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Getting Oriented | Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Updated by Linda Hervieux
At the heart of Paris, linked to the banks of the Seine by a series of bridges, are two small islands: Ile St-Louis and Ile de la Cité. They’re the perfect places to begin a visit to Paris, with picture-perfect views all around. The Ile de la Cité is anchored by mighty Notre-Dame; farther east lies the exclusive Ile St-Louis, dotted with charming hotels, cozy restaurants, and small shops.
At the western tip of Ile de la Cité is regal Place Dauphine, one of Paris’s oldest squares. The impressive Palais de Justice (courthouse) sits between Sainte-Chapelle, the exquisite medieval chapel of saintly King Louis IX, and the Conciergerie, the prison where Marie-Antoinette and other bluebloods awaited their slice of history at the guillotine.
The Gothic powerhouse that is Notre-Dame originally loomed over a medieval huddle of buildings that were later ordered razed by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, the 19th-century urban planner who transformed Paris into the city we see today. In front of the cathedral is now the Place du Parvis, the point from which all roads in France are measured. On the north side of the square is the Hôtel-Dieu (roughly translated as “general hospital”): it was immortalized by Balzac as the squalid last stop for the city’s most unfortunate but today houses a modern hospital. Just behind the cathedral lies rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame, which cuts through the Ancien Cloître Quartier, on whose narrow streets you can imagine the medieval quarter as it once was, densely packed and teeming with activity. At 9–11 quai aux Fleurs, a plaque commemorates the abode that was the setting of the tragic, 12th-century love affair between the philosopher Peter Abélard and his young conquest, Héloïse.
At the farthest eastern tip of Ile de la Cité is the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation, all but hidden in a pocket-size park. A set of stairs leads down to the impressive and moving memorial to the more than 200,000 French citizens who died in Nazi concentration camps.
The nearby Pont St-Louis, which seems to be always occupied by an accordion player, leads to the Ile St-Louis, one of the city’s best places to wander. There are no cultural hot spots, just a few streets that may make you think you’ve stumbled into a village, albeit an unusually tony one. Small hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and shops selling everything from cheese to pâté to silk scarves line the main drag, Rue St-Louis-en-L’Ile. There were once two islands here, the Ile Notre-Dame and the Ile aux Vaches (“Cow Island,” a former grazing pasture), both owned by the Church. Speculators bought the islands, joined them, and sold the plots to builders who created what is today some of the city’s most elegant and expensive real estate. Baroque architect Louis Le Vau (who later worked on Versailles) designed fabulous private homes for aristocrats, including the majestic mansions Hôtel Lambert and the Hôtel de Lauzun on the lovely quai d’Anjou.
Getting Oriented
Best Cafés
La Charlotte de l’Isle.
Got a sweet tooth? Hit this cozy tea salon for their lusciously thick hot chocolate. | 24 rue St-Louis-en-l’Ile, Ile St-Louis | 75004 | 01–43–54–25–83 | Tues. and Wed. 2–7:30 pm, Thurs.–Sun. 11–7pm | Station: Pont Marie.
Le Saint Régis.
Wondering where the locals take their coffee on touristy Ile St-Louis? This old-timer (refreshed after an extensive renovation) is the place. If you want something more substantial, it’s a good lunch option, too. | 6 rue Jean de Bellay, Ile St-Louis | 75004 | 01–43–54–59–41 | Station: Pont Marie.
Top Reasons to Go
Notre-Dame. This towering Gothic cathedral has welcomed visitors to Paris for centuries. Gaze at its famed rose windows, climb the towers to mingle with the gargoyles, or amble around back to contemplate the awe-inspiring architecture from Square Jean-XXIII. At the end of the plaza in front of the cathedral, down the stairs, is the interesting Crypte Archéologique, a museum that allows a look at the city’s Roman ruins.
Sainte-Chapelle. Visit on a sunny day to best appreciate the exquisite stained glass in this 13th-century chapel built for King Louis IX.
Strolling the islands. Start with the oldest bridge in Paris, the Pont Neuf (incongruously called the “new bridge”) and give a nod to the statue of Henry IV, who once proudly said, “I make love, I make war, and I build.” From here, cross to Place Dauphine and make your way to the gorgeous Ile St-Louis, one of the city’s most exclusive enclaves.
Making the Most of Your Time
This little area of Paris is easily walkable and packed with sights and stunning views, so give yourself as much time as possible to explore. With Notre-Dame, the Conciergerie, and Sainte-Chapelle, you could spend a day wandering, but the islands are easily combined with St-Germain. The Rue de Buci is an ideal place to pick up a picnic lunch to enjoy at the leafy Square du Vert-Galant at the tip of Ile de la Cité. If you have limited time in the area, just make sure you see Notre-Dame and go for a stroll.
