Tourist Attractions in Paris: Overrated or Worth the Trip?

If not overrated, would they still be tourist attractions at all? Like every must see city in the world, there are token icons in Paris that are a must during a visit. At least for the first visit anyway.

I recently made my first trip to Paris, and spent a week marveling at the sites. There was never a dull moment as there was so much to see and do. The sites were full of tourists in awe, and I was indeed one of them. Paris did not disappoint in the slightest.

Paris is home to several iconic tourist attractions that are known world wide. Possibly the most famous of all would definitely be the Eiffel Tower. When we think of France, often an image of the breath-taking phallic symbol is planted firmly in our minds, and why not? It is as startling and unique to behold as you expect it to be. And we simply cannot stop at just seeing the tower once. We need to see it at different times of the day. The Eiffel Tower during the day. The Eiffel Tower at night. Yes, this is certainly the most famous tourist attraction in all of Paris, but that does not necessarily mean it is over rated. Of course for some, a large tower that holds no real purpose might be a disappointment, but for most, it will live up to expectation. The views are amazing. You can take in all of Paris from this pointed peak. On a clear day you can see well beyond even that. And surprisingly, the second level, which is well below the first, actually possesses equally stunning views.

Thanks to the recent fame of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code, the Louvre museum has shot to massive popularity. This museum, which is home to some of the worlds most famous paintings was already popular prior to the book, but now so many tourists are flocking there just to see for themselves the amazing glass pyramid. I have certainly heard on more than one occasion that the Louvre's glass pyramid is by far one of the most overrated tourist attractions of all time, and that instead it is a disappointment that such a project was even allowed in the city of romance. However, for others, this dome is truly remarkable and much worth the visit, as is the massive museum that would take days to truly explore in detail.

Paris is full of art galleries and museums. To some, the thought of spending days exploring the masterpieces and history of these places is very appealing, but to others, the whole concept is very overrated and downright boring.

There is also the Notre Dame Cathedral. This cathedral is among the most famous in the world and another of the must-see tourist stops. But does it really deliver? The cathedral offers remarkable Gothic architecture and design, but compared to cathedrals in other parts of the world, it really does not measure up quite so well.

So yes, Paris is filled with overrated tourist attractions, but usually an attraction is overrated for a reason. For every person who finds them unsatisfactory, its quite likely there will be another ten who were completely spellbound. There are overrated tourist attractions in every country, but not taking the time to see them leaves your journey to these cities incomplete. So do the tourist thing, kiss under the Eiffel Tower, take photos outside the Louvre and marvel at the Notre Dame architecture. Its okay to enjoy them, even if they are overrated.