Notre Dame Island and Historic Medieval Paris Walking Tour
What to do in Paris? Take a guided walking tour of Notre Dame Island Cathedral and Historic Medieval Paris Walking Tour with the storied Île de la Cité. The best Paris walking tours.
Highlights
- Stroll through Île de la Cité, the heart of Paris
- View the exterior of gothic Notre Dame Cathedral and Sainte Chapelle
- Explore the island with dedicated audio headsets in a small group of not more than 25 people
- Ensure your visit has a positive impact as €2 from your booking will be donated to the Notre Dame Restoration Fund
Notre Dame Island & Historic Medieval Paris Walking Tour
Notre Dame Island and Historic Medieval Paris Walking Tour
Take a tour of Île de la Cité and explore how this Parisian settlement tells the story of the sensitive equilibrium of authority between faith and government in one of Europe’s most secular nations.
Explore the Origins of Paris Your trip starts on Pont Neuf bridges under Henri IV’s statue on a horseback.
You will visit Place Dauphine, which the king intended after the religious wars to promote an atmosphere of calm in the town and which Parisians still use for petanque matches.
The Conciergerie and its ominous towers will be seen from here. It was the residence of the French kings before it became the administrative center of the city. During the revolution that spread around the globe, it was later used to hold members of the aristocracy.
You are going to pass the Palais de Justice where Marie Antoinette was sentenced to guillotine by the courts. Next to it is Sainte-Chapelle, constructed to house the relics of the Crusader that gave legitimacy to the kings. His spiral became Notre Dame’s template after the revolution.
You’ll hear about the pagan sanctuary below Notre Dame on Rue de Lutece. The saint who attempted to take Christianity to Roman Paris will be discovered and how he lost his head in the process. You will hear how a French King and Queen saved Paris from attack and started the close relationship between the monarchy and the church that altered Europe’s face.
Look at Notre Dame’s Gothic Splendor
As you walk around the Notre Dame Cathedral, your guide will highlight the characteristics of the world’s best Gothic architecture. The flying buttresses support rib-like vaults and elevated ceilings that were so different from the time’s tiny dark churches. The radiant rose windows, detailed portals, saint statues and threatening gargoyles brought the bible stories to life before the printing press.
Victor Hugo further immortalized the cathedral in literature and it became home to relics like Notre Dame’s Treasure–a ring of gem-encrusted stone crystal comprising the Thorns Crown. Since the cathedral is the zero point* from which all French distances are calculated, tourists have a lot of customs connected with it. This much-loved cathedral has endured revolutions, world wars and the latest fire that has made it a worldwide heritage symbol in the core of France.
Your guide will take you from the island to the Left Bank of Paris. This is where you will get the best perspective of the Lady of Paris before you pass the library “Shakespeare and Co” featured in the Paris Midnight movie, known for her intellectual energy and student life.
Join us on this amazing 1.5hr trip into the core of historic Paris and enjoy the history, craftsmanship and heritage that surrounds the island and its medieval houses.
Note: Choose various departure time and head to Ile de la Cité to meet your English-speaking guide. With your small group, explore the small island that is notably the epicenter of Paris and where the city was founded in the Middle Ages.
Learn about the political and cultural importance of this area and the surrounding Seine River. Hear about ever-evolving Paris from antiquity and the dark ages to present-day as well as the revolution that changed the world as you admire the medieval structures that have survived for hundreds of years.
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