Few cities in the world are as familiar as Paris. From the Eiffel Tower to the Sacré-Coeur, the café-lined avenues to the beautiful, manicured gardens; the most visited city in the world can surely not hold too many secrets, can it?
With a history that spans more than 2000 years, and big plans for the future, it turns out it can.
Here are 15 facts about Paris you probably didn’t know:
1. The oldest café in Paris is almost a century older than the USA
Opened in 1686 by Sicilian chef, Procopio Cutò (or François Procope in French), the Café Procope predates the founding of the United States of America (established in 1776) by 90 years! By the 18th and 19th centuries, it had become a popular haven for artists, writers and intellectuals; it had even become so distinguished that luminaries such as Voltaire and Rousseau were reportedly counted among its regular patrons. Though the establishment holds the title of the oldest café in continuous operation in Paris, some sources report the original version closed down in 1872 and the current iteration was only reopened in 1920. Either way, there are few restaurants in the world where patrons can enjoy such fine dining in such a historical, almost mythical setting, and it’s definitely worth adding to your Parisian travel bucketlist.
2. The highest point in Paris is… complicated
Perched 130m (427 ft) above Paris, at the top of Montmartre; the Sacré-Cœur is often punted in travel brochures as the highest point in Paris. Add to that altitude the maximum height of the basilica, and you get a total height of 213m (699 ft). The iconic Eiffel Tower, on the other hand, has a total height of 324m (1063 ft); with the highest floor being located at a towering 276m (906 ft) – claiming the title of both the tallest structure and the highest accessible viewpoint in Paris. Interestingly, the highest natural point in Paris is located atop Montmartre at 130.53m (428 ft) above sea level, but is found in the Calvary Cemetery that flanks the Saint-Pierre de Montmartre church – adjacent to the famous Sacré-Cœur.
3. Pont Neuf (New Bridge) is the oldest bridge in Paris
At the time of its completion in 1607, the Pont Neuf was the newest bridge to connect the left and right banks of the Seine. Today, it is the oldest remaining bridge that still crosses the famous Parisian river. The Pont Neuf is composed of two separate spans; one with five arches that connects the left bank to the Île de la Cité – the island that is home to the renowned Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle cathedrals – and one with seven arches that connects the isle to the right bank.
4. Paris has a downsized replica of the Statue of Liberty
The original Statue of Liberty was gifted to the United States by France to commemorate US independence and the friendship between the two nations. Almost three years later, to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution, the American community in Paris reciprocated with a quarter-sized replica; considered by some to be an original working model used in the construction of Lady Liberty in New York. It is located just a short stroll from the Eiffel Tower at the tip of the artificial Île aux Cygnes (Isle of the Swans), and can be easily reached from the Pont de Grenelle. Surprisingly, this is not the only replica of the Statue of Liberty in Paris: there are at least 5 known replicas, two of the most famous being housed at Jardin du Luxembourg and the Musée d’Orsay.
5. The first ever photo of humans was taken in Paris
Though not the oldest photograph in existence, the View of the Boulevard du Temple is generally held to be the oldest known photograph that includes people. Taken in 1838 by Louis Daguerre, one of the fathers of photography, the image features two men, one having his shoes shined. While Paris might appear to be a ghost town in this image, the view actually featured a very busy street filled with moving people; however, only the two men in the bottom left stood in place long enough to be captured with a several-minute-long exposure.
6. The Louvre is the undisputed Queen of museums
With world-renowned works like the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Louvre is not only the most visited museum in Paris, it is also the most visited in the world. In 2019, it attracted a whopping 9.6 million visitors, over 2 million more than the National Museum of China in Beijing, the runner up. The Louvre is also one of the largest art museums in the world in terms of size, with 72 735 square meters of exhibition space dedicated to the display of 35 000 works at any given time (though the museum has well over 600 000 pieces within its collection).
7. A bartender from Paris reportedly invented the Bloody Mary
A French bartender by the name of Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary back in 1921. At the time, he was working at the famous Harry’s New York Bar in Paris – an establishment also accredited with the creation of cocktails such as the Blue Lagoon and the White Lady. Other claims attribute the creation of the classic Bloody Mary to two separate bartenders at the 21 Club in New York; but Petiot is believed to have refined it into what we know and love today.
8. Paris is no longer the largest French-speaking city in the world
As the capital and largest city of France, it would seem natural that Paris would be the largest French-speaking city in the world. Thanks to the country’s past as a colonial power though, French has a major global reach in the Americas, Asia and Africa. It is currently the 5th most spoken language on the planet. Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of these former French colonies, recently etched out Paris as the largest Francophone city in the world. Considered a megacity, Kinshasa had a metro population of over 17.2 million people in 2021, the majority of whom speak French as either a first language or a lingua franca. The Paris metropolitan region, on the other hand, was estimated to be home to just over 14.3 million residents in the same year – coming in at second place.
9. The Paris Metro is the 2nd busiest in all of Europe
With an annual ridership of 753 million passengers, the Paris Métro is the second busiest underground railway system in Europe; and with a system length of 225.1km (139.9 miles), it is the fourth-longest network on the continent. Where it ranks first, however, is in number of metro stations; with a total of 306 at the time of writing this article. Wondering which metro is the busiest in Europe then? Probably London, right? Wrong! With an annual ridership of more than 1.6 billion passengers, and a total track length of 435.7km (270.7 miles), the Moscow Metro is both the busiest and the largest metro system in Europe.
