Monuments with a view in Paris Region
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- Monuments with a view in Paris Region
If you think you have discovered all of Paris's treasures on foot, on a cruise on the Seine, or aboard a Big Bus, arm yourself with your camera and get ready to take the higher ground. From the top of some of the capital's most emblematic sites, Paris seen from above is even more breathtaking.
Monumental views
For centuries, the great Parisian monuments have kept watch over the city's most beautiful panoramas, with the Eiffel Tower at the top of the list.
On the first floor, the restaurant 58 and its large bay windows promise you a unique lunch or dinner overlooking the Champs de Mars which spreads out at your feet.
The more adventurous among you can keep climbing to the top floor where, at 180 meters above ground, the view over Paris extends for more than 70 kilometres.
In the middle of the Place de l'Étoile, the Arc de Triomphe offers an unobstructed view over the avenues at its feet, including the most famous, the Champs-Élysées.
Open until 10.30pm in winter and 11pm in summer, don't miss climbing to its terrace at nightfall to capture this magical moment facing the bright lights of the city.
From April to October, a guided tour of the upper floors of the Pantheon, sitting atop the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève hill, will give you unprecedented views over the Latin Quarter, the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Sorbonne.
Photogenic temples
Just a stone's throw from the Opera Garnier, the department stores are well known to shopping enthusiasts and lovers of architecture, who wander the aisles of Galeries Lafayette to photograph its monumental dome, or enjoy lunch under the Printemps' sublime glass-domed roof.
But few know that a whole other spectacle awaits on the roofs of these celebrated places. From the seventh floor of Galeries Lafayette and the ninth floor of Printemps (Beauté & Maison building), you can enjoy exceptional 360 ° views over Paris.
Escape to cloud nine
The view from the panoramic observation deck of Paris' highest skyscraper, the Montparnasse Tower is breathtaking. Capture the magical sunset over the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, or the Sacré-Cœur from the 56th floor of the tower or the outdoor terrace.
Enjoy a romantic ride for two, or the whole family, at the Parc André Citroën (the Eiffel Tower is only two RER stations away) aboard the tethered helium balloon, the Ballon de Paris, that will fly you 150 meters above sea level.
Soak up the view of the park and also see the banks of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower as you have never seen them before.
Out of sight
If La Défense is the beating heart of corporate Paris, it is also a rare place for photographers, which offers exceptional views over Paris.
Now recognised by the State as notable " 20th-century heritage ," the Grande Arche includes four panoramic glass elevators.
You will appreciate the 360° view along the”triumphal way”: an historical axis connecting the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysées, the Place de la Concorde, the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Louvre.
A few kilometers from Paris, the unique view from the Great Terrace of the castle of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, designed by Le Nôtre, the famous landscape architect of the Château de Versailles, will allow you to take spectacular photos of the capital and the towers of La Defense, which tower in the foreground.
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- Copyright image: Arnaud Frich / Centre des monuments nationaux