• Île Saint-Louis - Passage in front of Île Saint-Louis

Île Saint-Louis, along with Île de la Cité, is one of the two remaining natural islands on the Seine in Paris (the current Île aux Cygnes is entirely man-made).

Situated just upstream from Île de la Cité, it is the smaller of the two, covering an area of 11 hectares.

Île Saint-Louis has borne its current name since 1725, in honor of King Louis IX, also known as Saint Louis, who is the patron saint and ancestor of Louis XIII. Legend has it that he would come to pray on the Île aux Vaches and took the cross there with his knights in 1269 before embarking on the Eighth Crusade (an expedition that proved fatal for him: Louis IX died of dysentery near the walls of Tunis a year later).

The Lambert Hotel, one of the island’s most exquisite private mansions, was purchased by Abdallah Ben Abdallah-Al-Thani from Qatar’s princely family. It suffered a significant fire in July 2013.

• Île de la Cité - Passage in front of Île de la Cité

Île de la Cité is an island on the Seine, located in the heart of Paris. It is considered the ancient cradle of the city, formerly known as Lutèce. It is part of the 1st and 4th arrondissements. In 1190, chronicler Gui de Bazoches described it as “the head, the heart, and the marrow of Paris.”

The term “city” refers to the fortified boundaries of Paris as they were at the end of Antiquity, reduced to this single island, which formed the urban core of the medieval city.

• Palais de Justice de Paris - Passage in front of the concierge at the courthouse

The Palais de Justice is the former Curia Regis, from which the Parliament of Paris and all former sovereign jurisdictions (Water and Forests, Constabulary, Money, Masonry, etc.) and current ones (Council of State, Court of Cassation, Court of Accounts, Chancellery, as well as legislative and diplomatic archives) originate. It has been located since its inception in the Palais de la Cité, which was the residence and seat of power for the kings of France from the tenth to the fourteenth century, and of which significant remnants remain: the great hall with its kitchen, the Conciergerie, the Sainte Chapelle, several towers, and the influence of various buildings.

• Pont-Neuf - Passage under the Pont Neuf

The Pont Neuf, despite its name, is the oldest existing bridge in Paris. It spans the Seine at the western tip of Île de la Cité.

Constructed at the end of the 16th century and completed at the beginning of the 17th century, it was named for its novelty as a bridge without houses at the time and equipped with sidewalks to protect pedestrians from mud and horses. It is also the first stone bridge in Paris to completely cross the Seine.

This monument has been classified as a historical monument since 1889. In 1991, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with all the quays of the Seine in Paris.

• Pont des Arts - Passage under the Pont des Arts

The Padlocks of Love (2008-2015)

Starting in 2008, the wire mesh parapets of the Pont des Arts became a popular spot for “love padlocks” hung by couples. This practice then spread to the Léopold-Sédar-Senghor footbridge, the Archbishopric Bridge, and the Simone-de-Beauvoir footbridge.

Due to the controversy over the damage to heritage caused by the weight of these padlocks, which some feared could lead to the bridge’s collapse, and their appearance, which was considered unsightly by others, the mayor of Paris decided to end the practice in September 2014. Consequently, the fences were permanently removed on June 1, 2015, and were initially replaced by a temporary exhibition of street art by Jace, eL Seed, Pantonio, and Brusk, followed by glass panels in autumn 2015.

• Louvre Museum - Passage in front of the Louvre

The Louvre Museum is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.

A concept was envisioned in 1775-1776 by the Comte d’Angiviller, director general of the King’s Buildings, as a venue for showcasing masterpieces from the Crown collection. This museum was inaugurated in 1793 under the name Muséum central des arts de la République in the Louvre Palace, a former royal residence in central Paris, and today it is the largest museum of art and antiquities in the world. Its exhibition area covers 72,735 square meters.

By the end of 2019, the Louvre housed over 500,000 works, with more than 36,000 on display. These works represent Western art from the Middle Ages to 1848, as well as the ancient civilizations that preceded and influenced it (Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman), the arts of the early Christians, and Islam.

• Musée d’Orsay - Passage in front of the Musée d’Orsay

The Orsay Museum (officially a “public establishment of the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée de l’Orangerie - Valéry Giscard d’Estaing” since 2021) is a national museum inaugurated in 1986.

Located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris along the left bank of the Seine, overlooking the Édouard-Glissant promenade, it is housed in the former Orsay station, built by Victor Laloux from 1898 to 1900 and converted into a museum by decision of President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing. Its collections showcase Western art from 1848 to 1914, in all its diversity: painting, sculpture, decorative arts, graphic art, photography, architecture, etc. It is one of the largest museums in Europe for this period.

The museum boasts the largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings in the world, with nearly 1,100 canvases out of more than 3,650.

• Assemblée Nationale - Passage in front of the National Assembly

The history of national representation over two centuries is closely linked to the democratic principle and the challenging journey it underwent before achieving the recognition it deserves in French institutions today.

Although the French have periodically elected representatives since 1789, the method of appointment and the powers of these representatives have varied significantly over time, with periods of diminished parliamentary influence often coinciding with a decline in public freedoms. In this context, names are not insignificant. The term National Assembly, chosen during the fervor of 1789, did not reappear—except for a brief period in 1848—until 1946. In the interim, various names were used.

• Pont Alexandre III - Passage under the Alexandre III bridge

Inaugurated for the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1900, the bridge was intended to symbolize the Franco-Russian friendship, established by the alliance signed in 1891 between Emperor Alexander III (1845-1894) and the President of the French Republic, Sadi Carnot. The first stone was laid by Tsar Nicolas II of Russia, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, and President Félix Faure on October 7, 1896. The construction of this architectural masterpiece was entrusted to engineers Jean Résal and Amédée Alby, as well as architects Cassien-Bernard and Gaston Cousin.

Built in alignment with the Esplanade des Invalides, it connects to the Petit and Grand Palais, also constructed for the Universal Exhibition.

On the column, right bank downstream, this inscription was engraved: “On April 14, 1900, Émile Loubet, President of the French Republic, opened the Universal Exhibition and inaugurated the Alexandre-III bridge.”

• Eiffel Tower - Passage in front of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron tower standing 324 meters tall, located in Paris.

Constructed in two years by Gustave Eiffel and his team for the Universal Exhibition of Paris in 1889, celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution, it was initially named the “300-meter tower.” It has since become the symbol of the French capital and a leading tourist attraction: it was the third most visited French cultural site in 2015, with 5.9 million visitors in 2016. Since its opening to the public, it has welcomed over 300 million visitors.

• Private transportation included

Experience Paris in a completely new and distinct way. We will guide you through the picturesque capital from a unique and unconventional perspective, namely from the waters of the Seine.

As you traverse the city by water, you’ll encounter numerous iconic monuments and bridges. Our dedicated team will be on hand to answer any queries and provide details about the landmarks you pass by.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.