In short
- What’s there: the Louvre, the Tuileries Garden, the Palais-Royal, Place Vendôme, the Sainte-Chapelle, the Conciergerie, the Orangerie and the Bourse de Commerce.
- Location: the Right Bank of the Seine, including the western part of the Île de la Cité.
- Who it suits: anyone who likes to get around on foot and prefers to sleep close to the main sights.
- Good to know: the lines are long and prices are high, so book tickets ahead and head out early.
- Food markets: two, Saint-Honoré and Les Halles, and both are open on Sunday morning.
- Restaurants: two recommendations in the arrondissement itself and two more a short walk away in the 2nd.
- Walking itineraries: four complete itineraries inside the arrondissement and ten more that pass through it.
The 1st arrondissement sits in the heart of Paris, on the Right Bank of the Seine, and it also takes in the western part of the Île de la Cité. I’ve stayed here a few times, and I admit I have a soft spot for it. The concentration of sights is remarkable: the Louvre, the Tuileries Garden, the Palais-Royal, the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie are all within walking distance of one another.
For a traveler it’s a wonderful arrondissement to stay in, especially if you like to cover a lot of ground on foot. When I stayed here I’d set out on foot in the morning and, without a single metro ride, reach two or three of the sites on my list for the day. There’s a flip side, of course: the lines are long, prices are high, and the streets around the Louvre are packed at peak hours. So book your tickets ahead and head out early.
So before we set off, here is what you’ll find on this page: first the hotels and apartments I recommend in the arrondissement, then the attractions and museums one by one, the restaurants I send people to, the arrondissement’s two food markets with their days and hours, and finally the walking itineraries that pass through here.
Recommended Hotels in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
The 1st offers almost every level of hotel, from no-compromise luxury to small, basic hotels in a location nothing can beat. If you’re not sure what suits you, answer three questions and I’ll pick from my recommendations:
My personal pick
Which hotel in the 1st arrondissement suits you?
One short question, and I will pick out of the places I already checked and wrote about on the site the ones that fit the trip you are planning.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Prefer to go through all my recommendations yourself, with photos and details on every hotel? Here is my page of recommended hotels in the 1st.
Recommended Apartments in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
If you’d rather pop down to the bakery in the morning and come back with a fresh baguette than sit in a hotel breakfast room, an apartment is the answer. Here too, you can let me choose:
My personal pick
Which apartment in the 1st arrondissement suits you?
One question about the area, and I will filter the apartments I checked and wrote about on the site. The apartments I recommend directly get booked very fast, so I added excellent Booking.com apartments that I hand-picked for my readers.
One moment, I am going over my recommendations to find what fits you…
Want to go through all the apartments I recommend, with photos and details? Here is my page of recommended apartments in the 1st.
Attractions and Museums in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
These are the sites I recommend in the 1st, from the best known to a few you may not have heard of. Book your tickets ahead, because the lines in Paris show no mercy to anyone.
-
Must see
The Louvre
The largest museum in the world, and don’t try to see all of it in one day. All you’ll get is art poisoning.
This is home to the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, alongside a vast collection of classical art, Egyptian antiquities and art of the ancient Near East. Because of its size, decide ahead of time which wings you’re visiting, or you’ll find yourself walking for three hours and remembering nothing.
-
Architectural gem
Sainte-Chapelle
The chapel Louis IX (reigned 1226–1270) built to house the Crown of Thorns, with the most beautiful stained glass in Paris.
The upper level is wrapped almost entirely in 13th-century stained-glass windows, and the effect depends completely on the light. Come on a sunny day, ideally at an hour when the sun comes in from the side, and you’ll understand what everyone is talking about. The chapel is in the same complex as the Conciergerie, so it’s worth checking for a combined ticket.
-
Conciergerie
A medieval royal palace that became a prison during the Revolution, and where Marie Antoinette (1755–1793) was held before her execution.
The great Gothic hall on the ground floor is one of the most impressive secular medieval interiors to survive in France. Marie Antoinette’s cell has been reconstructed inside. The history here is fascinating, but it’s also dark, so it’s worth preparing for that ahead of time if you’re coming with kids.
-
Art
Musée de l’Orangerie
A must for lovers of Impressionism, and especially for fans of Claude Monet (1840–1926).
Monet’s giant Water Lilies cycle is shown here in two oval rooms designed especially for it, and that’s a completely different experience from seeing a painting on a wall in a big museum. The lower floor shows works by Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841–1919) and Henri Matisse (1869–1954). The atmosphere is intimate and calm, unlike its big neighbors.
