This year marks a decade since my first trip to Paris, France.
I was lucky enough to squeeze in a short-term study abroad trip over winter break before graduating from college in the spring. Although it was barely a month, exploring Paris and learning more about the city’s history, in person, was a formative experience that would help me a few years later.
I returned to Paris in early February 2017—I fell in love and found myself living between Paris and New England for over two years.
Then plans changed.
I spent time figuring out what I wanted. I tried a few new things. I resettled back into the life that I knew before (kind of). Time passed. I rebuilt myself. I found love again, and now we’re engaged.
Looking back, I am so grateful to have had the life experiences that I’ve had.
Remembering Paris kept me grounded during some of the darker, more challenging moments of my life.
Look, I will be the first to admit how superficial that sounds—how could being in Paris not be amazing?
Not all memories are perfectly filtered.
What makes the difference is that my love for Paris and France persists after experiencing reality—the struggle of figuring out how to immerse in the culture and find acceptance; the loneliness of not feeling good enough to be a part of it all; the silent oppression of personality that happens when you cannot make yourself understood by others; the anguish of staring blankly at the wall, taking terse sips from your seemingly bottomless glass of wine, failing to follow the conversation at dinner, and fighting through the feelings of embarrassment and invisibility to still try to look happy at the same time…
And still, my love for Paris and France persists.
Anyways.
Here’s a recap of the historical monuments and places that I visited during my short-term study abroad trip in Paris, France, including links to the original posts and practical information on each destination.
Please be mindful that this is not an exhaustive list of every single monument, museum, and historic place in Paris—there are a lot of places that are worth visiting, but I didn’t have enough time to see all of them!
- Historic Places and Monuments in Paris, France
- About the Short-Term Study Abroad Program
Historic Places and Monuments in Paris, France
1er arrondissement
Place Vendôme, Saint Roch, and Palais Royal (1è)
The history of Saint-Roch Church is a good tale to share with dog lovers:
According to legend, Saint Roch was a doctor who healed the sick during the Black Plague. He eventually caught the Plague, so he banished himself to the woods to isolate himself from others and in anticipation of his death. While he was in the woods, a dog visited Saint Roch every day and gave him a piece of bread to eat. With the help of the dog, Saint Roch was restored to health.
PARIS, DAY 11: PLACE VENDÔME, SAINT ROCH AND PALAIS ROYAL
It’s a pleasant walk from Place Vendôme to Palais Royal—it will be less than fifteen minutes from start to finish as long as you don’t get distracted window shopping along Rue Saint-Honoré.
Jardin des Tuileries (1è)
The royal Tuileries Gardens are centrally located, neighboring Rue Rivoli, Place de la Concorde, Palais Royal, and the Seine.
If you’re a lover of Monet’s water lilies, book a visit to Musée de l’Orangerie and be surrounded by the iconic panoramic canvases.
Saint Eustache and Les Halles (1è)
Saint-Eustache Church sits very close to Les Halles. At the time that I was in Paris, the large shopping mall was under construction and not yet completed.
Les Halles, located in the 1è arrondissement, is home to two Renaissance style monuments: La Fontaine des Innocents and Saint-Eustache. According to our professor, Les Halles is the largest pedestrian area in Europe—it is also one of the largest métro stops and one of the shopping centers in Paris.
PARIS, DAY 9: SAINT EUSTACHE, OPÉRA GARNIER, AND MONTMARTRE
Saint-Eustache and Les Halles are a stone’s throw away from each other.
Louvre (1è)
The Louvre speaks for itself. If you don’t want to wait in line forever—and have a more personalized experience—I would recommend booking a small group or private tour with skip-the-line access.
4è arrondissement
La Crypte de Notre Dame (4è)
The subterranean museum near Notre Dame Cathedral reveals ruins from Lutetia, the ancient city that preceded Paris.
