Paris Essentials: Île de la Cité in an Hour

The stops, in walking order

1. 1

   

   Stop 1: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris

   ~15 min here

   Notre-Dame is the great medieval Catholic cathedral and basilica before you, dedicated to the Virgin Mary and serving as the seat of the Archdiocese of Paris.

2. 2

   

   Stop 2: Shakespeare and Company

   ~3 min here

   Shakespeare and Company is a bookshop with sleeping places hidden among its shelves, where aspiring writers and artists have stayed while helping with the work of the store.

3. 3

   

   Stop 3: Conciergerie

   ~1 hr here

   The Conciergerie is a medieval complex that served as both courthouse and prison, beneath the Palais de Justice on the Île de la Cité.

4. 4

   

   Stop 4: Sainte-Chapelle

   ~15 min here

   Sainte-Chapelle is a royal chapel built to shelter Louis IX’s remarkable collection of Passion relics, including the Crown of Thorns.

5. 5

   

   Stop 5: Square du Vert Galant

   ~3 min here

   Square du Vert-Galant is a small triangular park at the downstream tip of Île de la Cité, beside the Pont Neuf.

More walks in Paris

• HighlightsParis Essentials9 stops · ~5 hr 5 min · 6.2 kmSee the walk
• Local LifeLe Marais: Mansions, Markets and Royal Squares8 stops · ~4 hr 5 min · 3.5 kmSee the walk
• Literary ParisLeft Bank Cafés, Writers and Curiosities10 stops · ~1 hr 40 min · 4.4 kmSee the walk
• Gardens & HistoryRoman Lutetia and the Jardin des Plantes6 stops · ~1 hr 30 min · 4.6 kmSee the walk
• NeighbourhoodsMontmartre: Cabarets, Artists and Sacré-Cœur5 stops · ~1 hr 55 min · 2.1 kmSee the walk
• Grand MonumentsEiffel Tower and Monumental West Paris7 stops · ~3 hr 40 min · 6.6 kmSee the walk
• Food & DrinkOpéra to Les Halles: Passages and Pâtisseries6 stops · ~1 hr 15 min · 3.6 kmSee the walk
• Local LifeEastern Paris: Markets, Rail Relics and Painted Houses4 stops · ~30 min · 1.6 kmSee the walk