Château de Versailles located in the same-named Parisian suburb is probably the best-known castle of France. The splendid building has its origins in a small hunting lodge of Louis XIII, which Philibert Le Roy extended on the king’s behalf into a three-winged hunting castle in the style of the early French Baroque between 1631 and 1634. Louis XIV loved his father’s castle, and after he had taken over the government in 1661, he used it as a pleasure castle and summer residence. From 1668, he commissioned Louis Le Vau, François d’Orbay, Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Robert de Cotte to rebuild and extend it into one of the largest and most splendid palaces in Europe. Charles Lebrun was responsible for the interior. In 1682, Versailles became the royal residence and seat of the government. Today it is known as one of the highlights of European art of castle building, not at least due to the famous gardens by André Le Nôtre. Since 1979, Versailles has been part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The outside appearance shows a striking difference in style between the garden façade and the city façade. The latter consists of many single buildings and corresponds to the old style of the original hunting lodge. On the contrary, the impressive garden façade shines in the classical Baroque style. Flatly jutting risalits, adorned with pillars and statues, liven up the rather strict sandstone façades. The “saloon of the ox’s eye” (Salon Oeil de boeuf), the Hercules Saloon as well as the splendid gallery of mirrors (Galerie des Glaces) and the adjacent bedchambers of the Queen and King are among the most significant rooms. With 30 stuccoed ceiling paintings, 357 mirrors and marble pilasters, the 246-ft (75 m) long gallery of mirrors is really impressing - especially the 17 window-sized mirrors, which seem to bring the gardens into the room. The real gardens outside are based on the Petit Parc, which was designed for Louis XIII by Jacques Boyceau de la Barauderie. Their current magnitude is due to the work of André Le Nôtre between 1662 and 1689. Typical of a Baroque garden, the castle park is divided into three areas: the parterres close to the castle, the bosquet and the spacious hunting woods. The facility is crossed by a main axis leading from the city through the castle, the garden and the big channel up to the Grand Parc. Symbolic allusions to the “Sun King” can be found everywhere, just like inside the castle. There are also numerous fountains and several maisons de plaisance: the Grand Trianon, which gave the inspiration to Sanssouci in Potsdam, the Petit Trianon as well as the Hameau de la Reine, which Queen Marie Antoniette designed as a retreat shortly before the French Revolution. The castle with its gardens and museums is open for visitors. From downtown Paris, Versailles can be reached by the RER C in about 40 minutes. The castle entrance is 10 minutes from the station. Tickets are available on site or, in advance, on the internet.

Commissioned by Napoleon I in 1806, the Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1836 under the reign of Louis-Philippe, the last king of France, and is today - apart from the Eiffel Tower - one of the most significant landmarks of the city. The memorial, 164 ft (50 m) high and 148 ft (45 m) wide, which was erected in honor of the French army, is located in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle. Pedestrians reach the “Arch of Triumph” via an underground passage. Stairs in the pillars lead up to the viewing platform, where an impressive view of further sights of the city opens up; the Tour Eiffel, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur and the Louvre can be admired from here. The Arc de Triomphe is adorned with decorative reliefs; here, renowned sculptors of the 19th century, for example, carved the Marseillaise in stone. Besides a small museum, which informs about the history of the country, the Arc de Triomphe has harbored the grave of an unknown soldier who fell in the First World War since 1920. The “eternal flame of remembrance” burns at the tomb and is lit anew every evening to commemorate the victims of the world wars. The Place Charles de Gaulle still hosts commemorative ceremonies in honor of the fallen soldiers, for example, the anniversary of the armistice of 1918 on November 11.

The world's most famous museum is housed in what used to be a royal palace. The French court resided in the Palais du Louvre from the 14th to the late 17th century, after which the buildings were used to accommodate the royal art collection and a number of art academies. In 1793, after the French Revolution, the Louvre was proclaimed a public museum. Today, it has approx. 652,000 ft² (60,600 m²) of exhibition space, making it the largest museum in the world. The entrance hall is situated under the glass pyramid in the Cour Napoléon. Visitors are advised to pick up a brochure showing the location of the different sections, which can be found at the information desk. Museum shops and self-service restaurants can also be found in the entrance area. The Louvre possesses outstanding collections of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities, early Christian art, European paintings spanning seven centuries, and sculptures from the Renaissance through to the Impressionist movement. Other must-sees include examples of Islamic art as well as the French crown jewels. The most famous exhibits are the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, Michelangelo's ‘"Slave", and the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci.

The 984ft (300 m) steel tower (1052 ft/320.75m including the TV masts) was designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel and built for the 1889 World's Fair in the space of just 16 months. The construction was accompanied by repeated angry protests against what some called the "column of bolted iron". The structure marked the entrance to the exposition and was supposed to be demolished when the fair ended. But by the time it was completed, the initial rejection had turned into enthusiasm. The tower weighs 7,000 metric tons and comprises 12,000 individual steel components. Some 35 tons of paint are needed to give it a complete facelift. 1,792 steps lead to the top of the tower. The second floor platform can be reached via three staircases and two lifts, but the third level is only accessible by lift. A film shown on the first floor documents the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

France’s most famous Gothic cathedral was built between the 12th and 14th centuries. The foundation stone was laid in 1163 on the spot previously occupied by an ancient Roman and early Christian temple. Notre Dame has witnessed many important events in the political life of France. The trial of Joan of Arc was opened there, royal marriages were held there, and Napoleon crowned himself Emperor of all France in the cathedral. Notre Dame was threatened with destruction during the Revolution and was then used as a wine store, before Napoleon restored its religious function. This pinnacle of French Gothic art has five aisles and two 225ft (69 m) towers. The main facade, with its three richly-decorated portals, is very impressive, while stained-glass windows bathe the interior in a mystical light. The best-preserved of these is the rose window in the north transept, which depicts the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus surrounded by figures from the Old Testament.