Where the concierge points people first
- Le zouave du Pont de l'Alma — A soldier in North African uniform standing on a pier of the Pont de l'Alma, and the city's informal flood gauge. When the Seine rises, Parisians check how far up the zouave it has reached. (48.8646, 2.3018)
- Statue de la Liberté — The bronze replica on the Île aux Cygnes, a narrow island in the Seine by the Pont de Grenelle. Walk the tree-lined path down the island to reach her; she faces west, towards New York. (48.8464, 2.3332)
- L'Araignée Rouge de Alexander Calder — Calder's big red stabile at La Défense, among the office towers. Worth the trip only if you are already heading out to see the Grande Arche. (48.8913, 2.2417)
- Centaure 1985 [César] — César's bronze centaur, a tribute to Picasso, on a small square in Saint-Germain. You will pass it on the way to somewhere else, and it rewards a close look at the scrap and machinery in its body. (48.8520, 2.3295)
- Buste de Dalida — The bust of the singer in Montmartre, on the square named after her. Its chest has been rubbed shiny by passers-by for luck, which tells you more about Montmartre than the statue does. (48.8886, 2.3381)
- Statue de Charlemagne — The equestrian bronze beside Notre-Dame, on the square in front of the cathedral. Nobody comes for it, but everybody walks past it. (48.8532, 2.3483)
The rest of the landmarks and statues in Paris — every one we hold
- Angel Bear by Richard Texier (48.8801, 2.3546)
- Freiheitsstatue (48.8500, 2.2797)
- la sale pépinière (48.8879, 2.3536)
- Le Somnambule (48.8893, 2.2491)
- Les Enfants du Monde (48.8361, 2.3795)
- Les Fils de Cain (48.8615, 2.3291)
- Les Lieux du corps (48.8929, 2.2420)
- Les Nymphéas (48.8899, 2.2457)
- Statue De Condorcet (48.8571, 2.3386)
- Statue de Rousseau (48.8466, 2.3452)
- Tilda Lovi, French sculptor (48.8753, 2.3912)
- Utsurohi (48.8929, 2.2374)
One statue in Paris doubles as a flood gauge
The zouave on the Pont de l'Alma is how Paris reads its river. In the great flood of 1910 the water climbed to his shoulders, and news reports still mention him whenever the Seine is high, though when the bridge was rebuilt in the 1970s he was reset higher than before, so modern comparisons with 1910 are not quite like for like. When his feet are wet, the riverside expressways are usually closed; when the water reaches his thighs, the river is shut to navigation.
Questions people ask
What are the most famous statues in Paris?
The Statue de la Liberté replica on the Île aux Cygnes, the Charlemagne outside Notre-Dame, and the zouave of the Pont de l'Alma, which Parisians use to judge floods.
How many landmarks and statues are there in Paris?
Num's directory maps 18 landmarks and statues in Paris and La Défense. The city has many hundreds of public statues in total.
Where is the Statue of Liberty in Paris?
The best-known replica stands at the downstream end of the Île aux Cygnes, near the Pont de Grenelle. There is a smaller one in the Jardin du Luxembourg.
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