Search to Discover Top Places in Paris

Long before it became one of the French Revolution’s most infamous prisons, the Conciergerie was the beating heart of medieval royal power in Paris. Built as part of the Capetian royal residence on the Île de la Cité, its Gothic halls and soaring Tour de l’Horloge — home to Paris’s oldest public clock — witnessed the transformation of the Palais de la Cité from a king’s home into the seat of French justice. When the Revolutionary Tribunal took over in 1793, the building’s cold stone cells held over 2,700 prisoners condemned to the guillotine, including Queen Marie-Antoinette herself. Today, visitors can walk through the vast medieval Grand’Salle, see a faithful reconstruction of the queen’s final cell, and use an interactive Histopad tablet to picture the palace as it stood eight centuries ago.

The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre) in Paris is the world’s most visited art museum and one of the city’s most iconic landmarks. Originally built as a medieval fortress in the late 12th century and later transformed into a royal palace, it became a public museum during the French Revolution. Officially opened on August 10, 1793 as the Musée central des arts de la République, the Louvre has since grown into a global cultural treasure. Its vast collections span from ancient civilizations to the 19th century, featuring masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. Today, the Louvre is not only a symbol of Parisian heritage but also a must-visit destination for art, history, and architecture lovers worldwide.