Getting Here
Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis are in the 1er and 4e arrondissements (the Boulevard du Palais is the dividing line between the 1er and 4e arrondissements on Ile de la Cité). If you’re too far away to get here on foot, take the métro to St-Michel station or La Cité.
Ice Cream vs. Gelato
Amorino.
Popping up all over and winning converts faster than you can finish a double scoop, is the Amorino chain of gelaterias. Popular flavors include rich bacio (dark chocolate and hazelnuts) and mascarpone with figs. Open daily, noon to midnight. | 47 rue St-Louis-en-l’Ile, Ile St-Louis | 75004 | 01–44–07–48–08 | Station: Pont Marie.
Berthillon.
The king of Parisian ice cream is served at cafés all over town, but it’s worth making a pilgrimage to the mother ship. The family-owned Berthillon shop features more than 30 flavors that change with the seasons, from mouth-puckering cassis (black currant) in summer to nutty marron glacé (candied chestnut) in winter. Expect to wait in a lengthy line for a tiny scoop. Note, too, the quirky hours: Though open most months from Wednesday through Sunday 10–8, it closes during peak season from mid-July to early September—a fact Le Parisien newspaper once denounced: sacrilège! | 31 rue St-Louis-en-l’Ile, Ile St-Louis | 75004 | 01–43–54–31–61 | Station: Pont Marie.
Top Attractions
FAMILY | Conciergerie.
Most of the Ile de la Cité’s medieval structures fell victim to wunderkind planner Baron Haussmann’s ambitious rebuilding program of the 1860s. Among the rare survivors are the jewel-like Sainte-Chapelle, a vision of shimmering stained glass, and the Conciergerie, the former prison where Marie-Antoinette and other victims of the French Revolution spent their final days.
Constructed by Philip IV in the late13th and early14th centuries, the Conciergerie—which takes its name from the building’s concierge or keeper—was part of the original palace of the kings of France, before the royals moved into the Louvre around 1364. In 1391, it became a prison. During the French Revolution, Marie-Antoinette languished 76 days here awaiting her date with the guillotine. There is a re-creation of the doomed queen’s sad little cell—plus others that are far smaller—complete with wax figures behind bars. In the chapel, stained glass, commissioned after the queen’s death by her daughter, is emblazoned with the initials M. A. Outside you can see the small courtyard where women prisoners took meals and washed their clothes in the fountain (men enjoyed no similar respite). Well-done temporary exhibitions on the ground floor aim to please kids and adults alike; previous themes have included enchanted forests and Gothic castles. There are free guided tours (in French only) most days at 11 and 3. | 2 bd. du Palais, Ile de la Cité | 75004 | 01–53–40–60–80 | www.conciergerie.monuments-nationaux.fr | €8.50; joint ticket with Sainte-Chapelle €12.50 | Daily 9:30–6 | Station: Cité.
Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation (Memorial of the Deportation).
On the eastern tip of the Ile de la Cité lies this stark monument to the more than 200,000 French men, women, and children who died in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The evocative memorial, inaugurated by Charles de Gaulle in 1962, was intentionally designed to be claustrophobic. Concrete blocks mark the narrow entrance to the crypt, which contains the tomb of an unknown deportee killed at the Neustadt camp. A dimly lighted narrow gallery studded with 200,000 pieces of glass symbolizes the lives lost, while urns at the lateral ends contain ashes from the camps. Ile de la Cité | 75004 | Free | Mar.–Oct., daily 10–5; Apr.-Sept., daily 10–7 | Station: Maubert Mutualité, Pont Marie.
Fodor’s Choice | Notre-Dame.
Looming above Place du Parvis on the Ile de la Cité is the iconic Cathédrale de Notre-Dame. Begun in 1163, completed in 1345, badly damaged during the Revolution, and restored by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century, Notre-Dame may not be France’s oldest or largest cathedral, but in beauty and architectural harmony it has few peers—as you can see by studying the facade from the square in front. The ornate doors seem like hands joined in prayer, the sculpted kings above them form a noble procession, and the west (front) rose window gleams with what seems like divine light. The most dramatic approach to Notre-Dame is from the Rive Gauche, crossing at the Pont au Double from Quai de Montebello, at the St-Michel métro or RER stop. This bridge will take you to the large square, Place du Parvis, in front of the cathedral, which serves as kilomètre zéro—the spot from which all distances to and from the city are officially measured. A polished brass circle set in the ground, about 20 yards from the cathedral’s main entrance, marks the exact spot.
