Bus tour Rive Droite et Gauche

View of Notre Dame Cathedral (Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris), on Île de la Cité, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. One of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, featuring rib vaulting and flying buttresses. It is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris. It was built from 1163 till 1260, with later modifications. It was desecrated during the French Revolution, and Napoleon I was coronated here. Many of the Republic’s presidents had their funerals here.
In 2019 a fire caused serious damage and reopened in December 2024. We were quite impressed by the renovations and reconstruction.

Facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is the most visited monument in Paris, with 12 million visitors annually in the first decades of the 21st century. It has been owned by the French government since 1905, as have all the other cathedrals in France, and the catholic church has exclusive rights to use. It hold relics of enormous historical importance, such as the crown of thorns and a sliver and nail from the True Cross.
It was not until 1963 that the façade was cleaned of the accumulated soot and grime of centuries, returning it to its original off-white tone.
In 1971, a tightrope artist, Philippe Petit (born 1949), walked a tight-rope strung between the two bell towers. He also performed similar feats on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1973, and between the Twin Towers of the Word Trade Center in Ney York in 1974.

Rear view of le Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris. Ongoing restauration work is evident.

Garden supplies market Île de la Cité

Sainte Chapelle

Water fountain across from Sainte Chapelle

The Seine and Pont St. Michel

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