Place du Châtelet

On the Right Bank near the Seine, this square marks the site of a medieval fortress that guarded the northern approach to the Île de la Cité. Its centrepiece is the Fontaine du Palmier, a slender palm-topped column celebrating Napoleonic victories, ringed by sphinxes spouting water. Two grand theatres built during the Haussmann era face each other across the square, framing a lively cultural crossroads. From here the view opens toward the towers of the Conciergerie and the river, linking several historic quarters.