Tell me your favorite VIEW in Paris...
 

Please tell me where you feel is the best view in Paris...and be as specific as possible...

Thanks

The top of the Montparnasse Tower. It's the only place in Paris you can't see it. (I've forgotten who said that about the Eiffel Tower.)

My husband, standing in front of the counter at Hermes .

LOL
Well, it is! but the view that comes to mind everytime I think of Paris is the east side view of Notre Dame..
the Invalides from a distance..

Hi

The view from the top of the Sacre Ceour is very nice. You have to pay 5 € to climb all the stairs but the view is great.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Scarlett - I love you answer. Thank you. LOL

Place Concorde and the view of Eiffel Tower (not FROM tower, but OF..)

From wherever I am sitting or standing.

I agree with Gard. Sacre Coeur is especially nice at sundown.

No wonder I couldn't see the scarf I wanted, Scarlett, your husband was in the way.
Good morning everyone, My favorite view is on any bridge, sitting at any outdoor café or up at any tall building like at Georges. I'm just so grateful to be in Paris.

I like the views on top of the Arch of Triumph. You can see all the spokes of the wheel coming off the circle. ((b))

Scarlett,
You are so funny! I hope I enjoy your favorite view (with my husband, of course) when I'm in Paris in June!
Dina

I'd have to say looking across the Seine at the flying buttresses of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Thrills me to my soul every time.

The other would be on a Bataux mouches gliding past La Tour Eiffel just as it's lit. What dreams are made of.

Yours
MS

One more great view.

Several years ago I went to see the ballet at the opera Garnier. I have always wanted to go but it eclipsed my greatest expectations. We sat in the box seats right along the front. We saw the spectacular Joyeaux with costumes by Christian Lacroix.

The Chagall ceilings, the balconies dripping in gilt. That is truly the most wonderful experience I have ever had in Paris, without a doubt. It is indescribable how opulently beautiful that place is.

Yours
MC

I love it all but most memorable:

A late November view of Notre Dame alight -- through bare branches of trees, lights reflected in the Seine, as I stepped out of Shakespeare and Company bookstore.

maria callas, that is the East view of Notre Dame that I mentioned..no matter how many times I see it, I am awestruck ~

The Samaratine Department store that is not open anymore. Then just looking at the Eiffel Tower is an awsome view. Then the view from the Montparnasse Tower. Of course, there are just too many to mention.

Looking out over the Seine and Notre Dame from my pal's amazing flat on the Left Bank!

Scarlett,

Clearly you are a woman of distinctively good taste!

One more - at the far end of the terrasse in front of the Eiffel Tower, down where the fountains are - looking out over the reflecting pool all the way down to the Eiffel Tower. That one will make you a believer too. (Scarlett- I guess you're going to tell that's Invalides too? If so, we need to write a book together :)

This is a great question, becuase my family and I just returned from a week in Paris, last week in March. Each of us had our own ideas on which vantage point to view Paris from so we did on successive days, 1. top of Notre Dame
2. top of Eiffel Tower at night 3. Arc de Triomphe at dusk 4. Sacre-Coure. My favorites were the Arc and the Sacre-Coure. Some observations:
1. Notre Dame was the least impressive, as far as views of Paris, but you do get to see the stinking big bell, cool gargoyles, Gothic Archetecture, etc. up close. The line (we went at lunch time on a Sat) moved at a pace of meters/hr. So if it is not high on your agenda and the line looks long, consider an alternate view.
2. I loved the view from the Arc, and it is best seen at dusk. The above comment by Budman about the spokes is very true. Nice little military museum 1/2 way up.
3. We had the Carte Orange, so we took the funicular up to Sacre Coure which was nice, since all of our feet hurt. This is a very good view because the whole of Paris is right before you, whereas all other views require you to walk to the west to look west , then walk to the east to look east, and so forth. We found the peddlers at the bottom of the funicular to be very obnoxious, however.
4. I felt the Eiffel tower was better to look at than to be up. We went at night which I recommend if you must - cooler, the nighttime view is pretty, and the lines are less long.
5. about two weeks ago a young lady posted a thread where she observed that the Tour Montparnasse was her favorite because, as observed above, you don't have to look at it when you are in it. (The oppostie logic of why you may want to skip being in the Eiffel Tower) but also, apparently the view of the Eiffel is great from this tower. Interesting observation . .
6. In all, there are frequent questions on this site about what are "paris musts" My answer is that there are about 7 or 8 sites that have great panoramic views of Paris - pick any two, but no more than two, and do them. One during the day and one at night. My personnal favorites where the Sacre Coure (day) and Arc (dusk).
7. Finally, if you like looking at the Seine and the Eiffel Tower, but your feet hurt and you don't wanna do the bateaux, consider bus line #72. It cruises right along the right bank from Concorde to well past Radio France. Great views of the Eiffel, lots of bridges, the Trocadero, and you get to see typical Parisian traffic and commuters while you ride.