Monument · Paris · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Monument Fontaine des Innocents in Paris

Fontaine des Innocents is a monument in Paris, France. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. 14 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km. Within 120 m you'll find a bench, a public toilet, a bike pump and a water point.

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Monument Fontaine des Innocents in Paris

Monument Fontaine des Innocents in Paris, photo 2

Monument Fontaine des Innocents in Paris, photo 3

The story

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Audio tour · Fontaine des Innocents

2:11

You're standing on the place Joachim-du-Bellay, right in the Les Halles district. In front of you is the Fontaine des Innocents, the oldest monumental fountain in Paris. Architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon built it between 1547 and 1550, in what was then the brand-new style of the French Renaissance. Its original name was the Fountain of the Nymphs. Look at the slender female figures in those narrow panels and you'll see why.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Cancre · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Fontaine des Innocents in Paris: the city's oldest monumental fountain

The Monument Fontaine des Innocents in Paris is a monument in the form of a fountain, and it is the oldest monumental fountain in the city. The architect Pierre Lescot designed it for the festivities surrounding the entry of the king in 1549. Most of the monuments made for that celebration were temporary, but this fountain remained. You will find it on the place Joachim-du-Bellay, in the heart of the Les Halles district. The Centre Georges Pompidou is 324 metres away, La Samaritaine lies 440 metres off, and the Pont Neuf is 549 metres away.

What you can see at the Fontaine des Innocents

Start by looking at the narrow panels. They hold slender female figures, the nymphs of Jean Goujon. Notice the rippling fabric of their clothing, the curls of the shells and the tails of the sea creatures. Goujon drew his ideas from sarcophagi and from the artists at Fontainebleau. Then walk slowly around the fountain. One of the facades was added later. It was made by sculptor Augustin Pajou, in the same style as the rest. At the base, the basins run down like a staircase, with 6 steps on each side. The small reliefs from the lower section are no longer here. They are now in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Toilets, drinking water and benches nearby

There are 277 benches around the Fontaine des Innocents, all within 500 metres. The nearest one is 13 metres away, at Souterrain Sortie Hôtel de Ville (Voie S2). For drinking water, the closest tap is 117 metres away, at Souterrain de la Petite Boucle (Voie Z), and it is wheelchair accessible. There are 20 water taps within 500 metres. The nearest public toilet is 105 metres away, on Boulevard de Sébastopol. It is free to use and wheelchair accessible, and there are 30 public toilets within 500 metres. If you are cycling, a bike pump stands on Boulevard de Sébastopol, 111 metres from the fountain, and there are 2 bike pumps within 500 metres.

Walks and more to see nearby

The fountain is not the only point of interest close by. If you want to keep walking after the fountain, the Outdoor Pitstop app has audio stories at other places in the area. The Musée des Arts et Métiers is a museum 814 metres away. The Musée du Louvre, also a museum, lies 853 metres away. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris is an attraction 863 metres away. The places you may already know, such as the Centre Georges Pompidou, La Samaritaine and the Pont Neuf, also have audio stories. There is a 2-minute story about the Fontaine des Innocents itself. You can listen to it in the app, on the spot.

Facilities near Fontaine des Innocents

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No honesty box within 1 km.

Well-known points of interest nearby

50 well-known points of interest nearby, those with an audio tour first. 14 of the 50 well-known points of interest nearby are within 1 km.

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Centre Pompidou · 320 m

Photo: Zairon · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

La Samaritaine · 440 m

Photo: Adrian Scottow · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Pont Neuf · 550 m

Photo: Rmrfstar · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

AttractionAudio story · 2 min

Sainte-Chapelle · 620 m

Photo: Mathae · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

MuseumAudio story · 2 min

Museum of Arts et Métiers · 810 m

Photo: Arnaud 25 · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Hear the story of Centre Pompidou on the spot with the app

All 394 points of interest in Paris →

Also within walking distance

The 10 nearest points of interest with a story, within 2 km.

All 394 points of interest in Paris →

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Fontaine des Innocents in Paris?

The Fontaine des Innocents is the oldest monumental fountain in Paris, built between 1547 and 1550. Architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujon built it.

Where can I get drinking water at the Fontaine des Innocents?

The nearest drinking water point is 117 metres from the fountain, at Souterrain de la Petite Boucle (Voie Z), and is wheelchair accessible. There are 20 drinking water points within 500 metres in total.

Are there benches near the Fontaine des Innocents?

Yes, the nearest bench is 13 metres away, at Souterrain Sortie Hôtel de Ville (Voie S2). There are 277 benches within 500 metres.

Where is a public toilet near the Fontaine des Innocents?

The nearest public toilet is 105 metres from the fountain, on Boulevard de Sébastopol. It is free and wheelchair accessible.

Why was the Fontaine des Innocents originally called the Fountain of the Nymphs?

The fountain first had that name because of the slender female figures in its narrow panels. It then stood against the wall of the cemetery of the Saints-Innocents, on the corner of the rue Saint-Denis.