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The Island of the City

A superb visit to the heart of historic Paris

The city of Paris developed from the Île de Cité. The king lived in the Conciergerie on the Île de la Cité between the 10th and 14th centuries before moving to the Louvre. The island is home to one of the most emblematic monuments of the city: the Notre-Dame cathedral. You can also visit the Île Saint-Louis which is just next door and which houses many luxurious Parisian mansions.

Interest: ratingvery good (3 users)
Difficulty: difficulty
Duration: 3 h.
Departure point (Google Maps)

Notre-Dame de Paris

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Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris is the emblematic monument of the Ile de la Cité and the city of Paris.

The fire of Notre-Dame

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The fire of Notre-Dame
The reconstruction of the cathedral is underway. The reopening of the cathedral is scheduled for December 8, 2024.

The bookstores

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The bookstores
The bouquinistes who sell all kinds of books are an integral part of the Parisian landscape along the quays of the Seine. They are unfortunately disappearing.

The queue for the Sainte-Chapelle

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The queue for the Sainte-Chapelle
Even if the cathedral cannot be visited yet, there are still many churches to visit in Paris. A 5 minute walk from Notre-Dame you can visit the splendid Sainte-Chapelle. You have to be patient for the visit because of the affluence.

The Sainte-Chapelle

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The Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle was built in only 7 years to house relics of the Passion of Christ: the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the Cross. The relics are no longer in the Holy Chapel today.

The stained glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle

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The stained glass windows of the Sainte-Chapelle
The Sainte-Chapelle is one of the most beautiful gothic monuments in the world. Not to be missed. The visit is very short, the price is unfortunately a bit high (13 euros).

The clock of the Conciergerie

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The clock of the Conciergerie
It is hardly noticed but this splendid clock was the first public clock in Paris.

The Conciergerie

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The Conciergerie
The Conciergerie on the Ile de la Cité was for a long time the residence of the Kings of France. The visit (13 euros) is very disappointing, the building is almost empty. Even if it is huge, the visit is very quick. You can save your money.

The flower market of the Île de la Cité

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The flower market of the Île de la Cité
You can take advantage of the visit to walk in the middle of a lovely little flower market. On Sundays the flower market used to be a bird market but in 2021 the Paris City Hall decided to suppress this bird market for the animal welfare.

Saint-Louis Island

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Saint-Louis Island
The Île Saint Louis is in the extension of the Île de la Cité. If you like ice cream you will find many ice cream shops on the island including the Berthillon house (the most famous Parisian ice cream shop).

🚶‍ Practical information 🌳

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