-
Hôtel de la Marine
The former headquarters of the French Navy, which went through a massive restoration and became a fascinating museum.
This is your chance to peek at the interior design of the 18th-century aristocracy without leaving Paris, and the restoration is exceptionally meticulous. The balconies look out over Place de la Concorde, itself a historic site with a heavy past. The place is less known than its neighbors, so it’s also less crowded.
-
Modern art
Bourse de Commerce
A museum of modern art in the building of the historic grain exchange, home to the art collection of François Pinault (born 1936).
The pairing of the historic building with the concrete cylinder set inside it is the main reason to come, even if modern art doesn’t usually speak to you. The exhibitions change, so it’s worth checking what’s on before you buy a ticket.
-
Fashion and design
Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD)
Housed in the Marsan wing of the Louvre, it shows design, furniture, fashion and jewelry from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The fashion exhibitions here are among the most talked about in Europe, and that’s the main reason I send people here. There’s another advantage: the museum is far less crowded than the Louvre next door, even though it sits in the same building. Lovers of beautiful things will easily spend two or three hours here.
-
Great for families
Museum of Illusions (Musée de l’Illusion)
An interactive experience where nothing is what it seems, and one of those attractions kids don’t want to leave.
Upside-down rooms, holograms and optical illusions that confuse the senses, plus some very good photo opportunities. It’s not an attraction that will fill a whole day, but it’s a great solution for an hour and a half between two heavy museums, especially if the kids have already used up their supply of patience.
-
Free entry
Palais-Royal
The palace Cardinal Richelieu (1585–1642) built for himself, surrounded by the quietest garden in central Paris.
The palace itself houses the Conseil d’État today and isn’t open to visitors, but the garden and courtyards are open and free. The main courtyard holds the columns of Daniel Buren (born 1938), an installation that caused a public uproar when it was put up and has since become a much-loved photo spot. The garden is framed by an arcade with antique shops, and it’s one of the corners I come back to on every visit.
-
Free entry
Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries)
The first public garden in Paris, and to this day the green corridor linking the Louvre to the Concorde.
The garden was originally laid out in the classic French style, with straight avenues, round ponds and metal chairs you can drag wherever you like. In summer a funfair sets up here, and at the western end you’ll find the Musée de l’Orangerie and the Jeu de Paume gallery. If you’re walking between the Louvre and the Concorde, there’s no reason to do it on the street.
-
Free entry
Place Vendôme
The square of the great jewelers, with the column Napoleon raised to celebrate his victory at Austerlitz in the middle.
The column in the middle of the square has seen several statues come down over the years, and every change of regime in France left its mark on it. The luxury jewelers of Paris and the Ritz hotel line the square, so it’s worth crossing even if you have no intention of buying anything.
-
Free entry
Pont Neuf
The oldest bridge still standing in Paris, and despite its name (“New Bridge”), the one that changed how the city relates to its river.
Until this bridge was built, the bridges of Paris were lined with houses that blocked the view of the Seine completely. The Pont Neuf was the first built without houses, with sidewalks for pedestrians, and so the river itself became something to look at. Below it, at the western tip of the island, is the Square du Vert-Galant, a quiet corner that runs down to the water.
-
Free entry
Galerie Véro-Dodat
One of the most beautiful covered passages in Paris, and perhaps the only one where the floor is the reason to go in.
The passage links the Les Halles area to the Palais-Royal, and it was built at a time when covered passages were the way to shop without getting wet. The floor is laid in black and white tiles and the roof is glazed, so the light falls here in a way that’s hard to find anywhere else. The visit takes ten minutes, and every one of them is worth it.
-
Jeu de Paume
A gallery devoted entirely to photography and the image, at the western end of the Tuileries Garden.
The building was originally a court for jeu de paume (real tennis), the same game that gave its name to the Tennis Court Oath of 1789, and later it also served as a museum of Impressionist art. Today it’s one of the main addresses in Paris for photography exhibitions. The exhibitions change, so it’s worth checking what’s on before you buy a ticket.