We started with an introduction to the course and then went to tour La Crypte de Notre Dame, which is located underneath the cathedral. It turns out there are ruins of Lutèce, the ancient city center that would eventually grow and become Paris. There was a forum that served as a market, meeting place, and baths and the amphitheater, known as Les Arènes de Lutèce. The ruins in La Crypte, as well as of Lutèce in general, have been excavated since the mid-19th century and continue to be excavated today.
PARIS, DAY 3: LA CRYPTE DE NOTRE DAME AND GALERIES LAFAYETTE
Notre Dame Cathedral (4è)
The old photos of Notre Dame Cathedral do feature the original spire before the tragic fire in 2019.
Place des Vosges, Musée Carnavalet, Maison Victor Hugo (4è)
It’s so easy to walk around Le Marais and explore. From what I can remember, Place des Vosges was built from a specific stone that gives the buildings their pinkish color. Fun fact—Place des Vosges has free public WiFi.
The apartment of author Victor Hugo is within Place des Vosges and is open to the public for tours. Even if you’re not a fan of history, it’s a unique opportunity to see the interior of a Parisian apartment.
All three of these attractions are within short walking distance of each other.
After being in Paris for almost one week, it’s become quite clear that Le Marais is one of the go-to places in the city for everything—shopping, eating, and sightseeing.
PARIS, DAY 6: PLACE DES VOSGES AND MUSÉE CARNAVALET
Pavillon de l’Arsenal (4è)
I’m not going to lie—my memory of visiting this museum is quite faint. This museum is a better fit for those interested in understanding the modern aesthetic of Paris, city planning, and urban design.
We took the bus to see the Pavillon de l’Arsenal and see a large Paris architectural exhibit. We’ve been studying a lot of Parisian architecture from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, so it was cool to see contemporary and modern examples of Parisian architecture.
PARIS, DAY 12, PART I: MUSÉE L’ODÉON AND PAVILLON DE L’ARSENAL
Centre Pompidou (4è)
The modern art museum is engaging and interactive for visitors of all ages. While this is one of the few attractions that I haven’t revisited since the study abroad program, it’s worth highlighting for its architectural impact on the city.
5è arrondissement
Saint Julien-le-Pauvre (5è)
The only remaining Roman-style church standing in Paris is located down the street from Shakespeare & Company, the English bookstore, and Notre Dame Cathedral and La Crypte de Notre Dame is right across the river.
Musée de Cluny (5è)
Located on Rive Gauche, the medieval history museum is home to the famed Unicorn tapestry.
6è arrondissement
Jardin du Luxembourg (6è)
I always loved strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens. There are also some great cafés and restaurants that border the park and are well worth checking out—my vote is Treize au Jardin for tea or Sunday brunch.
Musée de l’Odéon (6è)
Musée l’Odéon is one of the few monuments Louis XVI left behind before the French Revolution. In comparison to his ancestor, Louis XIV (aka the Sun King), Louis XVI preferred a more modest architectural style.
PARIS, DAY 12, PART I: MUSÉE L’ODÉON AND PAVILLON DE L’ARSENAL
7è arrondissement
Musée d’Orsay (7è)
The memory of this entire day is one of the happiest memories I have from this study abroad trip. I was invited to see Musée d’Orsay with friends and went to dinner on Rive Gauche later in the evening. I still think about that dinner and cannot believe that I don’t know the name of the restaurant.
Eiffel Tower (7è)
While I do believe that the best views of Paris include the Eiffel Tower, it’s interesting to see Paris from above. The views of the city from the tower itself make the city seem so small compared to New York City or other metropolitan cities. The skyscrapers in the distance are located on the outer edges of Paris.
8è arrondissement
L’Arc de Triomphe (8è)
Be prepared when you walk up the l’Arc de Triomphe—it can feel a bit claustrophobic until you reach the top and get fresh air. The view of Paris is well worth the climb.
Grand Palais (8è)
Grand Palais is another popular exhibit destination as well as a sought-after venue for Paris Fashion Week. Chanel has a history of putting on spectacular runway shows at the Grand Palais for the press and celebrities to view the brand’s latest collections.
