The two small islands in the Seine draw rabbles of visitors, particularly on sunny weekends. The larger of the islands is also the one with the greater pretensions. Île de la Cité represents the historical beginnings of Paris and the geographical heart of the whole of France. It was here that the Parisii tribe settled in around 300BC, here that the Romans chose to root their political power, and here that the French kings in medieval times founded their religious and judicial centres. Set in the slabs of stone outside the west door of Notre Dame cathedral is a bronze star-shaped plaque denoting Point Zéro, the spot from where all distances from Paris are measured. Île St Louis is more residential, its attractions less institutional. The atmosphere is almost villagey, albeit in an upmarket, bustling way. Rue St-Louis-en-l’Île, the narrow main street, heaves with specialist food shops, tea rooms, and quaint restaurants, and the Seine is never more romantic than from the café terraces on the island’s westernmost point. For the best show, face towards the Left Bank, which will enable you to admire the sunset over your apéritif. Sights Île de la Cité 75001 and 75004. M Cité. The island’s most famous landmark is the indomitable Notre Dame cathedral, built to replace and surpass a crumbling earlier Notre Dame church, on a site where a Roman temple to Jupiter once stood. Place du Parvis Notre Dame at the front of the cathedral is an epicentre of tourist activity – tour groups, caricaturists and the occasional skateboarder – but the gardens at the rear and to the south are comparatively calm. Walk all the way round to appreciate the flying buttresses and the cherry blossoms in spring. Since the early 19th century there has been a colourful and sweet-smelling Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market) at place Louis-Lépine, towards the centre of the island. On Sundays the market also sells caged birds and small pets. This island was once the seat of royal power and much survives from the original medieval palace complex on the western part of the island, namely the Conciergerie, the Palais de Justice and Sainte-Chapelle. Notre Dame 6 place du Parvis-de-Notre-Dame, 75001. Church, T 01 42 34 56 10. Mon-Sun 0745-2100. Free. Towers, T 01 53 10 07 00. Summer Mon-Sun 0845-1845, winter Mon-Sun 1000-1645. €5.50, 18-26s €3.50, under 18s free. M Cité. The most famous place of worship in France – the Cathedral of Notre Dame, or Our Lady – took more than 170 years to complete, after Pope Alexander III laid the first stone in 1163. The building has a spectacular Gothic facade with a rose window at its western end and magnificent flying buttresses at its eastern end. The nave is at its best when the sun shines through the stained-glass windows, washing it with shafts of light in reds and blues. During the Revolution the cathedral was converted into a Temple of Reason and used for non-religious purposes. The 28 statues from the facade were ripped down – the ones there now are replicas. The surviving originals are in the Musée National du Moyen Age . In 1804 the coronation of Napoleon as Emperor of France was held here, and during the 19th century the cathedral was restored to its former glory. This was in part thanks to the petitioning efforts of vociferous Parisian residents, including Victor Hugo, whose Hunchback of Notre Dame uses the cathedral as its backdrop. At weekends there is invariably a longish wait to climb up the spiral steps of the north tower, even on gloomy days, despite the fact that there are equally good overhead views of Paris to be had elsewhere . That said, Notre Dame has the best gargoyles in Paris, which can be seen from up close in the tower. Crypte archéologique du Parvis Notre-Dame 1 place du Parvis-de-Notre-Dame, 75001, T 01 43 29 83 51. Tue-Sun 1000-1800. €3.30, concessions €2.20, students €1.60, under 14s free. Guided tour (in French) Sat 1500 ,extra €4.50. M Cité. The steps that disappear underneath the square in front of Notre Dame cathedral lead to the crypt, where the archaeological remnants of 17 centuries of Paris’s past are on view. Excavations – begun after discoveries during work on an underground car park – have uncovered sections of walls and a hypocaust heating system from Roman times, as well as medieval street remains. Other remains include the foundations of a Foundling Hospital built in the mid-18th century, and even parts of the old houses that were demolished in 1745 to make way for it. There are excellent explanatory boards in French and English. Sainte-Chapelle4 blvd du Palais, 75001, T 01 53 73 78 51. Mon-Sun 0930-1730. €5.50, concessions €3.50. Combined ticket with Conciergerie €8 or €5. M Cité. This glittering jewel of a chapel was built by King Louis IX to house his precious religious relics, most importantly the Crown of Thorns. The acquisition