A Peak Inside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Veronika has always had a small obsession with Disney films and fairy tales. As a kid, she would watch them over and over again and was fascinated by the stories. One of the stories she liked most was the version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame – the classic by Victor Hugo set in the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, about the tragic love story between Quasimodo (the hunchback) and the beautiful Esmeralda, turned into a children’s tale. Due to her love of this story, it is only natural that one of the places that she has always wanted to see in the world is this famous Gothic cathedral in Paris. This year, we made that dream come true.

View of the back of Notre Dame Cathedral

It was our first day in the city and we had taken a morning walk through the streets of Paris, along the Seine and across to the islands of Saint-Louis and then to Ile de la Cite, where we could instantly see Notre Dame rising up above everything else. The huge buttresses of the Gothic church flared out as we wandered along the side and out into the square at the front of the building. We had to put some distance between us and the cathedral to take it all in. The detail in the facade is just fascinating, the 13th century carvings still kept in almost perfect condition. The famous twin bell towers then rise far above, and even I could imagine old Quasimodo standing there in the window, watching out over the rooftops of Paris.

A statue outside Notre Dame

Notre Dame Cathedral

Carvings on the facade above the main doors

We joined in with the crowds to get inside the cathedral, which all moved surprisingly fast. Once through the enormous wooden doors, it took a while for my eyes to adjust to the darkened interior. Light streamed through the stained glass windows all around to softly illuminate the vast interior of the cathedral. I stood in awe as I looked down the nave to the choir at the end, far off in the distance, though I knew that even this wasn’t the back of the church. The place was packed full of tourists, but there was only the echo of hushed voices as people wandered around the isles and amongst the tall columns holding up the church. Further along, just before the choir, a service was in process, and the priests were singing a most beautiful tune, with acoustics that could only occur in a place like this. I’m not a religious person, but you can’t help but feel something in places like this. I can understand why devotees come here to pray or seek solace or inspiration.

Looking down the Nave of Notre Dame

Columns and a chandelier, with stained glass windows in the background

View of the North Rose Window, above the service in Notre Dame

We lingered a while to watch the service, even though I couldn’t understand a word being said, and then wandered around the stunning wooden choir with organs hanging above, and then around to the alter at the back of the church, before making our way back to the front doors and into the bright sunlight.

Priests and devotees at Notre Dame

Prayer candles

A chapel inside Notre Dame Cathedral

I looked up again at the facade as I exited the cathedral, and all I could do was marvel at it. Places like this just aren’t built anymore. The amount of detail, planning and time that must have gone into it, not to mention the incredible amount of money that it would have taken at the time to build, is just something that wouldn’t be feasible today.

Looking up at the facade and towers above

Incredible carving on the facade

We turned right when we exited the Cathedral and found the line up for the towers of Notre Dame. It was enormous, stretching far up the street, and only a handful of people are allowed in at a time. We decided to leave it for another day when we could return early in the morning for a shorter line up. And that will also be a post for another day.