Panthéon
A neoclassical building with a massive dome, whose crypt holds Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and other great figures of France.
The Panthéon was originally a church dedicated to Paris's patron saint, Genevieve. Completed at the end of the 18th century, it was converted into a shrine for the nation's great men, and its pediment bears the inscription “To great men, from a grateful nation.” A replica of the Foucault pendulum, which demonstrates the Earth's rotation, hangs in the central hall. The underground crypt holds Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Pierre and Marie Curie, Josephine Baker and others. In summer, you can pay an extra fee to climb to the colonnade beneath the dome for views over the Latin Quarter and the Eiffel Tower. Admission is about €13 and is covered by the Paris Museum Pass. It's a 5-minute walk from Luxembourg station on RER line B.
Opening hours
About 10:00–18:30 (until 18:00 in winter)
Nearby sights
- Latin Quarter & Saint-Germain-des-Prés
- Shakespeare and Company
- Notre-Dame de Paris
- Luxembourg Gardens
- Sainte-Chapelle
- Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection
- Louvre Museum
- Catacombs of Paris