Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #9 Paris, France

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Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited

I’ve experienced some of the most amazing cities that the world has to offer. From great beaches, climate, friendly people, personal interests, world-famous attractions, architecture, history and culture, there are many different factors that make a city great, let alone top ten!

#9 Paris – France

Paris is the most visited city in the world with an estimated 15.6 million visitors a year. 

Paris is one of the first cities that comes to the mind of every traveler when talking about visiting Europe. It’s full of stunning architecture, old churches, romantic cafes, spectacular monuments, art galleries, and some of the most awe-inspiring castles in France.

The Louvre, originally a palace but now one of the largest and most visited museums in the world, was a must-visit destination in Paris. We viewed every inch of the museum from European paintings and sculptures to Roman, Egyptian, Greek, and Oriental art. There was even a section with “Objects d’ Art” where objects such as clocks, furniture, china and tapestries were displayed. Some of the most famous works of art that we visited were the Venus of Milo, the Nike of Samothrake, the Dying Slave by Michelangelo, and of course Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

Although it’s not the largest cathedral in the world, Notre Dame certainly is one of the most famous of all cathedrals. The Gothic masterpiece is located on the Île de la Cité, a small island in the heart of the city and walking distance, albeit far, from the Louvre. Its stunning Gothic pillars, dramatic towers, spire, stained glass, and statuary took my breath away and climbing the North tower to get a gargoyle’s perspective of Paris brought me into Victor Hugo’s immortalized world.

We couldn’t possibly visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower. We chose to walk the 695 steps to the second floor and enjoy the view along the way as well as from above. Taking the steps is not for the feint hearted, as the actual count of stairs includes 9 steps to the ticket booth at the base of the Eiffel Tower, 328 steps to the first level, 340 steps to the second level, and 18 steps to the lift platform on the second level. When I reached the second level, I felt a sense of accomplishment and joy that was accompanied by a spectacular, worthy view.  Watching the sun set from atop Paris was a life-lasting memory.

The 164-foot Arc de Triomphe does exactly what it was made to do: evoke sheer military
power and triumph. As our last stopping point during our stay in Paris, we couldn’t help but let the grandeur and magnitude consume our emotions and elicit a sense of achievement.

The museums and churches offered a healthy dose of culture and history and the breathtaking sights such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and the Louvre offered unmatched beauty at new heights. It’s easy to see how Paris, France is one of my favorite cities in the world.

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169 thoughts on “Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #9 Paris, France”

  1. Love your photos of Paris as I too love that city! In addition to the Louvre, I also fell in love with the Musee d’Orsay for the beauty of the grand train station and the range of artwork on display. Hopefully you had a chance to visit that museum as well. All the Best!

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  2. Those pix just made me want to be there right this very instant. I’ve never been to France but would love to get there. Thanks Lesley – love your adventures.

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  7. Hi Lesley,
    These are gorgeous pictures from your travels! I’d love to fly to Paris, London, and Rome someday. Though, not via skydiving–like the picture of you that popped up when I first clicked on your blog, Ha!
    Blessings also to you about your pregnancy that you mentioned in your twitter feed.
    Cheers! Grati ;->

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  13. Thanks for sharing Lesley ! Embarrassing to admit, but I remember Dan Brown’s novel-made-into-movie with some of your pics, still surpassingly beautiful though! Maybe one day I can visit ! awesome, awesome blog site, I’m extremely flattered you found time to visit my crazy little cave 🙂 Muchas gracias (Tagalog as well as Spanish) Senorita!

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  14. Thank you Lesley! My 12 year-old son loves to travel around the world using the Internet and reference books. This post is perfect to share with him as it is so well written and documented with good photos!

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  15. My wife has an opportunity to do an exchange-type programs for teacher where she would be able to go to France. We are trying to figure out if it will work for us. It looks like a beautiful place!

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  18. Loved Paris. Stayed in an apartment on the Ile de la Cite, right in the heart of Paris and loved being so close to everything. And the food!!!! Yum … Would love to return some day. Thanks for the memory …

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  20. Sadly I didn’t have time to get out of the airport as I passed through Paris on my way to Gabon. It looks amazing, though. Some people I know just moved there a few weeks ago. I do hope to visit there someday. We will see.

