Some of the spots are pretty obvious, others not so well-known. Of course you can also book yourselves into a roof-top apartment, but unless you won the lottery, one of these will do just fine:

1. View Paris From The Eiffel Tower.

It figures that I’d start with this one. After all, we’re talking about the city of love and what would it be without the world-famous Eiffel Tower? Honestly, I think that the Eiffel Tower is overrated, yet somehow you’re drawn to it when visiting Paris…

I heard that in general you need to calculate about 20-30 minutes of waiting in line. Then you can either walk (1655-1710 steps all the way to the top, depending on which side you try, so you better be sporty!) or take the elevator. I really wanted to walk up there, but since it was a warm & sunny Saturday afternoon, about a million other people had the same thought. This meant that the 20-30 minutes turned into more than an hour. So I skipped this part, yet I’m sure that the view must be absolutely stunning … but, as the saying goes “There’s plenty more fish in the sea.”

The famous Eiffel Tower in Paris is one of the most frequented spot to view the city from above.

2. View Paris From The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur.

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur is a must-see destination for ever tourist who visits Paris. It’s just slightly over 80 meters high, which normally doesn’t make the best viewing spot, but because it’s located at the top of Montmartre hill, it’s actually Paris’ second highest point (approx. 210 metres). On a clear day, you’ll have an amazing 360° view over the entire city.

The way up to the top is pretty tight, so if you’re claustrophobic, better stay on the ground – from there you’ll still have a wonderful view (which you’ll share with what felt like a million other people though).

Come at the right time:

• With a bit of luck (which we had), you might just get to see the world-famous freestyle football player Iya Traoré do his magic… More on this in a separate article :)

The Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris is a highlight for every visitor.

The view of Paris from the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur is really amazing.

Crowds of people at the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris sit on its staircase to enjoy the sun.

Freestyle footballer Iya Traoré at the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris.

3. View Paris From The Arc de Triomphe.

The Arc de Triomphe is nowhere near the tallest building in Paris (it’s only about 50 metres high); it’s the location that makes it a favourite viewpoint. It’s located right at the end of the Champs-Élysées captivated by a gigantic roundabout, which forms part of an axis that leads from the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel to la Grande Arche de la Défense.

Until I found the tunnel opening at the near end of the Champs-Élysées, I always wondered how you can actually access it, because there’s no cross-walk and I’ve never seen any suicidal person running across is. But, luckily I found it :) In the tunnel-way you can buy the entrance ticket to go up the stairs.

The view is amazing – especially at night – with the swarming traffic below that reaches the roundabout from all points of the compass.

The famous Arc de Triomphe in Paris honours those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and the Napoleonic Wars.

The view of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the centre.

4. View Paris From The Centre Pompidou.

The Pompidou is the city’s leading modern art museum located in the 4th Arrondissement, Marais. It’s famous known for show-casing artists like Jackson Pollock or Andy Warhol, but it has another asset … the stunning view.

Simply take the escalator to the fifth floor and start shooting, without having to save your place for hours in advance.

The View from Centre Pompidou in Paris is one of those spots rather unknown since the museum is more well known for its art work..

5. View Paris From Galeries Lafayette.

The world-famous Galeries Lafayette department store is well known among Parisians and visitors for the wide variety of products they offer, and for their glamorous window displays. However, fewer people know that there is a wonderful roof-top terraces, which accessible for the public – for free! You get a wonderful 360 degree view over the surrounding Paris skyline.

Galeries Lafayette offers a wonderful roof-top terraces for a brilliant view of Paris.

6. View Paris From Butte Bergeyre.

There are many spectacular views in Paris that tourists have claimed. Most of them mentioned above. But there’s one spot that is actually still a hidden secret, even for Parisians.

Butte Bergeyre, a quiet hilltop village hidden in the 19th arrondissement, is accessible only by three staircases or a single winding road. Once you reach the top of the stairs, a rewarding view awaits, including one of the few vineyards left in Paris.

It’s not just Montmartre and Parc de Belleville that have the last remaining vineyards in Paris. At Butte Bergeyre you’ll not only come across a stunning view, but also a cute litte vineyard.

At the top of Butte Bergeyre you have a stunning view of Sacré Coeur.

7. View Paris From Tour Montparnasse.

I saved the best view for last. Tour Montparnasse definitely offers the most remarkable panoramic view of Paris (it covers a radius of 40 km). The Eiffel Tower might give you the same, yet the difference is that you won’t have to stand in line for hours, because many tourists don’t know that this rather ugly looking tower can actually be visited. Some people tend to say that the view from the top is the most beautiful in Paris, because it is the only place from which the tower itself cannot be seen… no further explanation needed, right?