A separate entrance, to the left of the front facade if you’re facing it, leads to the 387 stone steps of the south tower. These wind up to the bell of Notre-Dame—as tolled by the fictional Quasimodo, in Victor Hugo’s 1831 Notre-Dame de Paris. The incredible popularity of the book made Parisians finally take notice of the cathedral’s state of disrepair and spurred Viollet-le-Duc’s renovations. These included the addition of the gargoyles (though technically they are chimeras, as they lack the functioning waterspout of true “gargoyles”), among other things, and resulted in the structure we know today. Looking out from the tower, you can see how Paris—like the trunk of a tree developing new rings—has grown outward from the Ile de la Cité. To the north is Montmartre; to the west is the Arc de Triomphe, at the top of the Champs-Elysées; and to the south are the towers of St-Sulpice and the Panthéon. TIP Lines to climb the tower are shortest on weekday mornings.
Notre-Dame was one of the first Gothic cathedrals in Europe and one of the first buildings to make use of flying buttresses—exterior supports that spread out the weight of the building and roof. At first people thought they looked like scaffolding that the builders forgot to remove. TIP The most tranquil place to appreciate the architecture of Notre-Dame is from the lovely garden behind the cathedral, Square Jean-XXIII. By night, take a boat ride on the Seine for the best view—the lights after dark are magnificent.
The west (front) facade has three main entrances: the Portal of the Virgin on the left; the Portal of the Last Judgment in the center; and the Portal of St. Anne (the oldest of the three) on the right. As you enter the nave, the faith of the early builders permeates the quiet interior: the soft glow of the stained-glass windows contrasts with the triumphant glory of the exterior. The best time to visit is early in the morning, when the cathedral is at its brightest and least crowded. At the entrance are the massive 12th-century columns supporting the towers. Look down the nave to the transepts—the arms of the church—where, at the south (right) entrance to the choir, you’ll glimpse the haunting 12th-century statue of Notre-Dame de Paris, Our Lady of Paris, for whom the cathedral is named. On the south side of the choir is the Treasury, with a small collection of garments, reliquaries, crucifixes, and objects in silver and gold plate. Behind the choir you can see the Pietà, representing the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Christ. The biblical scenes on the north and south screens of the choir depict the life of Christ and the apparitions of Christ after the Resurrection. On the north side, the north rose window is one of the cathedral’s original stained-glass panels; at the center is an image of Mary holding a young Jesus. TIP There are audio guides in English at the entrance and free guided tours in English on most days at 2 p.m. (call ahead to confirm) except Friday and Sunday; Saturdays at 2:30.
Down the stairs in front of the cathedral is the Crypte Archéologique, an archaeological museum. It offers a fascinating subterranean view of this busy area from the 1st century when Paris was a Roman city called Lutetia (note the ruins of houses, baths and even a quay) through medieval times when the former rue Neuve-Notre-Dame that passed through here was packed with houses and shops. A renovation in late 2012 cleaned the remains and added 3-D video touch-screen panels that bring the ruins to life. | Pl. du Parvis, Ile de la Cité | 75004 | 01–42–34–56–10 | www.notredamedeparis.fr | Cathedral free, towers €8.50, crypt €5, treasury €3 | Cathedral daily 8–6:45 (7:15 on weekends). Towers Apr.–June and Sept., daily 10-6:30; July and Aug., weekdays 10–6:30, weekends 10 am–11 pm; Oct.–Mar., daily 10–5:30. Note towers close early when overcrowded. Treasury weekdays 9:30–6, Sat. 9:30–6:30, Sun. 1:30–6:30. Crypt Tues.–Sun. 10–6 | Station: Cité.
Fodor’s Choice | Sainte-Chapelle.
Built by the obsessively pious Louis IX (1226–70), this Gothic jewel is home to the oldest stained-glass windows in Paris. The chapel was constructed over three years, at phenomenal expense, to house the king’s collection of relics acquired from the impoverished emperor of Constantinople. These included Christ’s Crown of Thorns, fragments of the Cross, and drops of Christ’s blood—though even in Louis’s time these were considered of questionable authenticity. Some of the relics have survived and can be seen in the treasury of Notre-Dame, but most were lost during the Revolution.
Highlights
The narrow spiral staircase by the entrance takes you to the upper chapel where the famed beauty of Sainte-Chapelle comes alive: 6,458 square feet of stained glass is delicately supported by painted stonework that seems to disappear in the colorful light streaming through the windows. Deep reds and blues dominate the background, noticeably different from later, lighter medieval styles such as those of Notre-Dame’s rose windows.
The chapel is essentially an enormous magic lantern illuminating 1,130 figures from the Bible. Portions of the windows have been removed during a sweeping six-year restoration, set to finish in late 2014. (The lowest sections of the windows were restored in the mid-1800s.) Besides the dazzling glass, observe the detailed carvings on the columns and the statues of the apostles. The lower chapel is gloomy and plain, but take note of the low, vaulted ceiling decorated with fleurs-de-lis and cleverly arranged Ls for Louis.
