(Photo : Barry Bibs)
Displaying the beauty of medieval Gothic Architecture, the Notre Dame cathedral remains an iconic monument. Located on one of the two islands in the center of Paris, the cathedral has witnessed many historical events throughout the year. The monument is composed of: a forecourt, three portals (St Anne Portal, Portal of the Last Judgment, and Portal of the Virgin Mary), The Mays (huge artworks at the side of the chapel), The chimera Gallery, A great bell, a treasury and finally a 96 meters spire.
Enjoy the most of Paris on sunny days, find a bench in the gardens behind the Notre Dame Cathedral to admire the beauty of the flying buttresses. The monument is visited over 14 million times a year making the Notre Dame Cathedral, the most visited site of Paris. When visiting Notre Dame, make sure to pass through the Archaeological Crypt that lies under the square in front of the cathedral, which displays the remains of the structure which were built during the Gallo-Roman era.
Fun fact: Victor Hugo’s famous novel: The Hunch of Notre Dame was inspired by the Notre Dame cathedral. The author wrote the famous novel in order to save the cathedral from demolition. At the times of the Revolution, Notre Dame had been used as a saltpeter factor and had suffered so much neglect that builders wanted to take back the cathedral stones for the construction of bridges.
Address :
6 Parvis Notre-Dame –
Pl. Jean-Paul II,
75004 Paris