Discover Paris by the Seine: 10 places to see in Paris on the Seine banks

Ready to start the tour?

 

The quays of the Seine in Paris / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: depositphotos

 

 

1 quai Saint Bernard: le jardin des plantes 

 

Le jardin des plantes / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: depositphotos.

 

Long located outside Paris, the Quai Saint Bernard takes its name from an abbey that stood there in the Middle Ages. Here you'll find the fabulous Jardin des Plantes, long called the King's Garden and which is Paris's first zoo. People used to come here to see exotic animals, notably the two elephants Castor and Pollux in the 19th century. As a sad anecdote, the animals were cooked in January 1871 during the Prussian siege of Paris, when Parisians had nothing to eat. A famous New Year's menu featured antelope roast or elephant soup (poor Castor and Pollux...). Today the menagerie is still there with animals to discover. The history of nature is presented at the Natural History Museum. The large greenhouses are worth a real detour. Likewise for the botanical collectionswith their rare indoor and outdoor plants. Further on the open-air sculpture museum features some forty sculptures by contemporary artists. It precedes the rear ofthe Sorbone, the University of Paris founded by Robert de Sorbon (hence its name) and part of whose buildings were commissioned by Cardinal de Richelieu (who rests at the Sorbone). 

 

The Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy in Paris. Part of the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle du Jardin des Plantes / Image chosen by monsieurdefrance.com :   via depositphotos

 

What to see on Quai Saint Bernard

1. The plant garden 
2. The Tino Rossi garden
3. Le musée de la sculpture en plein-air 
4. The Sorbonne University of Paris 

 

Les grandes serres du jardin des plantes / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: via depositphotos

 

Go to quai Saint Bernard 

• Address : quai Saint Bernard 75 005 PARIS 
• Métro : Gare d'Austerlitz (lines 5 and 10), Jussieu (lines 7 and 10) and Censier - Daubenton (line 7)
• Batobus : station jardin des plantes.

 

 

 

 

2 Quai de la Tournelle: booksellers and Notre Dame

 

The view of Notre Dame from the Quai de la Tournelle in Paris / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: depositphotos

 

The Quai de la Tournelle, which extends into the Port de Montebello, is one of the most beautiful vantage points in Paris. From the quay you can see to the right the île saint Louis, which extends the ile de la Cité, a very elegant part of Paris with many magnificent buildings. On the left, one of the most famous views ofthe ile de la Cité and the back of Notre Dame de Paris. You'll also come across numerous secondhand booksellers. This district is also home to one of Paris's most famous restaurants: La Tour d'Argent. Famous, in particular, for its duck pressed in a silver press and its view over Paris. Also worth seeing, not far away, the Institut du Monde Arabe. Inaugurated in 1987, the building was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. It features exhibitions and a museum. It is also a place for cultural exchange and encounters.

 

What to see quai de la tournelle  - Port de Montebello ?

1. Ile Saint Louis and its private mansions 
2. Rear view of Notre Dame de Paris 
3. The Arab World Institute

 

L'institut du Monde Arabe / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: pathastings via depositphotos

 

Go to quai de la tournelle

• Address: Quai de la tournelle ou Port de Montebello 75 005 PARIS
• Métro Cardinal Lemoine (line 10) and Pont-Marie (line 7).
• Batobus station Notre Dame

 

The archbishop's bridge will take you to Notre Dame / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: par edmondlafoto de Pixabay

 

 

3 Quai de Gesvres: Paris City Hall

 

Paris City Hall / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com : Lindrik via depositphotos. 

 

The Quai de Gesvre is an extension of the Quai de l'Hôtel de Ville de Paris, which has stood here since the Middle Ages. The current building was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. To discover its history, click on the photo. This quai de l'hôtel de ville was originally a "grève", a sandy area used to unload ships in the Middle Ages and until the 18th century. It was on the "place de grève", now the place de l'hôtel de ville, that executions were carried out. All of France's history has passed through here, from the creation of the colors bleu blanc rouge in 1789 to the Paris Commune in 1871 and the Liberation of Paris in August 1944. We're right next to Notre Dame de Paris and the famous Queen Elizabeth II flower market(she actually came to inaugurate it in person). Also worth a look are the famous bouquinistes, who've been around since the 19th century, selling all sorts of second-hand books and old drawings. You're sure to find what you're looking for, not only in literature, but also in decoration, with engravings of Paris for framing;

 

What to see quai de Gesvre quai de l'hôtel de ville ? 

