Best views of Paris

The view from the Trocadero over to the Eiffel Tower is breathtaking!

On the Right Bank, between the buildings of Palais Chaillot (Metro Trocadero) looking over to Eiffel Tower

Pont des Arts, and some of the other bridges between the Islands and Right Bank (night time is good!)

Place des Vosges, Palais Royal. Funky Metro entrance Palais Royal. Actually, the Guimard art nouveau metro entrances are neat.

Place de la Concorde, looking up Champs Elysee

Luxembourg Gardens..Medici fountain

Marais area has many old mansions. Also, Village St Paul. You can see some cobble stone streets there

Steps of Sacre Coeur overlooking city

Eiffel Tower, overlooking city. Champs de Mars at bottom of ET

Notre Dame, at Seine level, Left Bank. I like views east (back side)

Up top along Seine, near the Islands. I like pics of the bouquinistes.

Garden below Pont Neuf bridge, Left Bank (where Seine cruise loads). Views of Louvre.

I like street views. Could take a Paris Walks tour will expose you to some smaller streets.

Fue de Buci area is interesting with street market, narrow streets, cobblestones.

On the Left Bank (east of Islands) there is an outdoor architecture musuem. Could maybe combine this with city views

I find Ile St Louis interesting. Small shops, Seine nearby, older mansions.

There are also street markets that would be interesting.

Off the top of my head..

The top of the Tour Montparnasse.

The Buttes Chaumont.

One of my favourites is from the Parc de Belleville in the 20th. There's something about looking down on the Eiffel tower that makes it special.

Lots of the streets around Menilmontant and Jourdain are pretty stunning too. For a flavour of what to expect, watch the film "The Red Balloon" by Albert Lamorrisse. Many of the streets don't seem to have changed much in the intervening time.

If you look for the Paris pictures in this collection, you might get some inspirations. I think that most of them are geo-tagged, which might help in locating the area in Paris itself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/collections/72157622845845243/

Top of the Arc beats the top of the Eiffel Tower, IMO!

We loved the view from the Arc de Triomphe best, but the view from the viewing roof of the Galleria Lafayette was fantastic as well.

The top of Notre Dame for city views & a close up inspection of the gargoyles! You will be rewarded for your climb!

Square du Vert Galant on the west end of Ile de la Cite, Paris' little secret. Have a seat and enjoy the view of the Seine & the activity on the other side!

The view from the top of Printemps Department Store is my favorite.

Sit on one of the benches on the Pont d'Arcole near the Hotel de Ville for a great view of Paris.

Thin

The top of the Tour Montparnasse>

and as they used to say at least this is the best venue because it is the only place from which you cannot see the Tour Montparnasse

the view from the steps of the Sacre Coeur up in Montmartre is a favorite of mine

though for Paris views the air is often quite smoggy - best on weekends when car traffic is way down and in August when vehicular traffic is way way down

I like the view of the back of Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Ile de la Cite - from the open-air statue park along the Left Bank of the Seine a bit upstream from the church

I agree with StCirq and Palenque, the top of the Tour Montparnasse. Haven't heard that line Palenque quoted "best venue because it is the only place from which you cannot see the Tour Montparnasse", but that was damned funny (and true)!

There are some views of the stairways going up the hill in Montmatre..others here can be more specific.

Also thinking some of the train station interiors are quite nice.

We like from the Arc at night, looking down the Champs-Elysees. You also get a great view of the Eiffel Tower light show. There's also a neat view from the outdoor escalator at the Centre Pompidou, looking over 18th (17th?) century buildings to Sacre Couer.

Ramble through the smaller streets between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de Iena. As you do, the Eiffel Tower will appear and disappear, growing ever larger. Take a few minutes at the Place des Etats Unis to look at the sculpture of General Washington and General Lafayette and at the monument to the American flyers who died fighting for France before the US entered World War I.

Well for a different view - from afar and of the whole Paris connurbation take the train uphill to Suresnes (from Gare Saint-Lazare) and get off and from the station area you have a view for miles over Paris, laid out far below to the north, east and south

and for an even sweeter view walk from Suresnes to the nearby Saint Cloud park - a historic old park where a huge chateau once stood - just ruins now but lots of water fountains - things of interest - but from this park you have a really sweet view -much better than from Suresnes even - all over Paris laid out below.
And you can walk down thru the park to the famous Sevres ceramics factory and from there hop the tram back to Paris proper.
Anyway a different type view.

Top of the L'Institut du Monde Arabe is one of my favorites, looking down on the back side of Notre Dame. There is a cafe up there, but you can just go up and hang out and take pics. The building itself is also amazing, with windows that adjust to let in the right amount of light and heat. Read about it here: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/L_Institut_du_Monde_Arabe.html

Is it possible to take pictures from inside of the Orsay of the big clock and also go outside (top floor) for views (and clock?)?

Yes, you can take pics in the Orsay WITHOUT A FLASH. A flash would be useless from that distance anyway. And the outside top floor is usually open unless the weather is bad (or too windy).

The view from the top of the Ferris Wheel at the western edge of the Tuilleries, if it is still there.

And don'tforget the view over Les Halles and Paris from the top of the Centre Pompidou - and over the plaza below, with its ubiquitous fire-eaters, pantomines, street buskers, etc.

bookmarking

If the windows are not too dirty, and you have a telephoto lens, you can get a great photo of Sacre Coeur from the north side of the Pompidou - upper floors.

I also thought the view looking down on the Eiffel Tower was pretty cool down one of the narrow streets (can't remember which) in the Belleville neighborhood.

...and I really miss the Samartain department store roof view...I guess that wll never come back...sigh!

SS

I think the best view is when you wake in the morning, look around and realize you just woke up in Paris. And, all those other great views are out there waiting for you to discover them.

If you're there in the summer and the Ferris wheel is in the Tuileries, the view from the top in the evening is quite magical. I have to agree with fbudworth that ANY view in Paris is a treat.

I'm with you, Fbudworth. Plus, this last trip I was across the street from Notre Dame and the sound of the bells waking me up was priceless.

the view from Sacre Couer at montmarte is beautiful..

I just opened this thread, with great views of the city

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/paris-in-high-resolution-images-at-a-glance.cfm

Definitely views from the Arc de Triomphe!

http://patrinadoestheglobe.blogspot.com/2009/07/paris-france.html