This towering edifice was built for the World Fair of 1889, held to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, it stands 320m (1050ft) high and held the record as the world's tallest structure until 1930. Initially opposed by the city's artistic and literary elite - who were only affirming their right to disagree with everything - the tower was almost torn down in 1909. Salvation came when it proved an ideal platform for the antennas needed for the new science of radiotelegraphy. When you're done peering upwards through the girders, you can visit any of the three public levels, which can be accessed by lift or stairs. Just south-east of the tower is a grassy expanse that was once the site of the world's first balloon flights and is now used by teens as a skateboarding arena or by activists bad-mouthing Chirac.

    Not everyone was happy when it was first built; many considered it an eyesore and wanted it pulled down, but today it is one of the world's most visited monuments. The first and second floors can be reached using the stairs, and lifts take visitors to the magnificent view at the top.

    Admission (elevator to the top): EUR9.90 Adults; EUR5.30 Children under 12.

    The city's cathedral ranks as one of the greatest achievements of Gothic architecture. Notre Dame was begun in 1163 and completed around 1345; the massive interior can accommodate over 6000 worshippers. Although Notre Dame is regarded as a sublime architectural achievement, there are all sorts of minor anomalies as the French love nothing better than to mess with things. These include a trio of main entrances that are each shaped differently, and which are accompanied by statues that were once coloured to make them more effective as Bible lessons for the hoi polloi. The interior is dominated by spectacular and enormous rose windows, and a 7800-pipe organ that was recently restored but has not been working properly since. From the base of the north tower, visitors with ramrod straight spines can climb to the top of the west facade and decide how much aesthetic pleasure they derive from looking out at the cathedral's many gargoyles - alternatively they can just enjoy the view of a decent swathe of Paris. Under the square in front of the cathedral, an archaeological crypt displays in situ the remains of structures from the Gallo-Roman and later periods.

    The cathedral is busy at the best of times; especially on Sundays, when much of the building is closed to visitors.

    Admission: (cathedral) free; (towers) around EUR6.

    Commissioned by Napoléon in 1806 to celebrate his victory at the battle of Austerlitz and the glory of French armies, the arch was not finished until 1836 by Louis-Phillipe and cost ten million francs. The construction was entrusted to Chalgrin, who built a model of the arch on the real site in 1810 for Napoléon's wedding to Marie-Louise, daughter of the Austrian ambassador. The Emperor did not pass through the completed, real version until his funeral procession in 1840. Forty-five years later Victor Hugo's wake took place under the arch. Today you can see the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, killed in the First World War, and his flame, lit as a memorial to all those killed in action.

    The Arch is a site both of memories and current events and celebrations. The lists of the dead will move you. The cars that drive around the monument will terrify you! Standing in a direct line between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Défense, the monument links the past with the present and offers amazing views. A truly impressive landmark, 50 metres high and 45 metres wide, Paris would not be Paris without it!

    Admission: adults 40F (EUR 6.09); 12-25 32F (EUR 4.87); under 12s free.

    A popular promenade for the ostentatious aristos of old, the Avenue des Champs-Elysees has long symbolised the style and joie de vivre of Paris. Encroaching fast-food joints, car showrooms and cinemas have somewhat dulled the sheen, but the 2km (1mi) long, 70m (235ft) wide stretch is still an ideal place for evening walks and relishing the food at overpriced restaurants.

    This Romano-Byzantine basilica overlooks Montmartre, one of Paris's most picturesque districts. Its distinctive dome rising up over the rooftops, the basilica offers the perfect vantage point from which to survey the city. Inside, the mosaic of Christ and the crypt are of particular interest. Commissioned by the Catholic Church, building began in 1875 under the watchful eye of architect Paul Abadie, and was finally completed in 1914.

    Admission: (basilica) free; (crypt and dome) around EUR 4.50.

