Paris is the most photographed city on earth โ€” which means finding a fresh angle takes some work. The Eiffel Tower has been shot from every possible direction. The Louvre pyramid queue stretches for an hour. But Paris has hundreds of extraordinary photo locations that most visitors walk right past. Here are ten worth the detour.

1. Rue Crรฉmieux: The Painted Street

A short residential street in the 12th arrondissement where every house is painted a different pastel color. It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale. Go before 8am โ€” by 9am the influencers arrive and the residents (understandably) get annoyed. It's a protected historic street, which is why the colors have been maintained since the 19th century.

2. Palais Royal Gardens: Columns at Golden Hour

The black-and-white striped columns of the Palais Royal courtyard are an iconic Paris image โ€” but most tourists don't know they're there. The gardens behind are a quiet oasis. At golden hour, the light through the arcades is extraordinary. Best shot: low angle, looking down the colonnade toward the fountain.

3. Galerie Vivienne: 19th Century Paris Frozen in Time

One of Paris's covered passages โ€” glass-roofed shopping arcades from the 1820s. Galerie Vivienne is the most beautiful, with mosaic floors, ornate ironwork, and a bookshop that's been there since 1826. The Second Empire styling is the same era that gave Paris its famous Haussmann boulevards.

4. Montmartre Before Sunrise

Everyone photographs Sacrรฉ-Cล“ur. Almost nobody is there at 5:30am, when the basilica glows white against a pink sky and the city below is completely still. Take the funicular up (or climb the stairs) and you'll have it to yourself. Worth every minute of the early alarm.

5. Canal Saint-Martin: Iron Bridges and Reflections

The Canal Saint-Martin in the 10th arrondissement is where young Parisians come on warm evenings โ€” bottles of wine, a blanket on the quay, music floating from a nearby bar. The iron footbridges over the canal make perfect photo frames, and the wine bars a block back are excellent.

6. Promenade Plantรฉe: The Original High Line

New York's High Line was inspired by this โ€” an elevated garden built on a disused railway viaduct in eastern Paris. Far fewer tourists than the Marais or Saint-Germain, with beautiful views over rooftops and the occasional hidden art installation.

Wander and Shoot

The best Paris photos come from wandering without a fixed plan. Give yourself a morning, pick a neighborhood, and follow the light. Every street in Paris has a story if you slow down enough to notice it.

Wondering what a building or monument is? TravelEye is a free iOS app that identifies places from a photo and translates menus and signs while you travel.