Notre Dame – Paris France

Notre Dame is one of my favorite places in Paris. It is very touristy and that is a bit of a draw back in my opinion, but it is still a wonderful spot. If you took the mob of people away it would be the best! The cathedral is truly magical… The building is absolutely stunning. It is nestled on the eastern part of the Île de la Cité, which is one of the two islands that are on the in the Seine River.

The above photo is taken from the back of the structure on a bridge. I love all of different colored trees surrounding it and the vines hanging over the edge of the wall and into the water of the Seine.

The photo below is of the front of the cathedral a few bridges down on the river.

Despite all of the people that crowd around the front of Notre Dame there is often awesome stuff going on! The first year we were there they had huge bleachers out front and an exhibit and the second time there was some kind of bread festival going on in huge tents. This last trip it was empty, but it was nice seeing people sitting together enjoying their day.

My next Parisian dream is to see it at Christmas time when there is a huge tree placed in front of Notre Dame’s doors. That would be truly magical!

Loved this stormy fall day in Paris!

This photograph was taken from a small park on the other side of the Seine River. I love all of the fall colors and that bright blue sky! I could sit in this spot all day. I remember there was a little girl running in circles

One last one… This is my second favorite area in Paris – The Latin Quarter. It is so great and full of uniqueness. There are cafés and restaurants lining the streets. I just love it! More on that later!

One of the coolest things about Notre Dame is that you are able to climb to the very top of the tower! It is 387 steps to the top… And you start to feel it, but it’s so worth the walk up! You take a winding spiral staircase that has worn spots on the steps from the many feet that have walked up them throughout history. It’s such a humbling and amazing feeling. AND the view…. OH MY GOSH!

Some history about Notre Dame…

French for “Our Lady of Paris”), also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France.^[3] The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world

Notre-Dame de Paris is very old, over 800 years old! Appointed bishop of Paris in 1160, Maurice de Sully decided to give the capital a cathedral worthy of France’s largest city. He wanted to build it in the style of the day, now known as the gothic style. King Louis VII, one of his classmates, encouraged the project. The Church, notable residents of the city, and the entire population participated in construction: some offered money, others offered their labour, while others offered their knowledge. Construction began in 1163, and Notre-Dame would be completed some 100 years later, in 1272.

Don’t miss the past posts from the Paris in Photographs series

My Favorites in Paris

Introduction to Paris in Photographs

Picnic in the Park