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Paris · History

From the Île de la Cité to the Palais-Royal: eight centuries of power

Paris was born on an island in the Seine and spread to the Right Bank, following its kings. This route retraces that journey: the cathedral, Saint Louis's chapel, the palace that became a prison, the oldest bridge, the Louvre and the Palais-Royal, where the Revolution found its spark.

  • 6 stops
  • 2.3 km
  • 2 h
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
The stone arches of the Pont Neuf over the Seine

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 1 Notre-Dame CathedralEight centuries of French history in front of a façade that survived revolution, neglect and fire.
  2. 2 Sainte-ChapelleThe giant reliquary Saint Louis built to house the Crown of Thorns.
  3. 3 The Conciergerie and the Clock TowerThe first public clock in Paris marks the corner of a royal palace that ended up as the guillotine's waiting room.
  4. 4 Pont Neuf and the statue of Henri IVThe ‘New Bridge’ is the oldest in Paris, and its king on horseback hides secrets inside the bronze.
  5. 5 The Louvre PalaceA medieval fortress that became a royal palace and then the most visited museum in the world.
  6. 6 Palais-RoyalRichelieu's palace, an arcaded garden and the café where the call to arms that led to the Bastille rang out.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

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  2. Walk to the spot

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What you’ll discover

From the Île de la Cité to the Palais-Royal: eight centuries of power

The island where it all began

Cathedral, royal chapel and law courts have shared the same island since the Middle Ages.

From throne to scaffold

The places where kings lived and where the Revolution put a queen on trial.

Stones that changed jobs

A fortress turned museum, a palace turned prison and a royal garden turned political club.

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