Paris has close to 200 churches. On our recent time in the city, we visited about a dozen of them. I find the architecture and art in each of these churches fascinating and I would like to share a few facts and pictures about some of them!

Notre-Dame Cathedral is packed with history and is the most famous religious building in Paris. The world watched in horror on April 15, 2019 when a fire ignited and quickly the blaze grew. More than 400 firefighters battled the flames for 9 hours and were able to save the building from total destruction. The 13th century roof and the 19th century spire were destroyed and the interior was littered and damaged from falling debris. Almost immediately, rescue and restoration work began and the French have vowed that the Cathedral will reopen in 2024 prior to the Paris Summer Olympics.

Looking at the building at this time, it is hard to believe that they will meet that deadline but they remain steadfast in the commitment. If you are interested in more detail on the cathedral, the fire and the restoration, the February 2022 National Geographic has excellent information.

At the other end of the Ile de la Cité is Sainte-Chapelle. This 13th century gothic chapel is a cathedral of stained glass. The 15 separate stained glass panels depict more than 1100 scenes. The chapel and altar were built to house and honour the Crown of Thorns. This prized relic was eventually moved to Notre-Dame (where it did survive the fire).

Today, no regular masses are held at St Chapelle. You require a ticket to visit (€11.50 at the time of our 2022 visit). To skip the ticket line, you can buy your tickets on-line: pick a time early in the day and one where there are lots of tickets available and hopefully, you will beat the crowds.

Église Saint-Eustache was built between 1532 and 1632. It is a similar size to Notre-Dame with a Gothic exterior and Gothic-Renaissance interior. It leaves one with a sense of grandeur with its vast interior and tall granite columns.

The Sacré-Cœur Basilica sits at the top of Montmartre at Paris’ highest natural point (430 feet). The exterior of the five-domed basilica is covered with white gypsum from the mines below it and thus, whitens as it ages. It was built on a foundation of 83 pillars from 1875 to 1919.

We visited Sacré-Cœur at mid-morning and found it over-run with tourists, waiting in a long line to enter and we left promptly. Our hotel was located in Montmartre so we returned after dinner one evening and found it beautifully lit and relatively free of people. We were pleasantly surprised to find it open as we had read that in October it closed earlier. There were no line-ups to enter and we found it had a hauntingly beautiful aura in the evening lighting.

Sacré-Cœur is free to enter; there is a charge if you wish to climb the dome, which is not open in the evening.

From the plaza in front of the Basilica, there is a beautiful view of Paris spread below you.

Église Saint-Séverin hardly garners a mention in the Paris guidebooks and we just came across it while wandering. What a wonderful discovery – it is possibly my favourite Paris church!

It was originally built beginning in 1230 and was rebuilt and enlarged in the 15th to 17th centuries in the Flamboyant Gothic style. The upper walls are lined with deeply-coloured 14th century stained glass windows.

The Abbey of Saint Germaine des Prés is Paris’ oldest church, dating from the 11th century. It again was a wonderful find, with it’s Romanesque arches, beautiful stained glass and colourful interior.

The Church of Saint-Germain L’Auxerrois sits directly across from the Louvre Palace. Built in the 13th, 15th & 16th centuries, it again is filled with ornate columns and beautiful stained glass.

Saint-Sulpice Church was modelled after London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral and features a Neoclassical facade with two round towers.

Construction of the Gothic-style Église Saint-Leu-Saint-Gilles de Paris began in 1235 with many renovations over the centuries. It is especially noted for paying particular attention to the homeless of its neighbourhood.

Here are images of a few of the other great churches we visited.

Not a church but a great place to visit was the Montmartre Cemetery, officially known as the Cimetière du Nord. I love a good cemetery and serendipitously, this one was located directly across the street from our hotel. It opened in 1825 and is the third largest in Paris. Interestingly, it has a bridge that passes over it.

Paris is a city of beautiful churches and I’m sure you could find your favourite while wandering the streets. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of mine. Stay tuned for more blogs about this wonderful city!

Cheers,

Bev & Harvey