1. Paris town hall (just before the start of the quay) 
2. Les bouquinistes 
3. The flower market (opposite on the Île de la Cité)

 

Booksellers are also the soul of Paris / photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: frantic00 via depositphotos

 

Aller quai de Gesvres

• Address; quai de Gesvres ou quai de l'hôtel de ville 75 004 PARIS
• Métro : 1 and 11 to metro station Hôtel de Ville and by lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14 to station Châtelet.
• Batobus : hôtel de ville station

 

 

4 Quai de la mégisserie: view of the Conciergerie

 

From the Quai de la mégisserie you'll see the magnificent ensemble of the Conciergerie / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com : by David Délis from Pixabay

 

The Quai de la mégisserie is one of the oldest quays in Paris. Il got its name from the fact that herds of oxen or cows arrived there to be selected by the capital's butchers, and that mooing could be heard. It's located not far from the Place du Chatelet, which takes its name from the Châtelet de Paris, a large keep that was for a long time the central police station (dare I say it) of Paris, particularly in the Middle Ages. It was demolished in the 19th century and replaced by a square that is the heart of Paris and features a superb Egyptian-style statue. Paris and France have always been passionate about Egypt. See also the Conciergerie, right in front of you, which is Paris's courthouse. This is the former palace of the kings of France in their capital, before the Louvre, then the Tuileries and Versailles took over. Here you can see the reconstructed cell where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. The oldest clock in Paris (on the quai de l'horloge à langle de la Conciergerie) dates back to the Middle Ages and is one of the oldest clocks in Europe. Further on, the Pont Neuf takes you to the Île de la Cité and Notre Dame.

 

The Conciergerie clock is one of the oldest in the world / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: pyty via depositphotos

 

What to see quai de la mégisserie? 

1. Place du Chatelet and the Egyptian-style Palm Fountain
2. the view of the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice (opposite, on the Quai de l'Horloge)
3. Pont neuf

 

Le pont neuf / photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com : Pascale Gueret/ Shutterstock.com

 

Aller quai de la mégisserie 

• Address: quai de la mégisserie 75001 PARIS
• Métro : Métro line 1 station "Châtelet" or "Hôtel de Ville" 
• Batobus hôtel de ville pont d'Arcole

 

 

5 quai du Louvre: the Louvre

 

The Louvre as seen from the Seine with the Quai de la mégisserie at its feet/ Photo masterlu via depositphotos.

 

The quay has run alongside the louvre since the castle's origins, notably the medieval fortified castle whose moat the seine encircled. It became, over time,the palace of the kings of France. Enlarged over the centuries (the square courtyard is the oldest part), with, until the 19th century the Tuileries palace in its extension, it was adorned in the 20th century with the famous Louvre pyramid.It's the largest museum in the world. One of the oldest, too, since it was officially founded in 1793 and was already welcoming artists when the King of France was living in Versailles. Not far away, the church of Saint Germain l'Auxerrois, whose bells rang the beginning of the terrible Saint Barthélémy and the massacre of Paris Protestants on August 23, 1572. La Samaritaine is not far away, it was long one of the world's most beautiful stores. Its facade blends Art Nouveau and Art Deco with great finesse. 

 

The Louvre pyramid erected in 1988 under the direction of the Chinese Leo Ming Pei. It weighs 85 tons

 

What to see quai du Louvre ? 

