Paris Sightseeing

Rodin chose this 18th-century townhouse as the showroom for his sculptures and extensive art collection. The house and gardens still provide a fascinating insight into his work, and that of his lover and fellow artist, Camille Claudel. Everyone clamours for The Kiss and The Thinker but the marble hands of The Secret is another one to admire.

Where: Hôtel Biron, 79 rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris, +33 (0) 1 44 18 61 10, (Metro: Varenne, Invalides or Saint-François-Xavier)

Musée Rodin website

Open: Tue-Sun 9.30am-5.45pm (4.45pm in winter)

Cost: €6; concessions €4; gardens only €1

Lovers of architecture should come to the Cité de l'Architecture, which showcases French architectural heritage from Roman times to today, including moulded portions of great French cathedrals and a life-size reconstruction of a Le Corbusier apartment. Head to the Galerie des Peintures for copies of stunning frescos found in France from the 12th-16th centuries.

Where: Palais de Chaillot, 1 place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, +33 (0) 1 58 51 52 00, (Metro: Trocadéro)

Cité d'Architecture website

Open: Wed-Mon 11am-7pm (until 9pm Thu)

Cost: €8; concessions €5; under 18s and 1st Sunday of the month free

Don't be put off by the masses of punters shuffling in and out of Paris' mega-museums; it would be a shame to leave the city without venturing inside the Louvre or the Musée d'Orsay. Contrary to popular belief, early mornings are always the busiest; go at lunch or a couple of hours before closing time. Choose one wing or collection at a time. Or, after an early dinner, take advantage of the nocturnes; most museums have late openings once or twice a week until 9 or 10pm.

Paris website

Find peace at this huge green retreat right in the centre of Paris. A fantastic place to take the kids, with its old-fashioned swings, playground and model sailboats for rent, it also houses the Théâtre du Luxembourg where traditional marionettes regularly put on shows. But the jardins are also for lovers; sunbathe hand in hand on the reclining metal chairs, take in the sensual miniature orchids in the park's southeast corner or seek privacy by the 17th-century fontaine de Médicis.

Where: Jardin du Luxembourg, boulevard Saint-Michel, 75006 Paris, (Metro: Odéon)

The catacombes is Paris' largest burial site, used in the 18th century to reduce contamination and decongest mass graves. The network of subterranean tunnels and rooms is especially popular with teenagers; Gothic youths will approve of the neatly stacked rows of skulls and bones. Visits are short and sweet (1 hour and 30 minutes max), but do stay in the land of the living above ground if you're claustrophobic.

Where: Catacombes de Paris, 1 avenue du Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy, 75014 Paris, +33 (0) 1 43 22 47 63, (Metro: Denfert-Rochereau)

Paris website

Open: Tue-Sun 10am-5pm

Cost: €7; concessions €3.50-5.50

Visit the Pantheon, Le Temple de la Nation, a shrine to the heroes of France. A very moving experience. You will also see Foucault's Pendulum which is a scientific masterpiece. Well worth the time. Ursula Steiger, Canterbury

The most picturesque metro journey, in my opinion, is the stretch (I think it's line 6) over the river. At night, the Eiffel Tower is lit up, the bridge is lit up, and the city is reflected in the murky waters of the Seine. At sunset, crossing over this bridge (with the inevitable accordion player on your train) you'll feel that all is right with the world. Watch out for the mini Statue of Liberty on an island - she's on your left as you head towards Passy. Sylvie Malchier, Paris

The Jardin des Plantes was my salvation in Paris - as the scorching summer day becomes the sultry summer night, take yourself for a quiet wander around this peaceful garden. Lee Sachs-Turenne, Horsham

The Institut du Monde Arabe is well worth seeing. It's very quiet and calming during the week. It's a huge place, and it's probably not a good idea to try to get around it all at once, just pick and choose what interests you. The building itself is amazing too - the "lenses" in the windows expand and contract to control the temperature within. Marielle Pirson