The Islands of Paris

The Islands of Paris and the most outstanding places in this area are the following:

⭐ Places of interest included in “10 Must-see Places”
♦️ Places of interest included in “10 Extra Places”

L’ Île de la Cité

Notre Dame ⭐

Notre-Dame is one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals in the world and one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It is also the heart of Paris and of France, since the square “Parvi Notre-Dame – Place de Jean-Paul II” in front of the cathedral is the point which is counted as kilometer 0 of the distances.

The cathedral has 2 towers framing the entrance and 3 portals, 3 large rose windows, 28 statues on the main facade, grimacing gargoyles, flying buttress arches on the exterior and the spire of the main tower culminating in the figure of a rooster at the top of the arrow.

On April 15, 2019, during a restoration, the cathedral suffered a major fire in which the roof collapsed causing the spire to fall as well.

On December 8, 2024, the cathedral reopened its doors and can now be visited.

You can also “dive” into the stories of the April 15, 2019 fire in the series “Notre-Dame. La Part du Feu.” You can see all the details in the post Discover Paris.

ℹ️ Useful information
🕘 Mon, Tue, Tue, Thu 7h45 – 19h00 ; Thu 7h45 – 22h00 ; Sat, Sun 8h15 – 19h30
🎟️ Free tickets and tickets with guide for 10€
💻 Web

Sainte-Chapelle ♦️

It is a chapel that goes unnoticed among the other monuments of Paris, but it is spectacular. It consists of 15 stained glass windows depicting 1,113 scenes from the history of mankind and a rose window of the Apocalypse of St. John.

ℹ️ Useful information
🕘 9h00 – 18h00
🎟️ Adults 13€ exclusive entrance to the Sainte-Chapelle, or 20€ with joint entrance to the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie
🎧 Audioguide 3€
💻 Web

💡 Tips
The best time to visit it would be on a sunny day to see the light through the windows, and also better in the middle of the day.

It is also highly recommended to take advantage and buy the joint ticket for the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. If you do so, it is better to first go to the Sainte-Chapelle, as it is the one with the fixed schedule, and then visit the Conciergerie that has access without schedule. Unless it is in the late afternoon and they are going to close the Conciergerie before the Sainte-Chapelle.

Conciergerie ♦️

La Conciergerie is a monument inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A royal palace that was transformed into a prison during the French Revolution and housed Marie-Antoinette.

The most striking feature is the huge hall with columns and arches. In addition, you can visit the rest of the building with information about its different uses and the characters involved in the French Revolution.

ℹ️ Useful information
🕘 9h30 – 17h00
🎟️ Adults 13€ exclusive entrance to the Conciergerie, or 20€ with joint entrance to the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie
💻 Web

Pont Neuf

Although it is called the “New Bridge”, it is actually the oldest bridge in Paris.
Another curiosity is that it is not symmetrical, since the north side has 7 arches, while the south side has only 5 arches.
In addition, it has 381 figures representing the general population, from vagrants and pickpockets to professions such as barbers and dentists.

More places in this area:

Square du Vert-Galant
Park on the western tip where you can contemplate various types of trees such as chestnut, walnut, weeping willows and yews, as well as birds such as the white swan, gulls and pochards.
Memorial des Martyrs de la Déportation
Monument in commemoration of the 200,000 deported to the Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
Also, inside is the Tomb of the Unknown Deported.

L’ Île de Saint Louis

Église Saint Louis

A baroque church, one of the smallest in Paris, which occupies half of the surface of the Ile Saint Louis.

Map of Paris

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