Preserved on an urban enclave which is the Ile de la Cite, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame has been a witness to Paris' mediaeval past and should not be missed.
Approaching from the right bank, from Chatelet, or from southern Paris, via St Michel, you arrive on the Ile de la Cite with the feeling that an unforgettable meeting is about to take place. 40 metres wide at the front, 130 metres in length and rising to a height of 69 metres, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame is an immense masterpiece of Gothic architecture to be admired from inside as well as out. A climb to the top of one of its towers provides a splendid view of Paris.
After your visit to Notre-Dame, enjoy a leisurely stroll on the banks of the Ile de la Cite (her neighbour, the Ile St Louis, is also worth a visit), rub shoulders with the thick stone walls of the Conciergerie and the Palais de Justice before stopping for a while in the romantic leafy green haven that is the Square du Vert Galant (on the western tip of the isle).
Return to 'mainland' Paris from the Ile de la Cite via the majestic Pont Neuf or board a bateau-mouche to wonder at the cathedral at night, from the river...
