by Martyn Davis

Paris has many different monuments you can visit, but one that should be high on your list is the Notre Dame Cathedral.

With so much history in Paris often you do not know where to start, and with numerous different monuments to experience, you cannot miss visiting this 800-year-old Cathedral.

Photo by John Pitman

Situated on a small island called the Ile de la Cite in the middle of River Seine, its official name is “The Notre Dame de Paris”, but is often known simply as Notre Dame and this Gothic cathedral took nearly 200 years to be complete. It was first started in 1163 during the reign of King Louis VII, but did was not completed until around 1345.

Even though Notre Dame had held many important events, such as Henry VI of England who was crowned King of France in 1431, over the years it fell into disrepair. But it was Napoleon that saved the church from demolition back in 1802 and then he got crowned Emperor here in 1804, however it was still in a very bad state of disrepair.

You have probably heard of the novel by Victor Hugo called the Hunchback of Notre Dame, with this particular story it brought people together to raise money for its restoration. The popularity of the story and determined volunteers virtually managed to bring the historic Cathedral back to its former glory.

In fact, following the start of World War II, it was feared that German bombers would destroy the stained glass windows. Planning for the worst they were removed then hidden in a safe place. After the ware the windows were restored. One particular round stained glass window, called the Rose Window, was the biggest stained glass window in the world when it was produced back in the 13th century. It still contains its original medieval glass and actually has a red color that has not been reproduced to this day.

Notre Dame translates as Our Lady, and is still used as a Roman Catholic Church for Sunday mass even today. The seat of the Archbishop of Paris is utilized for major events when the famous bell is rung. Instead of human manpower of yesteryear, the bell is now rung automatically. Take a climb up the spiral staircase and you can see this enormous bell that was once saved from being melted into usable metal.

Photo by John Pitman

Also when climbing to the bell tower or even higher up in the towers, you can see the flying buttress style used in the construction of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Decorated with expressive, scary looking gargoyles situated on the railings and cornerstones on the exterior of the building. These devious looking beasts were designed to ward of evil spirits. Walk just a bit further where you get an excellent view of the city.

It is obvious that just about every cathedral in Europe has an organ, but Notre Dame actually had several. The first ones were far too inadequate so the first sensible organ was installed in the early 1700's. Some of the original pipe work still remains today.

View one of the extraordinary cathedral organs at the Musee de Notre Dame de Paris. You can also glimpse music scores, notes and some personal articles that are on display from Louis Vierne, one the famous cathedral organists to play here. You can visit the museum located just 1 block from Notre Dame. Although small it is filled with fascinating historic documents. Ogle over drawings, plans and engravings that reveal mysteries from various development stages of the construction. Historically it recounts life in the City from Lutecia era before it was to be known as Paris.

Also, in the square to the front of Notre Dame is a plaque donated by Andre Michelin, founder of the Michelin Tire business. It is from this point that all distances in France are measured.

Photo by John Pitman

Open every day of the year, Notre Dame de Paris has free entrance, although there is a charge to venture up the tower. You can access the tower on the outside of the church on the left hand side, when standing at the main entrance of the cathedral.

You can also have a guided visit, which is organized by the staff. These tours are conducted in different languages on different days of the week. The English guided tours are provided on a Wednesday at 2pm, Thursday at 2pm and a Saturday at 2.30pm. Other language tours such as Spanish, Russian, Japanese, etc are held at different times. Any of the tours can be cancelled if there is a special occasion, so it always worth checking with staff on site, or telephoning prior.

Whether you are going for pilgrimage or just as a tourist, this fascinating building, with history, lifelike carvings, vibrant stained glass and various arts throughout the building, a visit to Paris is not complete without visiting Notre Dame!

About the Author:
www.placesinfrance.com Martyn Davis European Traveller, Author, Photographer and Business Development Manager, For all your French holiday needs and travel guide to France, with tourist information, landmarks and attractions - Notre Dame Church In Paris France