Publish on Friday, 15 March 2019 dans Visit Paris
A masterpiece of French Gothic architecture, Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the most visited monuments in France. Its majestic spire, towers and rose windows are particularly remarkable. The Hotel Albe Saint-Michel invites you to discover this magnificent monument in the historic centre of the city.
Notre-Dame Cathedral; a masterpiece of French Gothic architecture
Discover Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the superb Parisian monuments located on the Ile de la Cité. Among the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, exquisite both outside and inside, its walls have borne witness to numerous historical events.
Begun in the mid-12th century, the construction of this architectural masterpiece was completed 200 years later. You’ll be awed by the splendour of its three rose windows, the largest of which is almost 19 metres in diameter. They represent a pinnacle of the art of stained glass.
Fantastic beasts and where to find them
Notre-Dame Cathedral, famously the setting for Victor Hugo's great historical French Romantic/Gothic novel, is also renowned for its 96-metre high spire, imposing towers, relics, and, of course, its numerous chimeras, grotesques and gargoyles. Animal figures and human/beast hybrids with fierce claws and sharp beaks, these bizarre and fascinating sculptures, some of which are decorative while others serve as rainwater spouts, glare balefully out over the capital, staunch guardians of this holy place.
Make the climb to the top of the towers of Notre-Dame
The opportunity to admire one of the most beautiful panoramas of Paris is well worth the effort involved in ascending the 422 steps to reach the top of the towers of Notre Dame. You start in the Salle Haute, remarkable for its splendid Gothic vaulted ogive. You then go through the Galerie des Chimères, a balcony connecting the two towers, then it’s on to meet the famous gargoyles. A few steps before the summit, stop to get a good look at the belfry and the bells, including the famous 13-tonne Emmanuel.
******
More information:
Hotel Albe Saint Michel, a 3-star hotel in the heart of Saint-Michel district