1. the Louvre palace 
2. Saint Germain l'Auxerrois church
3. La Samaritaine

 

The interior of the Samaritaine / photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: depositphotos

 

Aller quai du Louvre 

• Address : quai du louvre 75 001 PARIS
• Métro : line 1 stop Louvre Rivoli / Line 7 stop Pont Neuf
• Batobus : station Louvre

 

 

6 quai de Conti: the Pont des Arts and the Institut de France

 

Quai Conti by night, with the dome of the Académie Française. In front, the Pont des Arts, which leads to the Louvre across the Seine / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance: depositphotos

 

Quai de Conti, also known as "Quai Conti", is the quay of ideas, since it's here that the Institut de France is located. Founded in 1795, the Institut de France is housed on the banks of the Seine in the elegant building of the former Collège des Quatre-Nations, designed by Louis Le Vau (to whom we owe part of Versailles and above all his masterpiece: the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte). The Institut de France symbolizes French intellectual and cultural excellence, and groups together 5 academies. The Académie française is famous for its role in the defense and evolution of the French language (this is where the official dictionary of the French Language is developed). L'Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres is dedicated to historical and philological sciences. L'Académie des sciences is at the service of scientific advances. L'Académie des beaux-arts protects the visual arts and creation in general and the'Académie des sciences morales et politiques explores issues of philosophy,

Not far away, le pont des arts makes for superb photography. You can also visit the Monnaie de Paris, where coins and banknotes have long been produced. Today, it produces commemorative coins, some of which are magnificent collectors' items. 

 

Quai Conti from afar / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com : alaindemaximy via dépositphotos

 

What to see on quai Conti  

1. The art bridge
2. The Institut de France (including the Académie Française)
3. The Paris Mint and its museum;

 

The members of the Académie Française are famous for their custom-made green suits and their parry swords, each of which is made for its owner and therefore carries different symbols .

/ Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com ; By Glotz - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3178042

 

Go to quai de conti 

• Address : quai de Conti 75 006 PARIS
• Métro Odéon (lines 4 and 10) and Saint-Michel (line 4)
• Batobus : Louvre station

 

 

7 quai Voltaire: the iconic Parisian quay

 

The Quai Voltaire and its typical architecture / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: By CVB - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148041820

 

The Quai Voltaire is emblematic of Parisian quays with its typical architecture. At number 13, you'll find the Hôtel Pioust de Saint Gilles, the narrowest private mansion in Paris at just 2.50 meters wide. It bears the name of Voltaire, the great 18th-century philosopher, who died here in 1778. There are many art galleries. It's also one of the oldest quays in Paris as far as the bouquinistes are concerned, having been there since at least the early 19th century. Opposite,there's the Tuileries garden, which extends the Louvre Museum towards Place de la Concorde.It's named after the former Tuileries palace, destroyed by arson during the Paris Commune in 1871. Also worth seeing is the Caroussel du Louvre triumphal arch which marked the honorary entrance to the Tuileries palace and was erected on Napoleon's orders between 1806 and 1809. In polychrome marble, it is surmounted by a gilded four-horse quadriga which is a beauty that was taken from Venice by Bonaparte in 1798. Venice having taken it from Constantinople during the Crusades.

 

The narrowest townhouse in Paris is at 13 quai Voltaire / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com : By Mbzt - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16918436

 

What to see on Quai Voltaire

1. private mansions 
2. Caroussel du Louvre (opposite)
3. The Caroussel triumphal arch (opposite)
4. Tuileries Gardens (opposite)

 

L'Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is a triumphal arch in Paris, located place du Carrousel du Louvre / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: gilmanshin via depositphotos

 

Go quai Voltaire

• Address : quai du louvre 75 001 PARIS
• Métro : line 1 stop Louvre Rivoli / Line 7 stop Pont Neuf
• Batobus : station Louvre

 

 

8 Quai d'Orsay: the Musée d'Orsay and Concorde

 

The Musée d'Orsay on the Quai d'Orsay / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com:  by Pierre Blaché de Pixabay

 

The Quai d'Orsay is an unmissable stroll to discover the elegance of Paris, between historic heritage, Seine landscapes and prestigious cultural sites. There are some very fine hôtels particuliers and, notably, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nicknamed the "Quai d''Orsay" It's also close to the Musée d'Orsay, which is worth a detour in its own right. It is housed in the former Orsay train station, built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. Abandoned over the years, it was transformed into a museum and opened to the public in 1986. Not far away, at the end of the quay, you'll find the National Assembly in the Palais Bourbon and the Concorde Bridge and Place de la Concorde;

