These Parisian Museums Offer Superb City Views Alongside Their Collections

...and in many cases, fantastic rooftop tearooms or restaurants

Image credit: "Paris" by scottspaeth is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

While it’s the collections and exhibitions that most invite a visit to some of the finest museums in the capital, some also offer spectacular views-- panoramic or otherwise. Particularly on a clear day, it can be exhilarating and rewarding to take advantage of their viewing decks, rooftop bar and restaurants, and other areas affording fantastic perspectives of the city.

Whether you head up to enjoy the views before or after you explore the collections is up to you. But do make sure to take advantage one way or another, since they're all freely accessible with the price of an entry ticket at the following five museums. It may even be worth reserving a table for afternoon tea, lunch or dinner.

1. The Centre Georges Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou's upper-level terraces and panoramic restaurant offer some truly stunning views of the city. Image by Andy Hay is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Looming at the very center of Paris on the Right Bank, the Centre Georges Pompidou is both beloved and loathed for its odd conceptual building, designed by architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers and featuring a whimsical, "exoskelton"-like facade comprised of differently colored tubes and pipes.