The range of attractions in Paris make it a one-stop vacation destination, a trip made easier if you study the Paris Metro and feel comfortable using a Metro pass on the subways and buses. Though Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe top most to-do lists, you can also visit lesser known, but just as fascinating, attractions in the City of Light.

Musee National du Moyen Age, Thermes de Cluny

Take the Metro subways or buses to get around the large metropolitan area.

The Museum of the Middle Ages ( is housed in the former Hotel de Cluny, a 15th-century structure that was once the temporary home of Mary Tudor, widow of Louis XII. Within the dark, turreted walls you can view medieval arts and crafts including "The Lady and the Unicorn" tapestries, 12th- and 13th-century crosses, stained glass, jewelry, leatherwork and statue fragments from Notre-Dame. Venture down to see the ruins of Roman baths, circa 200 A.D., constructed of stone walls five feet thick. Outside, the garden pathways beckon with views of gargoyles and seashell-motif dormers of the Gothic building. You can reflect on your visit at a neighborhood brasserie or sidewalk cafe.

Cimetiere du Pere-Lachaise

Pere-Lachaise's plentiful statues and monuments make the cemetery an inviting stop for tourists

The hillside Pere-Lachaise Cemetery ( is the resting place of many notables. An off-the-beaten-path tourist destination, here is where you can ramble through the lanes of 19th-century sculptures, unexpected monuments and gardens in this famous European cemetery. Pay your respects to Oscar Wilde, Jim Morrison, Yves Montand, Frederic Chopin, Isadora Duncan, Georges Bizet and others. Contemplate monuments honoring French citizens who died in Nazi concentration camps or the Resistance; you can obtain a free cemetery map from the newsstand across from the main entrance.

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres Rooftop Tower

Take the steep stone steps to the Notre-Dame rooftop for a panoramic view.

Seeing Notre-Dame ( is on many tourists' must-do list, but few head to the rooftop where you can experience a completely different aspect of the famous church. On the north side of the church take the ascending stone staircase, a tight, steep spiral leading to the north tower 46 feet above. This is a strenuous trek which many tourists do not attempt, but the views atop are astounding as you look out over the Seine and various quarters of the city. Walk along the open-air chimera gallery. A chimera is a stone carved monster or fanciful creature. Chimeras differ from gargoyles in that the latter are rainwater drains. The belfry is inside the south tower. Quasimodo rings the bell in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Much of the story's action takes place in the towers. Ascend the spiral staircase to the top of the south tower. Walk the perimeter of the tower while enjoying a bird's eye view of the city. To the west pick out the Palais de Justice, Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. You can see Sacre-Coeur of Montmartre to the north and Ile Saint-Louis to the east; on the south horizon look for Les Invalides' gold cupola. Locate the 12 Apostles' copper statues surrounding the spire. Descend an equally tightly spiraled steep staircase in the south tower to regain ground level.

Getting Around Paris

Day or night, the Eiffel Tower is a Paris icon each visitor should see.

Plan your daily excursions with a map, your destination's hours of operation and a Metro Pass ( Museums usually close one day a week, but not all are closed on the same day. Purchase a Metro Pass at a rail station, where you can ask for an agent's help in determining which pass will meet your needs. You should be able to find someone to answer a question whether in a Metro station or along the sidewalk.

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