Place de la Concorde and La Madeleine (8è)
Another beautiful walk in the 8th arrondissement, this could be combined with Place Vendôme and Palais Royal for a regal stroll.
On Monday, we went to the Place de la Concorde and La Madeleine, which was originally a church built by Napoléon I dedicated to the glory of his army.
From the Place de la Concorde, you can see La Madeleine, l’Arc de Triomphe, the French National Assembly, the Louvre, and the Tuileries Gardens. The Place de la Concorde has a lot of history and I’m going to attempt to give you the highlights:
PARIS, DAY 15: PLACE DE LA CONCORDE AND LA MADELEINE
- The name of this place was not always Place de la Concorde. This was the place where the guillotine—the contraption responsible for beheading thousands of people during the French Revolution—once stood. The square earned its name as we know it today years after the French Revolution to leave behind the bloody memory. In case you were wondering, the translation of “concorde” means friendship…
- The obelisk in the center of the Place de la Concorde was a gift from Egypt, not stolen (although Napoléon would take plenty of treasures from Egypt and bring them to Paris). The details of how the obelisk came to Paris are inscribed at its base–essentially it was brought on a barge from the Nile to the Seine. There were supposed to be two obélisks, but the process of bringing in the first one was so arduous the second one was left behind.
9è arrondissement
Opéra Garnier (9è)
Walking through Opéra Garnier is almost like being in a jewelry box in the middle of Paris. Another tour that should not be missed!
Musée de la Vie Romantique (9è)
Tucked away in Montmartre, the Musée de la Vie Romantique is a beautiful museum for lovers of art and music.
The Musée de la Romantique is the place where some artists of the Romantic era—Chopin, Delacroix, and Dickens to name a few—were entertained by the painter Ary Scheffer.
PARIS, DAY 16, PART I: MUSÉE DE LA VIE ROMANTIQUE, MONTMARTRE, AND LA SORBONNE
16è arrondissement
Palais Galliera (16è)
Palais Galliera is for the fashionistas—the exhibits are always exquisite!
La Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine (16è)
The museum offers a rich display of the history of architecture and urban design of Paris from Lutèce to the present.
20è arrondissement
La Cimetière du Père-Lachaise (20è)
This cemetery in Paris is where several iconic figures are buried. It may be a bit morbid to make time to see a graveyard, but the headstones and mausoleums are very impressive. Oscar Wilde’s final resting place is worth seeing on its own:
Oscar Wilde’s grave was built by a woman who was in love with him. The tradition for many years was to kiss the statue with lipstick…you’ll notice that the grave is surrounded by a protective barrier to protect the stone…
PARIS, DAY 23: PÈRE LACHAISE, VOGUE CAFÉ AND THE LAST WALKABOUT
Beyond Paris City Limits
Château de Vincennes
It’s easy to reach Château de Vincennes from the city center—ride the end of Métro Ligne 1 to the Château de Vincennes stop and you’ll find the castle.
Versailles
If you have enough time, hop on the RER for 30 minutes and head to the Palace of Versailles. I had the opportunity to join a skip-the-line tour with The Paris Guy and it was a relief to avoid the long lines and head straight to the tour.
About the Short-Term Study Abroad Program
I secured the short-term study abroad trip to Paris, France with AIFS Abroad in partnership with my home university, Salve Regina University. The course I took, The History of Paris Architecture, was held at Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne (CCFS). Years later, I would return to the school and take immersive French language and phonetics courses for level B1.2.
Based on my experiences, I would highly recommend Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne to anyone looking to improve their French language skills or learn more about French culture.
FIAP Jean Monnet, the hostel located in the 14è arrondissement, was clean and located in a quiet part of the city. It was easily accessible to the métro, CCFS, and central Paris. Boarding at the hostel was included in the study abroad package with AIFS Abroad.
My only regret about my study abroad experience was that I couldn’t stay for an entire semester.
New England Parisienne 