Paris.

Visit Notre-Dame for a working cathedral at the center of medieval Paris. Its Gothic interior and sculpted exterior offer more than a quick photograph of the twin towers.

The cathedral brings together architecture, worship and French public history on Île de la Cité. Its ribbed vaults, stained glass and carved figures make a strong contrast with the royal chapel nearby. Combining Notre-Dame with Sainte-Chapelle reveals two different purposes for Gothic building: a city’s cathedral and a king’s reliquary chapel.

Bishop Maurice de Sully initiated the rebuilding project, and construction began in 1163. The new cathedral developed in stages, allowing religious life to continue while its fabric changed. Successive builders completed the choir, nave, façade and transepts over the following centuries. Its high, relatively thin walls required external support, helping explain the flying buttresses visible around the building. The cathedral’s name means Our Lady of Paris, referring to Mary. Its role also extended beyond worship: Napoleon’s coronation took place here in 1804, after the Revolution had damaged much of its religious imagery. An extensive restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc began in 1845. Notre-Dame therefore carries both medieval work and later interpretations of that work. Understanding that layered history makes its sculpture and architectural details more interesting than treating the entire building as an untouched survival from a single period.

• The twin-towered façade developed during the thirteenth century.
• Flying buttresses support the high walls around the choir and nave.
• Gargoyles function as water spouts, distinct from decorative chimeras.

Combine the cathedral with the Palais de la Cité monuments on the same island.

Check the cathedral’s official calendar before setting the order of your island visits.