What to see at the Notre Dame De Paris

Location & Name

Notre Dame de Paris which literally means “Our Lady of Paris” in French is one of the most popular attractions. The Notre Dame Cathedral is situated in an island known as Ile de la Cite. It was the centre of power of France during the 4th and the 14th century. The Cathedral can also be casually referred to as Notre Dame.

Construction

With the cathedral columns having a diameter of 5 meters, Notre Dame also boasts rose windows which have a 10-metres diameter. The cathedral is believed to be 48 metres wide, 130 metres long and 35 metres high.

Although the Cathedral holds a lot of the original designs, the structure has faced the test of time and destruction which has led to consequent restoration efforts and operations over the years. The essence of the Cathedral has nevertheless still been retained in the front elevation and interiors. The Cathedral was victim to vandalism in the 16th century. Culprits responsible for changing a lot of the Cathedral and its features during that time were the French King and the Huguenots. Stained glasses and tombs were destructed under the pretext of modernization and a lot of the features on the cathedral’s exterior were torn down because they were thought to encourage idol-worshipping. Heads of several statues were detached during the French Revolution when the cathedral was turned into a warehouse for storing food items.

Restoration operations took place as late as between 1845 and 1870. This was the very first attempt at repairing erstwhile damages done to the cathedral and included the addition of new elements during the construction procedure. The latest restoration effort was taken up in 1991. It primarily involved the clean-up of sculptures and front elevation. This restoration work continued for about 20 years.

Visit

The best time to pick for a visit to the towers (which are said to be 69 metres high) would be between April and September. The apt timing during these months would between 10am to 6:30pm. However, if you plan to visit during June to August, then you should visit on Saturdays or Sundays. The apt timing on the weekend would be between 10am to 11pm. Further, if your visit is scheduled between October and March, then 10am to 5:30pm would be ideal time spots. If you visit 45 minutes before the cathedral shuts then you may be allowed entry but not after that. To get to Notre Dame by means of the metro, you can choose the cite station on line 4. Other routes would be Saint Michel station on RER B and C lines. The cathedral is usually shut on three occasions, namely, on January 1st, May 1st and December 25th.

Morning would be the ideal time of your day to pay a visit to the Notre Dame Cathedral. Tuesdays and Fridays are considered to be the apt days for visiting. While the cathedral remains open, entry to visitors is free of cost. Don’t miss the much talked about 13-tonne Emmanuel bell which is located in the south tower.