A local’s guide to rooftops and places for free views of Paris, from the Eiffel Tower to the Arc de Triomphe and secret spots like the Jardin Romantique!
What people don’t always realize is that there are so many spots for free views of Paris, and it’s not just about the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe.
Lately, I’ve been taking the time to wander all over the city to find those hidden gems I’ve been sharing with you – like the covered passages (Passage Jouffroy, Passage du Grand Cerf...) and those secret villages tucked away in the 13th arrondissement, like the Cité Florale.
Free Views of Paris: 20+ Most Beautiful Places to Visit
Today, I wanted to share some of my absolute favorite places for free views of Paris.
Whether it’s at Charles-de-Gaulle Étoile, up on the rooftop of the Printemps department store, or just standing right in front of the Sacré-Cœur with all of Paris stretching out at your feet.
Best Free Views in Paris: Place Sainte Genevieve and Rue Clotilde, View of The Pantheon
Not far from the Sainte-Geneviève library, you will find some of the best views of the Pantheon from Rue Clotilde, Place Sainte-Geneviève, and the surrounding streets.
We are in the heart of the 5th arrondissement, the intellectual quarter, and close to Rue Mouffetard and Place de la Contrescarpe, which form one of the loveliest hidden villages inside Paris.
Read: Taschen, Paris’s Best Bookstore For Design, Travel and Arts
Best Free Views in Paris: Printemps Haussmann Department Store
In the Haussmann district, the Printemps department store is one of the most beautiful places to go shopping in Paris.
Whether for fashion or home accessories, Printemps is a historic Parisian institution where you will find, among other things, a magnificent Art Deco staircase, as well as one of the best rooftops for free views of Paris.
Read: Brentano’s, The American Bookstore in Paris Filled With Wonders
Best Free Views in Paris: View from the Sacré Coeur
Near the Sacré-Cœur, the Butte Montmartre also offers some of the most beautiful free views of Paris, specifically over the Parisian rooftops and the Eiffel Tower.
In Montmartre, you will also find the historic Marché Saint-Pierre and Reine, legendary spots for fabric remnants of all kinds and at every price point.
Read: Assouline, The Mindblowing Parisian Bookstore Split In Two
Best Free Views in Paris: Arènes de Lutèce, 5th Arrondissement
Not far from Jussieu and its impressive Sorbonne University, the Arènes de Lutèce stand as one of the few remaining Roman sites in the city.
Today, they form a magnificent garden with a perfect view of historic buildings.
You can spend time in the garden at the entrance or sit down, have a picnic, and watch people play pétanque on the amphitheater stands.
Best Free Views in Paris: Jardin des Tuileries
The Jardin des Tuileries is one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris, located between Concorde and the Louvre Museum.
Although it is even more welcoming in the spring and autumn, the Tuileries – with its myriad of classical sculptures scattered throughout the park and its two ponds filled with ducks – is a very romantic place to visit.
It is also the perfect spot to admire classical art before heading into the Louvre, or having breakfast at Le Ju’ on Rue des Archives nearby.
Read: 1st Arrondissement of Paris: The Best Places to Visit
Best Free Views in Paris: Île aux Cygnes with the Statue of Liberty
The Île aux Cygnes, near the Beaugrenelle shopping center, is a bit more of a secret spot where you can find a replica of the Statue of Liberty – the same as the one in New York, just smaller.
It offers a direct view of buildings with original architecture and the boats moored along the Seine.
Looking back, you can follow the promenade all the way to the Bir-Hakeim bridge, which also offers one of the best free views of Paris and its iconic Eiffel Tower.
Best Free Views in Paris: Place Benjamin Fondane, 5th Arrondissement
When you take Rue Rollin, not far from Jussieu and Place Monge, you will find Place Benjamin Fondane perched up high.
All you have to do is come from Rue Rollin and take the stairs on either the left or right side of the vertical hanging garden.
It might be a small view of the city, but it is one of the great free views of Paris and an absolutely incredible spot for taking selfies.
Best Free Views in Paris: Jardin Romantique at Parc de Bercy
The romantic garden at Parc de Bercy is located very close to the Cour Saint-Émilion metro station on line 14.
It is a tiny garden with a house, a bridge, and a pond that form one of the most picturesque spots in the city, featuring a strange statue made of several stone faces.
Once you have finished visiting the romantic garden, head over to the Musée Détourné at Cour Saint-Émilion; you will find famous paintings revisited with Playmobil characters.
Best Free Views in Paris: Barbès-Rochechouart Station
It is true that Barbès is a neighborhood in Paris that many people avoid because it has a reputation for being dangerous.
Still, the Barbès-Rochechouart metro station is one of the most beautiful in Paris, and from there you will have a direct view of Haussmann buildings and the Sacré-Cœur.
Best Free Views in Paris: Pont de Tolbiac
The Tolbiac Bridge in the 13th arrondissement is a place I love because it connects one of my favorite Parisian neighborhoods with Bercy, the romantic garden we just mentioned, and Cour Saint-Émilion.
It is also the spot where you will have a direct view of the François Mitterrand Library, which is probably the most famous library in the city.