 

The clock at the Musée du quai d'Orsay / Photo selected by monsieurdefrance.com: dépositphotos

 

What to see at Quai d'Orsay

1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (known as the Quai d'Orsay)
2. Musée d'Orsay (in the Gare d'Orsay)
3. Concorde bridge 
4. Place de la Concorde
5. The National Assembly

 

The interior of the Musée d'Orsay: Statue of the Muse and exhibition room inside the Musée DOrsay in Paris. It is housed in the former Gare d'Orsay, a Beaux-Arts station built between 1898 and 1900. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com / Depositphotos

 

Go to Quai d'Orsay 

• Address : quai d'Orsay 75 007 PARIS
• Metro: Line 12 Solférino station

 

 

9 Cours la Reine: Grand Palais and Concorde

 

Le Grand Palais / Image chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: Jovannig via dépositphotos.

 

The Cours la Reine runs along the Seine from the Place de la Concorde. It runs alongside sumptuous Parisian monuments such as the Grand Palaiswhich was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It's one of the largest glass monuments in the world and, if you like art nouveau, it's truly emblematic of it. Numerous exhibitions of international stature have been held here, and more are presented every year. Further on, there's the Petit Palais, with its elegant interior garden and overflowing with works of art, sculptures but also paintings by famous artists like Monnet. Opposite you, a little further on, is the superb Pont Alexandre III, the most beautiful bridge in Paris, installed for the 1900 Universal Exhibition and dedicated to Tsar Alexander III, France being allied with the Russian Empire at the time. Behind its four pylons adorned with gilded allegories and its double line of lampposts, you can make out the dome of the Invalides. This gigantic complex was erected in the 17th century by the will of Louis XIV to house invalid soldiers. It includes Paris's second cathedral, and is the resting place of Napoleon 1st and many other great French military figures.

 

The Petit Palais entrance gate designed by Charles Girault. Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com; phototraveler via depositphotos.

 

What to see Cour la Reine - Port des Champs-élysées ?

1. Alexandre III Bridge
2. Les Invalides (opposite)
3. Le Grand Palais 
4. The Petit Palais
5. further afield: Concorde and the Champs-Elysées

 

The superb Pont Alexandre III / photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: shutterstock.

 

Aller Cours la Reine / port des champs-elysées

Address : Cours la Reine 75 008 PARIS

Metro: Champs-elysées Clémenceau or Concorde station

Batobus : Concorde

 

The invalids at sunrise from the Alexandre III bridge / by Dennis van de Water/Shutterstock.com 

 

 

10 Quai Branly: the musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac and the Eiffel Tower

 

The Quai Branly and its vegetated facade / Photo chosen by monsieurdefrance.com: depositphotos

 

First, the view is superb towards the Eiffel Tower, it's practically at the end of the quay. And then there's the musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac. Impressive architecture by Jean Nouvel, with its vegetated façade and fascinating collections of arts and crafts from around the world. An interior garden is also reminiscent of nature. The museum is dedicated to the arts and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas.

 

What to see at Quai Branly  

1. Quai Branly Museum
2. Iena Bridge and Eiffel Tower
3. Trocadero (opposite)
4. Bir-hakeim bridge

 

The quai branly and its stunning facade / Photo depositphotos.

 

Going to quai Branly / quai Jacques Chirac 

• Address : Quai Branly / Quai Jacques Chirac 75 007 PARIS 
• Métro : ligne 6 station Trocadéro ou ligne  9 station Trocadero ou Alma-Marceau
• Batobus : Tour Eiffel

 

 

 

 

How to visit Paris on the Seine?

 

The bato-bus

 

All the stations are here

 

 

Riverboats

 

Their history and instructions here

 

Go for a fly boat ride:

• Address: Port de la Conférence (near Pont de l'Alma) 75 008 PARIS 
• Métro : ALMA (Line 9) or CHAMPS-ELYSES - CLEMENCEAU (Lines 1 and 13)
• Bus : 28/42/49/63/72/80/83/92
• RER C: ALMA (Line C)