eliza61

Help a first timer out. In your opinion where can the best views of Paris be seen from?
Got my camera ready!!

susanna

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

Michel_Paris

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..

StCirq

The top of the Tour Montparnasse.

The Buttes Chaumont.

Jay_G

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.

Michael

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/...7622845845243/

avalon

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

Celticharper

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.

2010

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!

maitaitom

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

ThinGorjus

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

Thin

Palenque

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

Surfergirl

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)!

Michel_Paris

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.

LikeLivingThere

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.

Fife

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.

Palenque

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.

RondaTravels

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/buildi...nde_Arabe.html

Michel_Paris

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?)?

RondaTravels

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).