Welcome to my 3rd post in the Best of Paris in a Week mini-series! Today’s exploration is dedicated to a gorgeous island in the Seine, known as the Ile de la Cité!
The Ile de la Cité is a beautiful and historical area in the heart of Paris. In fact, there’s a bronze star on the island marking the exact center of France! This island has been significant throughout France’s history, even serving as the capital at one point. Thanks to this rich history, there are some incredible sights and buildings here, including Notre Dame, The Concierge, and Sainte Chapelle.
If you’re jumping into the series right in the middle, this is part of a 6-day guide to the best sites in and around Paris. You can download my itinerary chart below, which is based on exploring by geographical location. (You’ll thank me later.)
Day 3: The Beautiful Ile de la Cité
Today’s tour is easily walkable, but you may want to catch the metro once of twice, too. However, you might be surprised at how many stunning places are packed onto this little island!
Luxembourg Gardens
Your journey actually starts just a few minutes away from the island at the iconic Luxembourg Gardens! Here, you can wander the grounds around Luxembourg Palace and enjoy numerous activities from tennis to miniature sailboats! It was gorgeous even in the dead of winter when we visited, so I can only imagine how breathtaking it would be in the spring or summer!
The gardens are quite expansive and hold many surprises, from fountains to statues. Two of my favorites were the little Statue of Liberty (a twin to the one in New York) and the stunning Medicis Fountain.
If you wish, and you time it right, you may be able to tour the Palace as well. However, this is where the French Senate meets, so it may not be open to the public when you’re there.
Notre-Dame
From the Luxembourg Gardens, catch the metro or enjoy the fifteen-minute walk over to the official Ile de la Cité area.
Now, due to the recent and tragic fire that took place in April 2019 at the Notre-Dame, you may not be able to tour the famous Cathedral when you visit. According to a report by Lyndsey Matthews at Afar magazine after the fire, the French President plans to reopen Notre-Dame by 2024. Unfortunately, this means that it may be five years before anyone can visit this beautiful building.
Paris as seen from the top of Notre Dame 
One of the famous gargoyles on Notre Dame 
Notre Dame in 2019 
Paris from about halfway up the Notre Dame towers
However, even if you cannot tour the inside of Notre-Dame, I highly encourage you to spend some time walking around the building. The surviving exterior of the building is still awe-inspiring, even without its roof. If you visit Paris in 2024, please take the time to explore the Cathedral and climb to the tops of the towers. This view was one of the most breathtaking ones I saw in Paris, and although it’s a hard climb, you should take advantage of the opportunity while it’s there.
Shakespeare & Co. (detour)
If you’re a book lover, you won’t want to miss the famous Shakespeare & Co. bookstore on the southern bank across from the island. It’s right across the bridge from Notre Dame. Inside its whimsical interior, the bookstore contains thousands of books—many in English—on every topic from French cooking to fantasy fiction. The books are well priced, and you can get them stamped with the store’s iconic symbol.
This was a bucket-list item for me, and I’m so glad we stopped!
The Concierge
Once you’ve had your fill of sightseeing and book shopping, head to the west end of the island to view the Concierge (the 14th-century palace and prison) and the Sainte Chapelle.
Inside the Concierge, you can tour many of the rooms from the original palace, including the kitchens, prison cells, and even Marie-Antoinette’s quarters from her imprisonment. The old palace is a museum dedicated to informing people about the truth behind the French Revolution, including many of the injustices committed by Maximilien Robespierre. The history contained within these stone walls is both blunt and enlightening.
While you’re here, be sure to walk through the area dedicated to Marie-Antoinette and view the artifacts she left behind.
Sainte-Chapelle
After touring the Concierge, head next door to the stunning Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic chapel which houses a dazzling display of intricate stained-glass windows. The chapel was initially built to hold some of the holy relics that were eventually transferred over to Notre-Dame. There are two parts to the chapel: the bottom floor, intended for the “normal” church members, and the gorgeous upper floor that only the royalty could access from the safety of the Concierge. Now, both levels are open to the public, and both are very beautiful.
However, the bottom floor is nothing compared to the fifteen incredible stained-glass windows in the upper chapel. Currently, the windows are being repaired, but the chapel is slowly being restored to its former glory, and it does not detract from the beauty. Take some time to study the stained glass windows and the stories told in them. They are truly unique in their scale and beauty. Don’t miss the stunning altar at the front, either. The artistry that went into it deserves some attention as well.
Note: If you wish to see the Sainte-Chapelle windows lit up in the sunshine, you may want to visit it prior to the Concierge. However, if you catch the windows at sunset, they are also incredibly beautiful.
This concludes day three of your Paris adventure! It’s a lot of stops, but thankfully everything is in a small area.
The streets on either side of the Ile de la Cité (especially the southern side) have many vendors selling artwork and souvenirs if you want to add some shopping into the itinerary, and there are plenty of cafes and restaurants to try for lunch and dinner, too.
A weekly museum pass, which I mentioned in the previous post, includes entrance to the Notre-Dame towers, the Concierge, and Sainte-Chapelle. I highly recommend buying one if you plan to visit a lot of museums and monuments. You can learn more about the pass and more money-saving tips for Paris in my Vacationing in Paris on a Budget post!
Read the Rest of the Best of Paris Mini-Series
The Best of Paris in a Week: Disneyland Paris
The Best of Paris in a Week: The Louvre and Montparnasse Observation Tower
The Best of Paris in a Week: Palace of Versailles
The Best of Paris in a Week: Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, & More
The Best of Paris in a Week: Montmartre District
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