Paris – Notre Dame Cathedral

The Cathédrale Notre Dame is known as a symbol of France, second only to the Eiffel Tower. This place is a famous destination for tourists and, at the same time, serves as a working church.

This Gothic structure was built from 1163AD to 1235AD. Up to this day, it is known to be one of the greatest structures in the entire world. It can hold around 6,000 people by its base. For some, the huge attraction is climbing up the 387 steps to reach the top of the tower.

It welcomes visitors through its narrow passageway, which goes to the big area where a large church bell is placed. You can have the most spectacular view in that area. From here, you can easily picture Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, ringing the 13-ton bell as gargoyles climb around the area.

What makes the climb worth it is being able to see a near-360 degree sight of Paris that provides a close-up view of a number of statues. You should be really careful going up these stairs since there are no rails and traffic runs on all sides. People who go down usually walk beside the wall while those who are climbing up take the outer steps.

By just looking at the outside structure, you can tell that the building is a representation of great Gothic architecture. Yes, you can definitely see gargoyles. You can also see a big round window by the center of the top west entrance, as well as amazing arches on its sides. There are two more windows situated by the south and north area of the building.

Seen from the exterior, the building represents one of the pinnacles of High Gothic architecture. There is a huge round window centered atop the west entrance, and magnificent high arches flanking the sides. Two more rose windows reside on the north and south-facing sides of the building.

The place is adorned with carvings by a lot of craftsmen who worked for centuries building the structure. The west area alone holds 28 statues that represent different religious figures in history.

By simply going inside the church, your experience is definitely uplifted. The high ceilings and stained glass windows present an amazing look that still awe visitors today, no matter how prepared they may be. Though common during this period, the design is still astounding.

Here, you can imagine the slaying of a medieval Bishop or the self-crowning of Napoleon in 1804. You can also picture out the comeback of General de Gaulle as WWII ended. Also, seeing the 7,800-pipe organ will surely make the visit worth it.

You can barely imagine the non-existence of this magnificent cathedral.

However, during the 19^th century, the fate of the church became questionable. Its structure fell apart as centuries passed by and it even came to the point when there were plans to bring it down.

Victor Hugo wrote a well-known novel so as to inform people the history and value of the structure. With his efforts, he was joined by other popular artists of that period. As a result, many people became interested and the building was able to undergo restoration.

You can easily find Notre Dame by riding the Chatelet-Les Halles or Saint-Michel metro or subway stations.