Top Paris Monuments and Historic Attractions, Part 2

In this blog I will continue with the top monuments and historic attractions in Paris. Hopefully the information will be useful for travelers planning their visit to Paris. Making your arrangements for the trip in Paris you also don’t have to forget to find a good place of accommodation. There are many options for accommodation in Paris. There are either cheap or luxurious hotels in Paris, so the choice is up to you. Here is the list with the other must-see attractions in Paris:

1.     Pantheon

The Pantheon is a neoclassical-style mausoleum where many of France's great minds are buried. It was built between 1758 and 1790. From the Pantheon, a distant Eiffel Tower can be seen. Stop by the Pantheon during a stroll in the Latin Quarter.

2.     La Sainte-Chapelle

Not far from Notre Dame on the Ile de la Cite looms another pinnacle of gothic architecture. Sainte-Chapelle was erected in the mid-13th century by King Louis IX. The cathedral features some of the period's best-conceived stain glass, housing a total of 15 glass panels and a prominent large window, whose colors remain surprisingly vibrant. Wall paintings and elaborate carvings emphasize the stunning medieval beauty of Sainte Chapelle even more.

3.     Opera Garnier

Seating 2,200 people, the imposing Opera Garnier in Paris -- also known as the Palais Garnier or simply the Paris Opera-- is an architectural treasure and essential spot for the city's ballet and classical music scene. Designed by Charles Garnier and inaugurated in 1875 as the Academie Nationale de Musique -Theatre de l'Opera (National Academy of Music - Opera Theater), the neo-baroque style Opera Garnier is now the home of the Paris ballet. The city's official opera company relocated to the starkly contemporary Opera Bastille in 1989.

4.     Les Invalides

This vast complex was built as a hospital and convalescent home for injured soldiers under the reign of Louis XIV. Part of les Invalides maintains this role today, but it's most famous for housing the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte. The onsite Musée de l'Armée (Army Museum) boasts a vast collection of military artifacts.

5.     Memorial to the Martyrs of the Deportation

This sober memorial pays tribute to the 200,000 people (mostly Jews) who were deported to Nazi death camps from France during WWII. Erected in 1962 on the banks of the Seine (across from Notre Dame Cathedral) and on the site of a former morgue, the Deportation Memorial was designed by architect GH Pingusson to evoke a sense of claustrophobia and despair. One part of the memorial features an "eternal flame of hope" and an inscription reading the following: "Dedicated to the living memory of the 200,000 French deportees sleeping in the night and the fog, exterminated in the Nazi concentration camps."

Reading the information above, there is no doubt that all these places should be visited while being in Paris. They all bring the spirit of the French capital and I am pretty sure that they will turn your visit into a memorable one. So don’t miss the opportunity.