The 10 most beautiful castles in Paris
10 châteaux
Chosen among 31 recorded castles
What to see in Paris when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Louvre Palace
1er arrondissement de Paris
The Louvre palace, in the first arrondissement of Paris, houses one of the largest museums in the world behind an architecture spanning from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
No. 2
Palais de Chaillot
Paris 16e Arrondissement
Standing on the Chaillot hill opposite the Eiffel Tower, this large palace with its two curved wings was built for the 1937 World's Fair, raised upon the frame of the former Trocadéro palace.
No. 3
Château de Chaillot (Chaillot Castle)
Paris
The château de Chaillot no longer exists: it once stood near the site of the present-day Palais de Chaillot in Paris.
No. 4
Palais du Luxembourg, actuellement Sénat
Paris 6e Arrondissement
Built in the early seventeenth century for Marie de Médicis, who wished to recreate the atmosphere of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence where she grew up, this palace stands at the edge of the Luxembourg Gardens in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.
No. 5
Château de Longchamp (Longchamp Castle)
16e arrondissement de Paris
Set in the Bois de Boulogne, between the Longchamp racecourse and the Bagatelle gardens, this white stone pavilion is no medieval fortress, despite its tower built to look like one.
No. 6
Château de la Tournelle (Tournelle Castle)
5e arrondissement de Paris
The château de la Tournelle no longer stands: it once rose on the Left Bank of Paris, on the quay that still bears its name, roughly where the restaurant La Tour d'Argent now sits.
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No. 7
Palais de l'Institut (ancien collège des Quatre-Nations)
Paris 6e Arrondissement
The Palais de l'Institut occupies the former Collège des Quatre-Nations, built in the second half of the 17th century on the banks of the Seine, facing the Louvre. The building now houses the Institut de France and its five academies, including the renowned Académie française.
No. 8
Château de Bagatelle (Bagatelle Castle)
16e arrondissement de Paris
Set within the Bois de Boulogne, the Château de Bagatelle is an elegant eighteenth-century pleasure pavilion built for the Count of Artois, its history steeped in courtly intrigue and architectural bravado. According to tradition, the building was erected at astonishing speed to win a wager with Marie-Antoinette.
No. 9
Palais de l'Alma
Paris 7e Arrondissement
The Palais de l'Alma, at 11 quai Branly in the 7th arrondissement, was built in 1861 by Jacques-Martin Tétaz to house the stables of Emperor Napoleon III's household, with work later continued by Hector-Martin Lefuel.
No. 10
Château de la Muette (Muette Castle)
16e arrondissement de Paris
At the edge of the Bois de Boulogne, the château de la Muette is now only a distant echo of the three earlier buildings that once stood on this site.
Every castle in Paris (31)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Paris?
- The most visited in Paris is Louvre Palace, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 31 castles recorded in Paris, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.