Notre Dame Cathedral

Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Paris is an iconic Gothic church on the Seine River, in the center of Paris. This is the cathedral in the Madeline in Paris books! The church and the huge plaza in front of it (to the west) are a happening spot, always packed with tourists. Take a moment to walk around the outside of the cathedral, admiring the spooky gargoyles and chimeras gawking out at you from the walls and the flying buttresses, a new invention at the time the cathedral was built in 1345! The cathedral took almost two hundred years to build! Behind the church (east side) is a garden called Square Jean XXIII, with some nice play equipment for kids, including trampolines. Hang out in the huge plaza, soaking up the sun and the buzzing atmosphere. Or visit the amazing Roman ruins, called Crypte Archeologique du Parvis de Notre Dame, that were found underneath the parking lot, on the far west end of the plaza! This is a treat! You can rent an audioguide of the crypt for 5 euros (see hours below).
To go inside the cathedral is free. Don't be deceived by long lines of people on the side of the church, on Rue de Cloitre Notre Dame, paying to go in. They are waiting to enter the tower. You don't need to pay to enter the church! You can just walk in and walk around yourself, or you can take a free tour, or attend a mass. For 5 euros you can get an audioguide that lasts for 35 minutes (see info below). Take in the gorgeous rose window, and other stained glass windows. Also, check out the organ, which has 7,374 pipes.
You can also tour the Treasury, which contains some of Catholicism's most important relics, including the possible Crown of Thorns, a fragment of the Cross, and a Holy Nail (see info below). These most precious of relics are only presented the first Friday of each month, but there are other relics in the Treasury.
To go up the tower you must stand in line on Rue de Cloitre Notre Dame (north side of the church). From the top, you enjoy wonderful views of the rooftops of Paris, the gargoyles close up, and the Seine river, though the claustrophobic walk up the 387 narrow tower stairs can make you feel very ill. There is no air in the tower and you are walking round and round in circles with crowds of people.
During the French Revolution in 1793, many treasures of the cathedral were torn down or plundered, including the spire. Some statues were beheaded. And for a while Lady Liberty replaced the Virgin Mary on several altars. A restoration project began in 1845.
The cathedral is particularly beautiful at night when it is illuminated.
Afterward, stroll along the romantic Seine river, enjoying the honeycomb-colored bridges, including Pont Neuf. You can stroll at river level on a peaceful pedestrian-only promenade. You can also explore the bouquinistes, or bookseller stands, above the river. It's nice to stop and have a cup of tea in Place Dauphine, a square on Ile de la Cite, the island where Notre Dame is located.
Walk north along Rue Vieille du Temple, in the Marais district, to admire this ancient, narrow street with beautiful storefronts filled with upscale shops and bistros. If you walk west from there, you will get to Centre Pompidou also in the Marais district.

Notre Dame Cathedral

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