    This church is part of a large establishment built to house disabled veterans. Although it is generally classical in style, particularly in the rectilinearity of the lower facade, the church does have some Baroque elements. There is a dynamic movement toward the center, which culminates in the central pediment. In addition, the dome has some surprises. Unlike St. Peter's dome, its loose model, it arranges the windows in an unusual way--with pairs and single windows alternating instead of a continuous row of windows separated by buttresses or piers. Normally a window would mark the main axis; here the main axis has a pair of columns that separates the paired windows. The lantern is a square in plan but it is rotated so that its corner marks the main axis.

    Lying inside the Palais de Justice (law courts), Sainte Chapelle was consecrated in 1248 and built to house what was reputedly Jesus' crown of thorns and other relics purchased by King Louis IX earlier in the 13th century. The gem-like chapel, illuminated by a veritable curtain of 13th-century stained glass (the oldest and finest in Paris), is best viewed from the law courts' main entrance - a magnificently gilded, 18th-century gate. Once past the airport-like security, you can wander around the long hallways of the Palais de Justice and, if you can find a court in session, observe the proceedings. Civil cases are heard in the morning, while criminal trials - usually reserved for larceny or that French speciality crimes passionnel - begin after lunch.

    Established in 1805, this necropolis attracts more visitors than any similar structure in the world. Within the manicured, evergreen enclosure are the tombs of over one million people including such luminaries as the composer Chopin; the writers Moliere, Apollinaire, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein; the artists David, Delacroix, Pissarro, Seurat and Modigliani; the actors Sarah Bernhardt, Simone Signoret and Yves Montand; the singer Edith Piaf; and the dancer Isadora Duncan. The most visited tomb, however, is that of The Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison, who died in Paris in 1971. One hundred years earlier, the cemetery was the site of a fierce battle between Communard insurgents and government troops. The rebels were eventually rounded up against a wall and shot, and were buried where they fell in a mass grave.

    Admission: free

    This is one of the largest buildings in Paris - and one of the largest libraries in all of Europe. Most of its contents were moved to the new site (the Bibliothèque François Mitterand or Très Grande Bibliothèque [Very Large Library]) in 1998. Currently the old site holds several special collections including manuscripts, prints, photographs, maps and music. In addition, they have a museum of coins, metals and antiquities as well as a collection from the performing arts.

    Formerly known as the Bibliothèque Royale (Royal Library), then the Bibliothèque Impériale (Imperial Library), the library holds the private collections of the French royalty. It has moved five times within the past 500 years, being largely dispersed after the Hundred Years' War. The current buildings consist of several private hotels from the 17th Century.

    The department of music contains two million works including collections of manuscripts, books on music, and musical scores (among them Mozart's "Don Giovanni"). The manuscripts department also carries a daunting collection (more than 530,000 documents) ranging from the oldest book, an Egyptian manuscript (c. 2000BC), to manuscripts by modern French authors such as Marcel Proust and Jean-Paul Sartre.

    The Halles used to be a huge fruit and meat market, and was called the "belly of Paris" by Emile Zola. Today, it has become one of the biggest underground (the Forum des Halles) and outdoor clothes shopping areas in the French capital, attracting a young and mixed clientele. A few streets away lies the Centre Georges Pompidou (Georges Pompidou Centre) cultural center, renovated and better than ever for the new millenium.

    Highlights of this area include the picturesque Rue Quincampoix, Place Igor Stravinsky with Niki de St Phalle's amazing and colourful fountain sculptures, the pleasant Café Beaubourg serving coffee and tasty light meals and the rooftop of La Samaritaine department store with its great views of Paris.

    Even for locals, the Montparnasse tower offers a fairytale view of the city - accessible thanks to Europe's fastest lift that whisks you to the top in just 38 seconds. From here, 200m up, or from the bar/restaurant on the 56th floor, the panorama extends for miles. Situated above Montparnasse station, which serves the west of France, the tower is home to offices and businesses. Just by the restaurant is an exhibition that traces the history of Paris since 1858.

    Admission: around EUR7.62

    In the late 18th century, Paris decided it had a problem with its cemeteries, namely that they were full, if not overflowing. Faced with potential outbreaks of disease, not to mention aesthetic concerns, the city authorities decided to exhume the bones of the buried and relocate them in the tunnels of several disused quarries. The decision to do this was made in 1785 and led to the creation of the Catacombes. Visitors to this disturbing 'attraction' will find themselves 20m (65ft) underground, working their way along corridors stacked with bones. People over 60 can get in for free, which says a lot about the French sense of humour. The tunnels, which were used by the Resistance during WWII as a headquarters, are south of the Seine.

