 | Paris Notre Dame de Paris Reviews | 11 - 20 of 812 |  |
This and the previous two tips cover some of the most iconic Paris sights. I don’t claim to have any original insights on any of them: there are, after all, now nearly 900 tips on the Eiffel Tower; about 600 on the Arc de Triomphe; and over 700 on Notre Dame! So why am I writing this? Well, as the title suggests ‘you just have to see…’. When you return home, your friends and family are sure to ask about these sights and to wish to see your photos. Fortunately, it’s possible to get acceptable photographs of all three fairly quickly if visiting time is short – the tour bus I’ve suggested above will take you past all of them within a fairly short trip. Plus the Louvre and a bit more.
If you can spare a little time though, Notre Dame can be much more than the imposing façade and the trademark two large towers. I rather like the view in the main photo, taken from the left bank of the Seine, just a little upstream, as this shows well the enormous flying buttresses and the general structure of the building. If you cross to the Ile de la Cité, you can get closer to the same perspective, near the apse of the church, and see more details (photo 2). Now head around to the entrance and go in. The sheer dimensions of the building (photo 3) still are amazing, just imagine what a knockout it was when finished in the 14th century! Equally impressive are the stained glass windows (photo 4): I won’t forget in a hurry the effect of the late winter afternoon light streaming nearly horizontally as coloured rays through clouds of incense on a Sunday afternoon on our first visit. Then head down to the left (from the front) rear of the building for a small display of how it was built (photo 5): it is staggering to contemplate how such a construction could be erected with relatively simple non-mechanised tools in the mediaeval period and easy to overlook what a dominant influence it must have been on the lives of the people involved. Directions: Métro: Cité; RER: Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint Michel-Notre Dame
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Notre Dame may be one of the most described, photographed and admired places in the world. The richness of its architecture and art boggles the mind. The views of the church from the outside are breathtaking from any angle. The detail is overwhelming and lovely. It does not need description but I recommend looking at it from all sides in and out and paying attention to its wonderful detail and architectural features. The main photo shows its beauty from the back. Another example is the statue of Joan of Arc who was beatified here about 500 years after her death. I am not particularly religious, but am always intrigued by the kind of faith that puts flowers and candles around saints like this. One of the photos shows a group of cardinals processing into the church. I took this the first time we were there and we were on a tour bus. The guide was very put out with the church - imagine interrupting a tour group so some cardinals and others could have a religious service! Leave a Comment
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I have to admit that I simply loved all the decoration on the Notre-Dame. There are so many statues, decorations and of course the gargoyles. These creepy creative figures looking down from the rooftops were my absolute favourite. Most of the gargoyles of the Notre Dame have unfortunately weathered away over the centuries. So the ones you can see nowadays are the result of the restorations of Eugene Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), a prominent French architect of those times.
These gargoyles are actually not 'gargoyles' but are 'grotesques'. The word gargoyle derives from the Latin word Latin word "gurgulio", which literally means throat and also the sound water makes passing through the throat. So a gargoyle is a decorative spout, to convey water away from the sides of buildings. A 'grotesque' is a similar figure, but doesn't have the function to lead away water from these types of cathedrals. So I should call them the 'grotesques of the Notre-Dame' instead. Hahaha, but lucky me discovered that it is accepted to use the word 'gargoyle' for both type of creatures.
The best way to see the gargoyles of the Notre-Dame is to climb up to the cathedral towers. Alternatively you can do as I did, take a good zoom-lens, and zoom in on some of the many figures at the top of the Cathedral. Leave a Comment Phone: +33-1-42.34.56.10Directions: Métro: Cité; RER: Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint Michel-Notre DameWebsite: http://www.cathedraledeparis.com/ Other Contact: info@cathedraleDeParis.com
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As previously stated, it seems that any direction you choose to look, there is an interesting view! Was this planned or is it a tribute to a love of art and some desire to please the eyes of the viewer? Both are accomplished in this city and our eyes are grateful and rewarded in every direction! Leave a Comment
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What is there to say about Notre Dame that hasn't been said before? Nothing really, except that no visit to Paris is complete without paying the great lady a visit. Join the crowds and do just that - the architecture is sublime, the glass magnificent, the view from the towers worth the climb, the sense of history palpable. A visit here is an unforgettable experience and such is the presence of this wonderful building that every glimpse you get of it as you move around the city will give you a small thrill of recognition.