Tour Montparnasse is a 210 metre high structure which is located in an area, where most buildings don’t rise above 30 metres. Naturally you’ll think to yourself “Why by all means has this building been built right here?“. Well, you’re not the only one thinking that. The tower’s simple architecture and large proportions have often been criticised, because it simply looks out of place in Paris’s urban landscape. Only two years after its completion (1972), the construction of skyscrapers in the city centre was banned… Still, the tower deserves its place simply because of the stunning 360° view it provides. A super-fast lift will take you to the top in 38 seconds (the fastest elevator in Europe btw), where you’ll be able to shoot that one-million-dollar photo from the open air roof terrace.

The view of the Eiffel Tower from Tour Montparnasse in Paris.

The view of Gare Montparnasse from Tour Montparnasse in Paris.

The view of Montparnasse Cemetery from Tour Montparnasse in Paris.

The view from Tour Montparnasse in Paris.

Drum-roll please … Tour Montparnasse in Paris is definitely not the nicest building..

If you’ve ever been to Phnom Penh you most likely visited the Central Market Phsar Thom They. It’s a famous art Deco landmark in the center of the city built by a French architect around 1935. A few years ago now, the market underwent a major renovation and now gleams with new shine.

Opposite the market is a rather … lets just say unimpressive high rise building (for Phnom Penh standards) which houses some quite un-stylish shops. If you take the escalator to the top floor, you’ll find a Chinese restaurant with a huge terrace. There you have a fantastic view over the city. Especially if you have a zoom lens, you can take great pictures from the life down in the streets. Whether it’s spying on people on their balconies and rooftops or watching the vendors at the market stalls … So take the time for an unique and rare overview of this city.

We got another nice view down to Phnom Phen’s hustle and bustle at the “Good Luck Hotel” on Monivong Boulevard. We just arrived back from out motorbike trip through Cambodia and returned the bikes at the nearby rental shop “Lucky Motors”. When checking in, we didn’t expect anything special – we were totally exhausted and ready to crash in our room but then the sign “Rooftop Pool” in the escalator made us curious …

The pool was really great; really cold water, which was totally refreshing and the view was stunning from up there. We spent hours watching the traffic go by, which included several nearly misses on that busy traffic corner. So if you ever come to Phnom Penh, the “Good Luck Hotel” is a great budget choice (25 -30 US $ per night) with spacious rooms and a nice pool.

Phnom Penh’s iconic Central market building in the front; Phnom Penh’s highest skyscraper – Vattanac Capital Tower – in the back.

Phnom Penh might not have a flashy skyline, but this doesn’t make the view any less impressive.

The Central Market in Phnom Penh is definitely a must see for every visitor! It’s one of our favourite wet markets in Southeast Asia.

A fully loaded motorbike with bananas on the way to the Central Market in Phnom Penh.

Apart from the highest skyscraper, Phnom Penh’s skyline hasn’t really changed that much since 2009.

The glass and steel structure of the Shard is 310 meters high with 95 floors. At night, a laser show will be projected from the building (I guess they copied Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights), connecting it with other major landmarks of London.

The inauguration yesterday marked the completion of the exterior while work on the inside is expected to continue into 2013. Then it will be another great tourist attraction … but honestly, would you pay 25 Pounds for a lift up to the top? For Londoners this prize may not shock you but I think it’s a bloody rip off! Same with the Eye. But if you want to see London from above, face the fact that you’ll have to dig deep into your pocket.

But not everyone if fond of the buildings futuristic silhouette … Some even say that „the Shard has slashed the face of London“. What do you think?

The Shard is also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower. It’s an 87-storey skyscraper in London that forms part of the London Bridge Quarter development.

The Shard’s construction began in March 2009; it was topped out on 30 March 2012 and inaugurated on 5 July 2012. Practical completion was achieved in November 2012.

What Ulli and I didn’t think of was the extremely (!) cold weather. If you go skiing or snowboarding, snow & cold winds don’t bother you that much but if you want to stroll around a city, -15° Celsius is not the right temperature for that. It didn’t take us very long until we decided that we’d skip Schloss Neuschwanstein.

I’ve never been to Munich during winter and I’ll keep that in mind for my next visit; the entire city (except the Altstadt centre – where we spent most of the time anyway) was empty, grey and unpretty. But I guess the city of Munich was not the only victim of winter-ugliness, so that’s the positive aspect.

Anyway, here are some impressions of our day trip to Munich: