Paris is a notoriously expensive city to visit, but some of its most beautiful monuments, gardens and sites are free of charge. Below are seven of the most popular and spectacular places that you don’t have to pay for to enjoy in the City of Lights.
1.
Notre Dame: The most famous Gothic cathedral in France, situated on the Île de la Cité, is open to visitors every day from 9.30 am to 6 pm. The Cathedral, with its renowned flying buttresses, is the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris and is as architecturally breath-taking on the exterior as it is on the interior. Its high Gothic arches and stained glass windows create an atmosphere that makes it unforgettable. You can either walk around at your leisure or else take one of the free English guided tours available between 2 pm and 3.30 pm. Other parts of the Cathedral, such as the Treasury, the Bell Towers and the archaeological crypt can be visited against a charge.
2.
Sacré Coeur: The Sacré Coeur Basilica is another religious site that is a major Parisian attraction especially since it is located in Montmartre, the old artistic centre of Paris. Overlooking the Red Light District and towering over the Moulin Rouge, the basilica seems to stand guard over the city and is one of Paris’s most popular landmarks. Situated at the top of a steep hill, the Butte de Montmartre, the stairs beneath it are a favourite rendez-vous for artists, mimes and musicians, and a resting place with a magnificent panorama of the city for travellers. The basilica is open to the public every day and can be accessed on foot, on board the Montmartre Petit Train that departs from the traffic island in front of the Moulin Rouge (Metro Place Blanche), or by the Funicular at the foot of the hill.
3.
The Luxembourg Gardens: Situated in the Sorbonne area, in the Latin Quarter, the Luxembourg palace and gardens were built in the 17th century by Marie de Medicis. The palace is accessible against a fee, but the gardens are open to the public until 9.30 pm in summer. The gardens cover 25 hectares of land and are ideal for a relaxing evening among the trees and the flower beds. Although they are situated in a busy area, the gardens themselves are a quiet haven where children can play and adults chill out with a book, or even have a nap. Accessible by Metro, Luxembourg stop.
4.
The Tuileries Gardens: Les Tuileries is the most central garden in Paris, connecting the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde on a straight line that proceeds through the Champs Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. One of its main entrances is directly opposite the Louvre Pyramid, through the Carousel Arc. Les Tuileries was designed in the 17th century by Le Notre, who had also designed the gardens of Versailles. The garden offers stunning views of the Seine from the Terrasse du Bord de l’Eau and is dotted with basins and statues by Rodin and Maillol. Metro: Tuileries
5.
The Arc de Triomphe: At the centre of the star-shaped Place Charles de Gaulle, also known as the Place de l’Étoile, with the Champs-Élysées-La Defense route as the main artery that runs through it, the Arc de Triomphe honours the people who fought for France, especially during the Napoleonic Wars. The reliefs on the arc depict the triumphant Napoleon, while, at the centre of the arc facing the Champs-Élysées is the perennially-burning flame and tomb in honour of the unknown soldier. The monument was commissioned by Napoleon after his victory at Austerlitz. Pedestrian access to the Arc is via an underpass on the Champs-Élysées. Metro: Charles de Gaulle - Étoile
6.
Père Lachaise: A cemetery tour might not be everyone’s idea of a fun day, but Père Lachaise, one of the most famous cemeteries in the world and the largest in Paris, is certainly worth a visit. Established by Napoleon far from the city centre so as not to present a health hazard, Père Lachaise was not a popular cemetery until the administrators came up with an ingenious marketing strategy. They transported the remains of famous personages such as the playwright Molière and the medieval lovers Abélard and Héloïse to the cemetery and transformed it into a burial ground for famous people. Today, among its many ‘tenants’, Père Lachaise boasts Oscar Wilde, Sarah Bernhardt, Balzac, Chopin and Jim Morrison. For a full list of the personages buried here, check out
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_Lachaise_Cemetery . To get to the cemetery, the stop is on Metro, line 2, Philippe Auguste.
7.
The Eiffel Tower: While you need to pay to go up the Eiffel Tower to see the whole of Paris beneath you, you don’t need to pay anything to have a close look and to sit and enjoy the lively atmosphere underneath and around the tower. Across the street from the south side of the tower, towards the École Militaire, the Champ de Mars is a vast recreational area with lawn picnic areas and games for children. On the other side, the Place du Trocadéro hosts musicians and concerts, while the building itself houses the Musée de l’Homme and the Musée de la Marine. Metro – Trocadéro or École Militaire
Metro Map http://www.ratp.info/orienter/f_plan_ang.php?loc=reseaux&nompdf=metro&fm=gif