Remember that this is a place of worship, the city's cathedral. There are several masses daily and visitors' movements around the interior are restricted at those times.
leyle
Warning from Lulu : when leyle says "climb" she means on foot! I hadn't realised that until I was already launched on the climb, on a staircase less than one meter wide and a couple of hundred people coming up behind me - no way to change my mind! Leave a Comment
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this gothic masterpiece is one of the most famous cathedrals in the world. pope alexander III laid the corner stone of the cathedral in 1163 and the building was finally completed 170 years later. some important architectural aspects of the cathedral are the flying buttresses, the west and south rose windows and it's medieval gargoyles. the treasury has on display ancient manuscripts and some interesting relics. Phone: 01 42 34 56 10Directions: Métro: Cité; RER: Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint Michel-Notre Dame
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My favorite place in Paris, I visit Notre-Dame & its towers every single trip. The entrance into the cathedrale is free but it costs 5.50 euro to climb the towers. It's best to get there early in order to go up first as the lines get quite long very quickly.
Inside the cathedral it's quite dark but beautiful. Walk around the ambulatory to see the beautiful stained glass and the ribbed arches inside. The rose windows are especially beautiful. One has more red in it and the other has more blue to catch the northern & southern cool and warm light wafting through the windows.
If you like you may light candles for your family as I did mine. I'm not Catholic but my husband grew up in that church so I felt it was something I must do.
Outside is a t-shirts vendor planted in the midst of the Place du Parvis (and covering up the Kilometre Zero brass inlay, I'm pretty sure).
Horrors! Despite all my cautions that this is still a working cathedral, my friend Kristin took flash photos during Easter mass - and she's Catholic. She reasoned that because all the other tourists were doing it that it was okay to do.
Hours: 7:45am - 6:45pm
MASSES
Sunday
Saturday evening
6:30 (cantor)
Sunday
8:30 am
10:00 am (gregorian chant)
11:30 am (choir)
12:45 am (cantor)
6:30 pm (choir)
Weekdays
8:00, 9:00, 12:00 am
6:15 pm (cantor)
Photos: March 2001 & Feb 2006 Leave a Comment
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The construction works to Notre-Dame Cathedral were started by Bishop Maurice Sully in 12C, but kept going in the period 1163-1345.
The beautiful interior impresses through its significant dimensions and height, still magnificent harmonized.
Remarkably beautiful are the windows, out of which the north rose, presenting scenes from the Old Testament, survived almost intact since 13C.
But Notre-Dame has also another meaning, because who doesn't know the story of Quasimodo, fascinated by the charms of the beautiful Esmeralda in Victor Hugo's novel "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame"?
In front of the Cathedral in the centre of Place du Parvis is a plaque marking the zero point from which all road distances in France are measured. Directions: Metro: Cite (line 4)
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Hubby and I visited the Notre Dame in HoChiminh (Vietnam) earlier in the year and thought that it would have a faint resemblance to the original one in Paris.
Boy, were we wrong! The orginal is ten times bigger and the details of the exterior facade, the interior crypt and the rose glass windows just blew our minds away . Whatever it was, it was definitely a good inspiration for the small one in Vietnam.
Click to see the Notre Dame in Ho Chi Minh. Leave a Comment
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I was disappointed in the Notre Dame, but there was one exception, and those were the glass stained windows. These are really stunning, and enormous! Especially the rose windows! I just couldn't get enough of looking at them. The colour, the motives and probably as well the amazing size of the windows just took my breath away. There are three of these rose windows and without a doubt they will mesmerise you as well. These are still the original windows, but unfortunately all the other glass stained windows were destroyed in the 18th century. Having said that, these newer windows are stunning as well, as you can see for example in the first photo.
In photos number two and four you can see the North rose window, which dates back to 1250. This glass stained window is dedicated to the Old Testament and has mainly violet shades of colour. In the middle you can see the Virgin Mary carrying her child, and around her are no less then eighty figures in three layers of circles. The first circle shows the sixteen prophets, and in the outer two you can see kings, judges and high priests. Leave a Comment Phone: +33-1-42.34.56.10Directions: Métro: Cité; RER: Châtelet-Les Halles, Saint Michel-Notre DameWebsite: http://www.cathedraledeparis.com/ Other Contact: info@cathedraleDeParis.com
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Destinations near Paris- Île de la Cité, 1.22 km / 0.76 miles
- Clichy, 4.44 km / 2.76 miles
- Neuilly-sur-Seine, 5.22 km / 3.24 miles
- Asnières, 6.65 km / 4.13 miles
- Boulogne-Billancourt, 7.13 km / 4.43 miles
- Courbevoie, 7.13 km / 4.43 miles
- Suresnes, 7.31 km / 4.54 miles
- Puteaux, 7.31 km / 4.54 miles
- Bois-Colombes, 7.39 km / 4.59 miles
- Issy-les-Moulineaux, 7.39 km / 4.60 miles
» See all locations nearby» Popular Île-de-France locations» Popular France locations
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