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  23. J’adore Paris! So much to see, so much to do, never enough time for all of it. I have family there so I get to see and live it as a Parisian more than as a tourist. Each trip has been a mix of “main attractions” and regular Parisian life. I love it all!

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  24. Went to Paris last year… We were delighted to see all of the places that you so eloquently wrote about however; if we ever return it will not be to Paris itself. We found the overwhelming majority of Parisians rude, impatient and non welcoming…. I am told that to really see the ‘real’ France (whatever that means) is to venture into the country areas where, so we are told, the people are welcoming, hospitable and amiable…. Just our experience….!
    After our ‘partly’ disappointing trip to Paris we went to Poland where we had the total opposite. The people were delightful, hospitable, generous; superlatives on and on…… I’m looking forward to No: 8…. 😉

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  26. Paris is one of those cities I can return to anytime. I’ve done the tourist routes a couple times, but last year I visited a photographer and he showed us around… imagine the typical french artist, whose place is a mess and he looks like a mess himself too, but he still has the french charm. One who knows the whole city by heart. We walked a lot through streets you’d normally never see and had coffees in typical Parisian cafés. It’s something you have to experience for yourself, so if you ever get the chance to get back there, avoid the tourists and try to see where the real Parisians are going, for at least a little while. I bet you will get inspired in so many ways…

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  27. There is absolutely no other city to compare to Paris! Your photos here are outstanding. I applaud your walking up the Eiffel Tower steps. The view is then even more to be relished!

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  34. Thanks for your great blog, Leslie! This makes me want to return to Paris. When I saw your statistic about Paris being the most-visited city in the world, it made me wonder how many visitors we have here in San Francisco. According to http://www.sanfrancisco.travel/research/, it was 15.9 million last year, so we’re right up there! Oh, and I love that you did a trapeze act in your wedding dress!

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  35. Pingback: Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #8 Las Vegas, United States of America | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences

  36. Lesley…thank you so much for this excellent series on your favorite cities. I’ve never been to Europe (have been across this country several times, as well as Canada), so looking at your photos and reading your descriptions has my tongue hanging out. I know it will happen in the not to distant future…my daughter-in-law is from Europe and she and my son have been back several times since they’ve been married…they want to take me…I just need to find the time. 🙂

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  37. Paris is such an amazing and beautiful city! If you ever have the chance to return, I’d suggest visiting the old opera house, now called the Palais Garnier, I believe. It’s absolutely stunning, and it was supposedly the inspiration for “Phantom of the Opera!”

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  38. Lovely post and great photography – really made me miss the city (having lived there for a year, I often get Paris pangs)! Did you go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe? Beautiful views there as well. I can’t decide where’s my favourite place to look out over the city from – I got something different from each rooftop. How about you?

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  39. Beautiful! I visited Paris for the first time in 2010 and fell in love. I can’t wait to go back. What a great blog. I love travel more than almost anything else. I kind of want your life.

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  40. Hello! Love your information and pictures. I love Paris! (Cliche, I know!) I visited it twice in high school then got to revisit it a year ago for the first time in 21 years! My husband and I had a fabulous 5 days there. I think my favorite place is actually St. Chapelle cathedral. It’s almost exactly one year since I was there, and since I wasn’t blogging then, I’m planning on writing about it and posting lots of pictures in a couple weeks to mark the anniversary!

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  41. Paris is indeed fantastic. I spent a week there a couple years ago. But now that I got all the sight-seeing out of the way, I’d love to go back and just hang out for a week.

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  44. Pingback: Top 10 Favorite Cities Visited – #7 Santorini, Greece | Indulge – Travel, Adventure, & New Experiences

  45. I love Paris and had a week there for my honeymoon and I’ve also visited several other times. It inspired me so much I’m learning french now for my next visit in a year or so.

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  47. There could have been no better time that now for you to write this. I am making my holiday plans and shall wait for you to complete the list before deciding.

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  50. When I studied abroad, my friends and I crammed as much euro travel in as possible during our Sping Break. Paris was at the end and we spent about two days there. That was it. But it was enough time for me to fall in love with it. People always tout the amazingness of Paris–or you the few on the opposite end fo the spectrum that hate it. I fell in the category of love at first sight. Maybe not first sight, Versailles tipped it all in my favor. So make that a day in Paris and a day in Versailles and now I am dying to go back and see more of Paris and southern France as well!

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