One of the best ways to get around Paris is by foot! And I usually start my day with morning mass at the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Notre Dame de Paris literally translates to Our Lady of Paris. It is a famous Gothic catholic church and is the official church for the Archbishop of Paris.
Needless to say, the place is always swarming with tourists and locals. In fact almost every time I visit the church, I am bound to run into some couple taking wedding photos outside Notre Dame. This church was at one point known to be the church for the Kings of Europe and stands on the site of Paris first church.
The architecture of the place was a little spooky to me but you have to admit it was goth at its finest. Every single detail was exceptional. Especially the arch above the main doors. In fact, this is among the first buildings in the world to use the flying buttress, a type of exterior arched supports. And if you are looking out for Gargoyles, you are bound to spot a few. Just don’t go looking for the hunchback of Notre Dame.
Inside was a magnificent sight to behold. Lots of impressive stain glass and the lovely tall arches allowed the choir to echo their voices beautifully off the walls. And that is one of the reasons I returned to Notre Dame for mass on so many days.
If you are someone very interested in history, architecture and details, you won’t be disappointed because this places holds so much relics and so much details especially in the form of Gothic art. And for me being a catholic, it’s just bonus that this is still a very active catholic church with daily masses and communion services. It was so interesting attending mass in French because while I didn’t understand every word that was said, catholic mass is exactly the same every where around the world so the translation is naturally in your heart and your head with each ritual.
Outside the cathedral, there are always a lot of pigeons gathering to be fed.