If you’re planning a visit to Paris in the coming months (or years), chances are you won’t have the chance to duck inside and see Notre Dame Cathedral in all her splendor. But just because Our Lady is in for a long journey to restoration doesn’t mean you can’t observe some beautiful Gothic architecture elsewhere in the city. Here are five of our favorites.
1. Sainte-Chapelle
Just steps from Notre Dame, you’ll find Sainte-Chapelle, a royal chapel built in just ten years (from 1238 to 1248) by King Louis IX (Saint Louis). The chapel was initially intended as a giant reliquary to house the Crown of Thorns and other Holy Relics that, until the blaze this spring, were subsequently kept at Notre Dame.
Today, Sainte Chapelle is best known for its extensive collection of 13th century stained glass windows, which line the walls of the second story of the chapel.
2. Saint Germain l’Auxerrois
This church steps from the Louvre encompasses many styles of architecture, from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance. While it is certainly beautiful, it is perhaps best known for its bell, Marie, which tolled on the night of August 23rd 1572 to mark the beginning of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, which was instigated, many say, by the Queen of France, Catholic Catherine de Medici.
Thousands of Huguenots, in town for the wedding of Catherine’s daughter to the incumbent King Henri IV of France (formerly Henri III of Navarre) were killed during the massacre.
3. Saint Eustache
If you ask us, Saint Eustache is one of the most underrated churches in Paris. It’s not surprising: this Gothic marvel which was built between 1532 and 1632 was unfortunately hidden for years during the rebuilding project at Les Halles. But the new shopping center is finished, and now Saint Eustache towers over a beautiful green lawn, where you can sit and admire it in all of its splendor.