of this crucial relic from emperor Baudouin II of Constantinople greatly augmented France’s status in Christendom, albeit at enormous cost. Sainte-Chapelle is actually two chapels, which were both inaugurated in 1248, the year the king died. The elegant lower chapel, with delicate columns and starry ceiling, served as a place of worship for the royal servants from the neighbouring palace. More breathtaking still is the upper chapel, which functioned as the king’s private chapel and the location of the decorated reliquary in which the holy relics were kept when not on display. The most striking feature of the upper chapel is the shimmering stained-glass windows, about 600 sq m of them, through which the light seems to filter magically on sunny days. The windows depict the story of the Bible, starting on the left-hand side at the foot of the nave with the Creation, as told in the book of Genesis. Not surprisingly, given its flawless religious and royal credentials, Sainte-Chapelle came under attack during the Revolution. The spire was ripped down and the relics disappeared. Thanks to painstaking restoration work in the 19th century, the chapel has been restored to its former glory. Conciergerie1 quai de l’Horloge, 75001, T 01 53 73 78 50. Mon-Sun 0930-1730. €5.50, concessions €3.50. Combined ticket with Sainte-Chapelle €8 or €5. M Cité. This was once the residence of the concierge, an important officer of the crown in medieval times. His responsibilities included those of a jailer, but it was only with the fall of the monarchy and the start of the Revolutionary Terror in 1793 that the Conciergerie became a fully functioning Tribunal and prison. In just two years, more than 2,700 condemned people spent their final moments in the Conciergerie, before being transferred by cart to the greedy guillotine waiting at place de la Révolution (today’s place de la Concorde). The most famous prisoners were probably Marie Antoinette, whose cell of 76 days has been re-created, and Robespierre, who spent his last few hours here. Visitors enter the Conciergerie at the Hall of Men-at-Arms, a massive Gothic hall built in the early 14th century as a dining room for the king’s 2,000-strong staff. Today the hall is hired out for luxurious banquets. At the hall’s westernmost end is a corridor known as the Rue de Paris, named after the fearful executioner Monsieur de Paris. It is here that the pailleux, or poor prisoners, slept piled next to one another on the hay. More fortunate prisoners could afford the privilege of a chambre à la pistole, with a bed and a desk for reading and writing. Prior to execution prisoners were prepared in a special room: the head was shaved at the nape of the neck, shirt collars were ripped open, and hands were tied. The Conciergerie was opened to the public in 1914, a national monument to several centuries of prison life – and death. Palais de Justice4 blvd du Palais, 75001. Mon-Fri 0800-1800. Free. M Cité. The city’s law courts are open to the general public, who can admire the architecture of the communal areas or sit in on courts in session. The building is impressive, not least because of its size and its history (this was the royal palace until the 14th century). Maps and directions are available from the information points. Pont Neuf75001. M Pont Neuf. The best-loved of all the city’s 36 bridges is also the oldest surviving one, ironic considering that its name translates as New Bridge. It is made up of one section of five arches and a second of seven arches, altogether reaching 275 m across the Seine. The bridge was inaugurated by Henri IV in 1607, and an equestrian statue of the king stands in the bridge’s middle section. Beneath, on the Île de la Cité, is the triangular Square du Vert Galant, where picnickers and lovers savour some of the best river views. Leos Carax’s 1991 film Les Amants du pont Neuf was actually filmed, at great expense, on a specially constructed replica bridge on a lake near Montpellier. H Île St Louis75004. M Pont Marie, Sully Morland. Strolling around the Île St Louis is a bit like stepping into a film set recreating the 17th century. In particular the quais overlooking the Seine to the north ooze a hushed, old-fashioned elegance, thanks to the scores of old hôtels. The most animated street – and the one that feels least like a timewarp – is rue St-Louis-en-l'Île, which bisects the island. In the thick of its specialist olive oil shops and chocolate confectioners, standing incongruously amidst the general quaintness and cuteness, is the small and rather sombre 18th-century baroque church of the same name. Most tourists forgo a visit to the church in favour of the semi-permanent queue for an ice-cream or sorbet at Berthillon next door. No. 24 on quai de Béthune is where Georges Pompidou died.
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