When I think of Paris I think of the Eiffel Tower, the food and wine, museums and, of course, the many beautiful churches and cathedrals. Paris is home to some of the most stunning churches I’ve had the chance to see. I only had the chance to visit two, probably the most iconic, churches of Paris; Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur. Although very popular tourist destinations they definitely are a must see.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre Dame, a Catholic cathedral dating back to the 1100’s, is Paris’ best known church. It was the subject of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which drew attention to the poor condition the church had fallen in to. Hugo’s book was a success and brought new attention to the cathedral. Shortly after the release of the book the cathedral underwent an extensive restoration. Today, Notre-Dame is visited by approximately 13million people a year so expect lines when you visit.
Visiting Notre-Dame
The Cathedral itself is free to visit and the interior is stunning. Although lines can be long in peak season or special days, it does move fairly quick. During the cathedrals construction the vast majority of people were illiterate so its what’s known as a “poor peoples book.” Inside the cathedral you’ll find murals, sculptures and paintings decorating the interior and depicting biblical stories. These depictions helped the illiterate to understand the events of the bible. The incredible number of sculptures only adds to the breathtaking interior. One of the best examples of French gothic architecture with its large vaulted ceilings and intricately decorated stained-glass windows. The rose windows are the most incredible of them with the largest being 12.9 meters in diameter. Notre-Dame is open daily starting at 8AM but it’s good to keep in mind that it is still a fully functioning church and they do conduct mass. Also, photography is allowed in most places, no flash photography though, however they ask that you do not photograph places of prayer out of respect. All no photo areas are marked by signs.
Towers of Notre-Dame
The towers were my favourite part about our visit to Notre Dame. Also another popular attraction. People are let up in groups at timed intervals and you have to lineup to register to get your time. My suggestion is, before going, downloading an app called Duck the Line. There is wifi available by the entrance to the towers and downloading the app allows you to receive your time slot without lining up for it. In our case, our time slot was a few hours away so we were able to wander around and get lunch before. Once it gets to your time slot, make sure you arrive with plenty of time before your assigned time. You first have to climb a set of stairs to the gift shop where you’ll also buy your tickets. If you wish to get anything from the gift shop, do it now because you don’t pass back through the gift shop again and when they do the call for tickets you have to go right away. You are greeted with some of the best views in Paris once you reach the top. Get up close and personal with Notre-Dame’s famous gargoyles as you look out over the city. Time your visit right and you can even be up there while the bells ring, it’s loud but very impressive. Another important thing to note is that the tours are only accessible by a flight of stairs. The stairway is a spiral staircase and is quite confined so people who aren’t fond of tight spaces may not enjoy the trip up.
Sacré-Cœur
Sacré-Cœur is always easy to spot, it sits on top of the hill in Montmartre, the highest point in the city. Dedicate to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, construction finished in 1914 but it was not consecrated until 1919 after the war had ended. It is now the second most visited church in France welcoming over 11.5million visitors a year.
Visiting Sacré-Cœur
Sacré-Cœur is open everyday starting at 6am and the basilica is free to visit. They do ask that there is no photography inside the basilica out of respect for those who come to pray as it is still a fully operating church. They conduct mass several times a day throughout the week. At the base of the stairs to the church you get a stunning panoramic view of Paris and when you turn around to face the church, you get a beautiful view of the church at the top of the stairs. The grey stone interior with its high arches is beautifully decorated with mosaics and paintings. The ceiling is absolutely stunning, decorated with the largest mosaic in France, it depicts Jesus with a golden heart surrounded by Saints who protect France. Don’t forget to look all the way up to the top of the dome over the centre of the church.
The Dome at Sacré-Cœur
When facing the church, if you head down the left side, you’ll find the entrance to the dome and crypt. When we visited, the crypt was unfortunately closed; but, it’s 8€ for a ticket to visit both and there was no line. To get up to the dome you have to climb approximately 300 stairs and there is no elevator. Similar to Notre-Dame it is a spiral staircase and can feel a little cramped. Once you reach the top you are greeted with 360 degree views of Paris. The best part is that it wasn’t very busy once we reached the top. It was probably one of the quietest, most peaceful places we’d been to in all of Paris. There’s places to sit and enjoy the view and you are more than welcome to stay as long as you’d like there. If you’re looking for a place to get away from the busyness of Paris this is definitely the place to go.
For more photos from my latest trip click here