Unusual monuments

The atypical nature of some of Paris’s monuments makes them unusual tourist sites

Moulin de la Charité Cimetière du Montparnasse ­© DR

Visiting Paris is also about surprise discoveries. The unusual character of some of the capital’s monuments puts them slightly off the usual tourist itineraries.

The crypt of Notre-Dame, the Moulin de la Charité situated in the cemetery of Montparnasse, the sundial in the Jardin des Plantes and the viewpoint indicator situated on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower are all unusual and not-to-be-missed monuments.

Crypte archéologique de l'Ile de la Cité

Museum
7 parvis de Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II, Paris, 75004
Book

Beneath the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral square is the most important archaeological crypt in Europe, offering a unique look at......

Catacombes de Paris

Museum
1 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, Paris, 75014

This Parisian ossuary, covering 11,000 m² of underground space is called the Catacombes in reference to the Catacombs of Rome.......

Fondation Louis Vuitton

Museum
Bois de Boulogne - 8 avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, Paris, 75116
Book

The Fondation Louis Vuitton, situated in the Bois de Boulogne, a stone's throw from the Jardin d’Acclimatation, opened its doors......

Musée des égouts de Paris

Museum
Esplanade Habib Bourguiba, Paris, 75007

The Musée des égouts de Paris ('Paris Sewer Museum') offers a unique visit and insight into a key aspect of the City of Paris'......

Moulin de la Charité - Montparnasse

Monument
Cimetière du Montparnasse - 3 boulevard Edgard Quinet, Paris, 75014

In the middle of the Montparnasse cemetery stands the only surviving mill of the thirty or so that formerly stood on the plain of......

Cimetière du Père Lachaise

Park, garden, promenade
Face au 21 boulevard de Ménilmontant, Paris, 75020

The Père Lachaise cemetery takes its name from King Louis XIV's confessor, Father François d'Aix de La Chaise. It is the most......

Palais de justice

Monument
4 boulevard du Palais, Paris, 75001

Located in the heart of Paris on Ile de la Cité, the Palais occupies 4 hectares of land and is spread out over different floors......

Institut de France

Monument
23 quai de Conti, Paris, 75006

The Institut de France defines itself the ‘Protector of Arts, Literature and Science’. It is housed within one of the French......