Place de la Concorde, Paris, France

You can’t spend any time in Paris without passing through Place de la Concorde at least a half-dozen times. It’s located between so much of what you want to go back and see.

Covering almost 19 acres, this 18th-century tribute to Louis XV remains the largest square in Paris. Looming even larger than the dimensions, however, is the local lore. During the French Revolution, the square was better known as the Place de la Révolution. (One of several names bestowed upon it over the centuries.) It was the site of many historical events, including the beheadings of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and Robespierre.

But not until the mid-1800s was the square modified in ways that modern visitors would recognize. First was the installation of the approximately 3,000-year-old, 75-foot Luxor obelisk at the center. That was followed by the construction of the Orangerie and Jeu de Paume (now two of Paris’s most beloved museums) along the periphery.