Notre Dame De Paris; An Enchanting Fairy Tale

You may have read the fairy tale of the Hunchback of Notre Dame or the full 1831 novel by Victor Hugo which later entailed many different versions of plays, musicals, movies and even the famous Disney cartoon for children. And now you would get the chance to come and see the actual setting of the famous tragedy (the children’s versions have happy endings). But to see the exact steps where Claude Frollo stood and where Esmeralda danced in the street fair is like bringing the story to life. Come take a trip down the line where fiction meets reality and book your cheap flights to Paris now.

The Notre Dame means ‘Our Lady’ in French and this refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is actually a Gothic styled catholic cathedral and serves the purpose of the Catholic Archduicese of Paris which means that it contains the ‘cathedra’ which is the official chair of the Archbishop of Paris; the current arch bishop is André Vingt-Trois. The cathedral houses within its treasury a reliquary with the alleged Crown of Thorns.

Notre Dame de Paris is considered as one of the finest living examples of French Gothic architecture in not only France but Europe as well. With its beautiful stained glass windows depicting roses and beautiful sculptures give a pure sense of naturalism. Its construction started in 1160 and carried on until the 1260’s. Over the years many of its beautiful statues and windows have been vandalized and or destroyed for the purpose of trying to make this cathedral more modern. But finally in 1845 did the people realize that this was something to be preserved rather than changed. In 1991 the restoration was restarted with much more fervor and still continues to date.

Some of the most fantastic things to see in the Notre Dame cathedral are the artistic chimeras and gargoyles that sit atop the flanks; the restoration of the colossal statue of St Christopher; the later beheaded statues of biblical kings of Judah; the altars of Virgin Mary and Lady Liberty; the astonishingly striking façade that depict the Portal of the Virgin, Portal of the Last Judgment and the Portal of St Anne; the Grandes Orgues which is the beautiful and massive organ of this cathedral; Right inside is the statue of Virgin and Child, lle de la Cite and much much more. Surrounding the cathedral are beautiful rose gardens that bloom very high quality roses on season and add to the beauty of the Notre Dame.

When visiting Paris don’t let the opportunity to see this amazing work of art slip out from your itinerary and plan your tour of the great Notre Dame now.