10. You can walk through Paris in under 2 hours
Let’s just quickly clarify: the Greater Paris metro region is absolutely huge (one of the largest urban areas in Europe for that matter); but Paris city proper (the central region composed of the 20 arrondissements or districts), is actually extremely walkable and can easily be explored on foot! As you can see on the map above, walking from Porte de la Chapelle metro station in the north to Porte d’Italie metro station in the south will not only take just under 2 hours, but will also take you past many of the city’s premier attractions!
11. Paris has been inhabited for millennia and was even visited by Julius Caesar
While some of the oldest traces of human remains in the region date back as far as 8000BC, it was an Iron Age Gallic tribe known as the Parisii (also where the city later got its modern name) who first settled Paris around 300BC to 225BC. Back then the settlement was known as Lucotocia (in Greek accounts) or Leucotecia (in Roman accounts). Julius Caesar himself referenced it as the place where, in 53BC, he met with the council of the Gallic tribes; and in the following year it was also besieged and taken over by the Romans. They reorganised the town, which was renamed “Lutetia”, into their famous grid structure; and many of the Roman era ruins can still be explored in Paris today. Of course, the city’s fascinating history doesn’t stop there! To find out more check out these articles on World History Encyclopedia or Wikipedia.
12. Paris is home to the most visited cemetery in the world
The massive Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and is renowned for the elaborate tombstones, mausoleums and monuments that adorn the graves and tombs of some incredibly notable figures that have been laid to rest here. It is estimated that the cemetery and park is visited by approximately 3.5 million people each year! Some of the most notable figures buried here include Frédéric Chopin, Édith Piaf, Marcel Proust, Oscar Wilde, Georges Bizet and Sarah Bernhardt. The most visited grave of them all, however, belongs to Jim Morrison; the former lead singer of the rock band, The Doors. Morrison was found dead in the bathtub of his rented Paris apartment on 3 July 1971, the cause of death still unconfirmed to this day. He was only 27 at the time, which made him a member of the infamous 27 Club conspiracy.
13. Before the fire of 2019, the Notre-Dame was the most visited landmark in Paris (by far)
On 15 April 2019, during restoration, the roof of the Notre-Dame caught fire and much of the cathedral was destroyed in the 15-hour blaze. Before this tragic event, the cathedral drew roughly 13.6 million visitors a year to its impressive Gothic architecture and beautiful stained-glass windows. To put that into perspective, the Louvre’s all-time record was 10.2 million visitors in 2018, while the Eiffel Tower attracts roughly 7 million people annually. It is worth mentioning that Disneyland Paris attracted a mind-blowing 15 million visitors in 2018, which should earn it the first place on the list; however, it has not been included as it is technically located in Chessy, a commune 32km outside Paris, and is also not a historical or cultural landmark per se.
14. Paris is planning on becoming the greenest EU city by 2030
From the famous Jardin du Luxembourg to the Tuileries, Paris is a city that is renowned for its immaculately landscaped parks and gardens. Yet despite having upwards of 480 green spaces dotted throughout the city, only about 9.5% of its total area is currently dedicated to green space – one of the lowest percentages of any European capital. In a battle to combat climate change, current mayor (at the time of writing this article), Anne Hidalgo, is on a mission to change that, however. Massive plans for extensive new green spaces are underway, and there is even an approved plan to completely transform the Champs-Élysées into a green oasis!
15. Some fun Eiffel Tower facts
No list of Paris facts would ever be complete without including the Eiffel Tower! Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, Gustave Eiffel’s famous tower was initially intended to only stand for 20 years and was highly criticised by some of the nation’s foremost intellectuals and artists of the time. Today it is still standing, and has become one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world. Here are some fun facts you may not have known about The Iron Lady:
- Almost 300 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower since its opening in 1889.
- The Eiffel Tower has its own tiny post office on the first floor, from which visitors can send themselves postcards with the unique stamp on it.
- When it was first completed, there was a French, Russian and a Flemish restaurant on the first level; the latter which was later converted to a 250-seater theatre.
- Gustave Eiffel built himself a small office/apartment at the top of the tower. The office has been meticulously restored and even comes complete with wax figures of Eiffel, his daughter Claire and special guest, Thomas Edison.
- To keep the tower shiny and rust-free, 60 metric tons of paint are applied to it every seven years. The tower has been repainted in totality at least 19 times since its opening.
- The Eiffel Tower is reportedly the most-visited monument in the world that requires a paid ticket for admission.
- It is technically illegal to distribute nighttime images of the Eiffel Tower, as the lighting displays are protected by copyright as “original visual creation[s]”. Don’t fret though, because this ruling mostly applies to commercial use cases, such as magazine publications. Besides, none of the millions of people who have taken romantic Instagram selfies under the tower’s shimmering glow have had any legal trouble thus far (that we could find record of).
- For more interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower, visit their official website.
How many of these facts did you know, or how many did you find out for the first time? Leave a comment or feel free to share with your friends to test their general knowledge of The City of Light.
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