    Situated almost at the foot of the Tour Eiffel, the Palais de Chaillot was built on the hill of Chaillot by the architects Azéma, Louis-Auguste Boileau and Jacques Carlu for the Great Exhibition of 1937. This Neo-Classical monument, shaped like a banana cut in two, is composed of four pavilions and two wings, each measuring 195m in length. It is adorned with sculptures and bas-reliefs from the Thirties, as well as gold inscriptions by the writer, Paul Valéry.

    It houses the Musée de l'Homme, the Musée de la Marine, the Musée du cinéma Henri Langlois, the Musée des Monuments français, Chaillots National Theatre and the Cinémathèque française. In front of its façades lie the Jardins du Trocadéro.

    Follow the Rues de Castiglione and de la Paix to one of the most famous squares in Paris. Intricately linked with the history of France since its creation in 1685, this architectural jewel was commissioned by King Louis XIV and designed by Jules-Hardouin Mansart. The arcades of the exquisitely fronted mansions that surround the square form a sort of intimate salon in the heart of the capital. Not surprisingly, it was adopted by Paris' aristocracy.

    Prestigious banks and the emblems of French elegance still cluster around the Austerlitz column that Napoléon erected. Labels of luxury such as Chaumet, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Guerlain, Chanel rule the roost. Whilst you're here, stop at the Ritz hotel or the Palais de l'Elysée (the President's residence). Yes, this really is the home of luxury, elegance and power.

    The Marais district spent a long time as a swamp and then as agricultural land, until in 1605 King Henry IV decided to transform it into a residential area for Parisian aristocrats. He did this by building Place des Vosges and arraying 36 symmetrical houses around its square perimeter. The houses, each with arcades on the ground floor, large dormer windows, and the requisite creepers on the walls, were initially built of brick but were subsequently constructed using timber with a plaster covering, which was then painted to look like brick. Duels, fought with strictly observed formality, were once staged in the elegant park in the middle. From 1832-48 Victor Hugo lived at a house at No 6, which has now been turned into a municipal museum. Today, the arcades around the place are occupied by expensive galleries and shops, and cafes filled with people drinking little cups of coffee and air-kissing immaculate passersby.

    Originally known as place Louis-XV, this square was created between 1755 and 1775 by the architect, Gabriel. Renamed Place de la Révolution in 1792, a guillotine was installed and 2800 executions took place including that of King Louis XVI. Louis-Philippe christened it Place de la Concorde in 1830. The Louqsor obelisk, a gift from the Viceroy of Egypt to King Charles X of France, has been standing in the centre of the square since 1840. The eight statues representing France's largest cities and the two fountains were also added at this time. The square is home to one of Paris' most prestigious hotels, the Hotel Crillon.

    Why does the Place du Tertre swarm with mediocre artists clamoring to paint your portrait? As is often the case in Paris, it's Baron Haussmann's fault! But for once, the good baron did some good along with the damage when, by razing many working-class neighbourhoods in central Paris, he unwittingly encouraged the development of Montmartre (which had been annexed to Paris in 1860). Around 1880 began the transformation of the Butte (Hill) from a country village into the home of hordes of artists and other marginalized folk who no longer had a place in Haussmann's grandiose central Paris. At the foot of Montmartre cabarets thrived - up top on the Place du Tertre, an unimaginably (to us) intense period of artistic activity took hold. The Place saw movements from Impressionism to Cubism to Fauvism to Surrealism come and go; right up to the eve of World War I, such greats as Renoir, Picasso, Braque, Dufy, Cézanne, Manet, and Toulouse-Lautrec painted here and, often, kept studios and living quarters in the adjacent streets. These days, despite the oppressive, constant tourist crush on the square, one can still discover that old-time Paris feeling here - not to mention the fact that some of the current painters aren't too bad at all!