More Sights in the 1st Arrondissement Worth Knowing
These are places you can walk into for free or see from the outside, with no ticket to book. I haven’t written a separate article about them yet, but if you’re wandering around the 1st, it’s worth knowing they’re there:
| Place | Address | Why stop there |
|---|---|---|
| Saint-Eustache church | 2 Impasse Saint-Eustache | Molière (1622–1673) was baptized here, Louis XIV made his first communion here, and Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619–1683) is buried here. Its great organ is worth hearing too |
| Saint-Roch church | 296 Rue Saint-Honoré | The bullet marks on the facade are said to date from 13 Vendémiaire (1795), when the young Napoleon broke up the insurgents with cannon fire. Pierre Corneille (1606–1684), Denis Diderot (1713–1784) and André Le Nôtre (1613–1700) are buried here |
| Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois church | 2 Place du Louvre | According to tradition, its bell gave the signal for the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre in 1572 |
| La Samaritaine | 9 Rue de la Monnaie | A historic department store, beautifully restored, with an Art Nouveau staircase and a glass roof |
| Comédie-Française | Place Colette | The national theater of France and the house of Molière. The foyer displays the armchair he sat in during his last performance |
| Place Dauphine | Tip of the Île de la Cité | The arrondissement’s quiet square, triangular and almost hidden, and from one side you go down to the Square du Vert-Galant |
| Fontaine des Innocents | Place Joachim-du-Bellay | The oldest monumental fountain in Paris, a Renaissance work, standing on the site of the city’s great cemetery, which was cleared in the late 18th century |
Tours and Activities in the 1st That Might Interest You
Show me more activities in Paris
And if you’re looking for attractions in other parts of the city, my Paris attractions page brings them all together in one place.
My Recommended Restaurants in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
The 1st isn’t the strongest arrondissement in Paris when it comes to food, and that makes sense: when so many tourists pass through such a small area, it’s very easy to open a mediocre restaurant and make a living from it. These are the two restaurants I send people to in the arrondissement itself:
| Restaurant | Type | Address | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond | Classic French | 24 Rue de la Grande Truanderie | A historic bouillon in the Les Halles area, with traditional French dishes at sensible prices |
| Juveniles | Wine bar | 47 Rue de Richelieu | A small wine bar with an interesting wine list and food that goes with it just right |
Two restaurants isn’t a lot, so it’s worth knowing that the border of the 2nd arrondissement is right here, within walking distance. These are two more I recommend, both just across the border:
| Restaurant | Type | Address | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Le Grand Colbert | Classic French | 2 Rue Vivienne | A late 19th-century style brasserie, one of those places that looks exactly like the picture you have in your head |
| Le Petit Vendôme | Reader’s pick | Near Place Vendôme | A tip I got from my reader Nadav Kahn: sandwiches and simple meals in a place where locals eat |
Looking for restaurants in other arrondissements? My page of recommended restaurants is organized by type of cuisine and by arrondissement.
Food Markets in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
Two city food markets operate in the 1st, and both are open-air rather than covered. Keep one thing in mind: in Paris a market isn’t open every day, and each one runs on its own fixed days. In this case there’s good news if you’re here for a weekend, because both markets are open on Sunday morning.
| Market | Address | Days and hours | Metro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marché Saint-Honoré | Place du Marché Saint-Honoré | Wednesday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Pyramides, Tuileries |
| Marché Les Halles (Saint-Eustache) | Rue Montmartre | Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Châtelet, Les Halles |
And if you’re in the 1st on a Tuesday or Friday, the Marché Bourse on Place de la Bourse in the 2nd is open on those days from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and it’s within walking distance. On my markets page you’ll find the recommended markets in the rest of the city.
Walking Itineraries in the 1st Arrondissement of Paris
I’ve written quite a few walking itineraries that pass through the 1st, and I’ve split them here into two groups. The first is itineraries that take place entirely, or almost entirely, inside the arrondissement. The second is itineraries that touch it but carry on into other arrondissements, so plan them for a day when you’re not staying in the center.
Itineraries Inside the 1st Arrondissement
Itineraries Through the 1st and Other Arrondissements
Want all the itineraries I’ve written, by arrondissement and by theme? My Paris walking itineraries page brings them all together.
The Next Step in Your Trip
Done planning the 1st? Now it’s time to discover what’s waiting for you in the rest of the city. The neighboring arrondissements deserve your attention: the Marais is just across Rue de Rivoli, and Saint-Germain-des-Prés is a walk away over the bridge.
And if you want to be ready ahead of time for every scenario, from restaurants to metro rides, my complete Paris guide brings together everything I’ve learned. Have a wonderful trip, and don’t forget to eat a macaron or two for me.