Best Free Views in Paris: La Conciergerie and Pont-Neuf
If you are near Châtelet or Saint-Michel and want to take beautiful landscape photos of Paris, it is possible to get magnificent shots from one of the city’s bridges, such as the famous Pont-Neuf, which offers a direct view of the Conciergerie.
Whether in Châtelet or Saint-Michel, you will find plenty of things to do nearby, like visiting Rue de Buci (with Taschen and Maison Sauvage), stopping by a beautiful bookstore like Shakespeare and Company, or checking out Boulinier for fabulous second-hand books.
Best Free Views in Paris: La Défense
La Défense is one of my favorite spots in Paris, even if technically the Westfield Les 4 Temps shopping center itself isn’t located in Paris but in the 92.
And yet, at La Défense, you will find some of the best free views of Paris, whether from the Esplanade de la Défense with its direct view of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées, or from the Place Basse de Courbevoie with its magnificent garden filled with face sculptures, offering a stunning view of the financial district’s skyscrapers.
Best Free Views in Paris: Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The Bir-Hakeim Bridge is probably one of the most famous places when it comes to finding a free view of Paris.
It is located at the Passy metro station on line 6, and there you can see the Seine, the Eiffel Tower in all its glory, and beautiful buildings with perfect angles for photos.
Best Free Views in Paris: Promenade Marie de Roumanie
The Promenade Marie de Roumanie is another well-known spot for finding free views of Parisian monuments like the Eiffel Tower.
I took this photo during the Olympic Games, when there were still many sculptures representing athletes scattered all around the Eiffel Tower.
The Promenade Marie de Roumanie is clearly one of the most beautiful places you could find in Paris to pose in front of the Eiffel Tower and buildings with finely sculpted reliefs.
Best Free Views in Paris: Pont Alexandre III
The Alexandre III Bridge is located a bit closer to Concorde and the Tuileries Garden.
It is one of the most beautiful examples of Art Nouveau in Paris, a bridge of unparalleled beauty with a view of the Eiffel Tower that becomes even more magnificent as the sun sets.
If you want to see a bit of Paris at night, I really love watching the sunset over the Eiffel Tower and then heading back toward the Champs-Élysées or Rue de Rivoli, where you will find shops open for a good part of the evening.
Best Free Views in Paris: Charles de Gaulle Étoile
All around Charles de Gaulle Étoile, you will find eight incredibly exquisite avenues that all offer a view of the Arc de Triomphe and the roundabout where the traffic never seems to stop.
At the corner of Rue d’Armaille, you will find L’Écluse; when you turn your back to it, you can take a shot similar to the first one.
I took the above photo at the exit of the Charles de Gaulle Étoile station, which offers a breathtaking view of the arch and its architecture.
Best Free Views of Paris: Pont d’Austerlitz and Quai de la Rapee
The Austerlitz Bridge and Quai de la Rapée are another somewhat more secret spot when it comes to having a lovely view of the Seine and Parisian buildings.
The Austerlitz Bridge is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris, magnificently carved and sculpted, with barges resting on the Seine.
Best Free Views of Paris: Avenue de New York and Palais de Tokyo
Avenue de New York and the Palais de Tokyo are two places, like the Promenade Marie de Roumanie, that offer a magnificent and totally free view of the Eiffel Tower.
I particularly like the Palais de Tokyo because you will also find many very well-preserved sculptures there, as well as a terrace at the café-restaurant where it is great to relax during the spring or summer.
Best Free Views of Paris: Canal Saint-Martin
The Canal Saint-Martin, near République, is a truly local spot where you will find many Parisians at the end of the day when the weather is warm and sunny, chatting and enjoying a picnic.
République is a square full of restaurants and cafés, and nearby you will find Rue du Temple – one of the best streets for shopping in Paris – which leads toward the Marais and its shops and free museums.
Best Free Views of Paris: La Vache Noire Shopping Center
The Vache Noire shopping center is a place little known to tourists visiting Paris for the first time.
La Vache Noire is located toward Arcueil-Cachan.
Behind the shopping center on the first floor, if I am not mistaken, you will find a walkway illuminated at night – a flat promenade that is lit up beautifully with a great view of the surrounding buildings.
Best Free Views of Paris: Concorde and Rue de Rivoli
Concorde and Rue de Rivoli are some of the city’s hotspots, where locals and tourists always mingle, looking for details, the latest Instagrammable café, or the must-see monument.
At the end of Rue de Rivoli, at Place de la Concorde, you will find a magnificent fountain, an obelisk, and the Eiffel Tower, which looks stunning even when it rains in Paris.
Best Free Views of Paris: Avenue Rapp
Avenue Rapp is a place I love enormously in Paris because at number 29, you will find the Lavirotte building, one of the most beautiful examples of Art Nouveau in the city.
Not far from the Lavirotte building, you also have 3 Square Rapp, which contains magnificent buildings that are not to be missed if you love history and architecture.
Square Rapp and 29 Avenue Rapp provide an immediate view of the Eiffel Tower, looking incredibly majestic between the low buildings.
Free Views of Paris: 20+ Most Beautiful Places to Visit
