Notre-Dame Cathedral (Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris)

Builders started work on the Notre Dame Cathedral in 1163, finishing nearly 200 years later in 1345. Badly damaged and falling into disrepair after the Revolution, Victor Hugo stirred excitement for the gothic cathedral with his famed novel, Notre-Dame de Paris. Renovations were made, and today the Notre Dame exists as one of Paris' top attractions.

The cathedral itself is free, but if you want to climb to the top -- and see Montmartre to the north, the Arc de Triomphe to the west and St-Sulpice and the Panthéon to the south -- you'll have to pay a fee. Yet, most travelers agree that the view is worth the price.