aka the City of Lights!

July 13, 2020

By: Leah Weber

Shop This Look

Photo By: @tyvanharen

Photo By: Daniel THIERRY

Photo By: Adrian Popescu

Photo By: AG photographe

Photo By: kiszon pascal

Photo By: Guillaume CHANSON

Photo By: Alain Bachellier

Photo By: Dirk94025

Photo By: Michael Jacobs/Art in All of Us

Photo By: DaLiu

Photo By: Thierry Pix

Photo By: Sylvain Sonnet

Photo By: Andia

Photo By: Sylvain Sonnet

Photo By: Alexander Spatari

Photo By: Serhat Keskin

Photo By: Evan Lang

Photo By: İlhan Eroglu

Photo By: Volanthevist

Photo By: Jens_Lambert_Photography

Photo By: Allan Baxter

A Journey Through Paris: The 20 Arrondissements

Paris is an old city full of layers of history. The city-center is divided into 20 sections or "arrondissements" that start in the middle with the 1st and circles out clockwise like a snail shell. Click through to take a tour of Paris, starting with the 20th Arrondissement.

20th Arrondissement - Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Père Lachaise is both a cemetery and the largest park in Paris city proper. Though the exact number of burials is uncertain, we do know of several famous graves - including Jim Morrison, Chopin, and Oscar Wilde.

19th Arrondissement - Parc des Buttes Chaumont

This beautiful park is the current home to stunning bridges and serene lakes, but it has an extremely dark past. During medieval times, this park was the site of where bodies of recently executed criminals from all over the city were bought for the people of Paris to see.

18th Arrondissement - Sacre-Cœur & Montmartre Garden

One of the highest points in the city, Montmartre, or "Mount of the Martyrs" has always been a place of religious worship. Today, the incredibly impressive Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Sacre-Cœur) still holds regular services.

17th Arrondissement - Arc de Triomphe

Shared with the 16th, 17th, and 8th Arrondissements the Arc de Triomphe is a memorial for the men and women who died fighting for France.

16th Arrondissement - Pont De Bir Hakeim

This stunning bridge has an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower and serves as the connection over the Seine between the 15th and 16th arrondissement.

15th Arrondissement - Statue of Liberty, Pont de Grenelle

This replica of the American Statue of Liberty sits upon a manmade island in the middle of the Seine river. It was a gift from the American community in Paris on the anniversary of the French Revolution. This was just 3 years after France gave the US their Statue of Liberty to commemorate the Centennial.

14th Arrondissement - Catacombs of Paris

The Realm of the Dead, the Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are underground ossuaries in Paris, France. Halls and caverns of walls of carefully arranged skulls and bones of over 6 million people right in the heart of Paris.

13th Arrondissement - Bibliothèque Nationale de France (National Library of France)

An example of contemporary architecture in Paris, the BNF holds 40 million items and is juxtaposed against the historical backdrop of the rest of the city.

12th Arrondissement - Rue Cremieux

Rue Cremieux in the 12th Arrondissement is one of the prettiest residential streets in Paris.

11th Arrondissement - Place de la Bastille & The July Column

What some would consider the epicenter of the French Revolution, this Place de la Bastille is the original site of the Bastille Prison. The Bastille was used as an armory and political prison for the French monarchy. On July 14, 1789, the storming and subsequent fall of The Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The July Column also stands at this spot as another reminder of the fall of the monarchy.

10th Arrondissement - Paris Gare du Nord

Gare du Nord translates to North Station, this is the main transportation hub of central Paris that has connections to several cities around Europe. This station sees almost 200 million travelers each year.

9th Arrondissement - Palais Garnier

The brain-child of architect Charles Garnier, this incredible, and still functional, opera house is the center of the performing arts in Paris. It is also the setting of the Phantom of the Opera!

8th Arrondissement - Place de la Concorde

The Place de la Concorde has a tumultuous history. During the French Revolution, it was called Revolution Square, where many executions took place-- including those of Louis the XVI and his wife, Marie Antoinette.

7th Arrondissement - Eiffel Tower

Built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution, the 300-meter tall metal structure was the main feature of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris.

6th Arrondissement - Jardin du Luxembourg

The history of the Jardin du Luxembourg starts in the early 1600s, when Marie de Medici, the mother, and Regent of King Louis VIII, bought a parcel of land to build a place to remind her of her Italian home.

5th Arrondissement - The Pantheon

The 5th arrondissement is known as the oldest part of Paris, settled by the Romans and known as Lutetia in the 1st Century BC, it is now home to the Sorbonne and the Pantheon. The Pantheon was originally a church but was turned into a mausoleum during the French Revolution. It now holds the remains of famous french men and women, such as Marie Curie, Victor Hugo, and Voltaire.

4th Arrondissement - Notre Dame

This is an image of Notre Dame prior to the 2019 fire that decimated the roof and spire. Architects from over 30 countries submitted entries to a design competition for the new Notre Dame. There is great pressure to complete the construction by the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

3rd Arrondissement - Le Marais

Le Marais translates to "The Swamp" in English. Previously a large, irrigated farm, homes and structures were built beginning in the 1300s, some are still standing to this day.

2nd Arrondissement - 1820s Architecture

Opening in 1825, this covered passageway is a wonderful representation of early architecture in Paris. This three storey tall walkway is found in the 2nd arrondissement.

1st Arrondissement - Louvre Museum

The Palais Du Louvre is the World's largest art museum. Situated right in the heart of Paris, this spectacular palace turned museum is not only the largest but the most visited museum in the world.