Tips
- Sunset is the optimal time to see the rose window; however, to avoid waiting in killer lines, plan your visit for a weekday morning, the earlier the better.
- Come on a sunny day to appreciate the full effect of the light filtering through all of that glorious stained glass.
- You can buy a joint ticket with the Conciergerie: lines are shorter if you purchase it there, though you’ll still have to go through a longish metal detector line to get into Sainte-Chapelle itself.
- Sights aside, the chapel makes a divine setting for classical concerts; check the schedule at www.infoconcert.com.
4 bd. du Palais, Ile de la Cité | 75001 | 01–53–40–60–97 | www.sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr | €8.50; joint ticket with Conciergerie €12.50 | Mar. 1–Oct. 31, daily 9:30–6; Nov.–Feb., daily 9–5 | Station: Cité.
Worth Noting
Fodor’s Choice | Ancien Cloître Quartier.
Hidden in the shadows of Notre-Dame is this evocative, often-overlooked tangle of medieval streets. Through the years lucky folk, including Ludwig Bemelmans (who created the beloved Madeleine books) and the Aga Khan have called this area home, but back in the Middle Ages it was the domain of cathedral seminary students. One of them was the celebrated Peter Abélard (1079–1142)—philosopher, questioner of the faith, and renowned declaimer of love poems. Abélard boarded with Notre-Dame’s clergyman, Fulbert, whose 17-year-old niece, Héloïse, was seduced by the compelling Abélard, 39 years her senior. She became pregnant and the vengeful clergyman had Abélard castrated; amazingly, he survived and fled to a monastery, while Héloïse took refuge in a nunnery. The poetic, passionate letters between the two cemented their fame as thwarted lovers, and their story inspired a devoted following during the romantic 19th century. They still draw admirers to the Père Lachaise Cemetery, where they’re interred ensemble. The clergyman’s house at 10 rue Chanoinesse was redone in 1849; a plaque at the back of the building at 9-11 quai aux Fleurs commemorates the lovers. | Rue du Cloître-Notre-Dame north to Quai des Fleurs, Ile de la Cité | 75004 | Station: Cité.
Palais de Justice.
This courthouse complex, built in the 1860s by Baron Haussmann in his characteristically weighty neoclassical style, occupies the site of the former royal palace of St-Louis that later housed Parliament until the French Revolution. It is recognizable from afar with the tower of Sainte-Chapelle, tucked inside the courtyard, peeking out. Black-frocked judges and lawyers can often be spotted taking a cigarette break on the majestic rear staircase facing rue du Harlay. | 4 bd. du Palais, Ile de la Cité | 75001 | Station: Cité.
Place Dauphine.
The Surrealists called Place Dauphine “le sexe de Paris” because of its suggestive V shape; however, its origins were much more proper. The pretty square on the western side of the Pont Neuf was built by Henry IV, who named it as a homage to his son the crown prince, or dauphin, who became Louis XIII when Henry was assassinated. TIP Treat yourself by grabbing a table on a restaurant terrace here—the square is one of the best places in Paris to dine en plein air. | Ile de la Cité | 75001 | Station: Cité.
Square du Vert-Galant.
The equestrian statue of the Vert Galant himself—amorous adventurer Henry IV—keeps a vigilant watch over this leafy square at the western end of the Ile de la Cité while his real head, rediscovered in 2010, sits in a bank vault. The dashing but ruthless Henry, king of France from 1589 until his assassination in 1610, was a stern upholder of the absolute rights of monarchy and a notorious womanizer. He is probably best remembered for his cynical remark that “Paris vaut bien une messe” (“Paris is worth a mass”), a reference to his readiness to renounce Protestantism to gain the throne of predominantly Catholic France. To ease his conscience, he issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, according French Protestants (almost) equal rights with their Catholic countrymen. The square is a great place to picnic—you can practically dangle your feet in the Seine. TIP It’s also the departure point for the Vedette Pont Neuf tour boats on the Seine (at the bottom of the steps to the right). | Ile de la Cité | 75001 | Station: Pont Neuf.
St-Louis-en-L’Ile.
You can’t miss the unusual lacy spire of this church as you approach the Ile St-Louis; it’s the only church on the island and there are no other steeples to compete with it. It was built from 1652 to 1765 according to the Baroque designs of architect François Le Vau, brother of the more famous Louis, who designed several mansions nearby—as well as the Palace of Versailles. St-Louis’s interior was essentially stripped during the Revolution, as were so many French churches, but look for the odd outdoor iron clock, which dates from 1741. | 19 bis, rue St-Louis-en-L’Ile, Ile St-Louis | 75004 | 01–46–34–11–60 | www.saintlouisenlile.catholique.fr | Station: Pont Marie.
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