Gargoyles and Grotesques: The Towers of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

We fell in love with Notre Dame Cathedral on our first day in Paris. It was a dream come true for my wife and something that I knew we would remember forever, but we weren’t yet done with Notre Dame. Although we had explored the interior of the church, we wanted to get up amongst the gargoyles and grotesques of the twin bell towers that so iconically look out over the rooftops of the city. The line was huge the day before, so we decided to return the next morning for an early breakfast and to join the queue before the towers opened.

It was another pleasant morning as we wandered along the Seine and onto Ile de la Cite. We sat down at a little cafe on Rue du Cloitre Notre Dame that overlooks the cathedral and ordered fresh bread with jam and coffee. We noticed people starting to line up at the closed entrance to the towers, so once we had finished breakfast we quickly did the same, lining up along the sidewalk running parallel to the cathedral. They started letting people in at 10am, around 20 people at a time, so it took us about another half an hour to get to the front of the queue and step through the stone arch and up to the ticket office.

A total of 387 steps lead to the top of the towers, so you don’t have to feel too guilty about all of those french pastries you’ve been eating. Our legs were certainly feeling it as we climbed up the long spiral staircase, its stone steps worn smooth and indented from centuries of use. Eventually we emerged back into the sunlight, stepping out onto the gallery that separates the two towers at the top of the western facade. The faces of ancient grotesques stared back at us and out over the city, while the water spouts of gargoyles protruded off of the walls. Beyond them was a spectacular panorama, looking out over the rooftops of Paris with the Seine cutting through the city. In the distance we could see the icon itself, the Eiffel Tower, standing tall above the surrounding buildings.

Grotesques look out over Paris from the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral

View of Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the distance

A grotesque looks out over Paris from Notre Dame Cathedral

View over the city of Paris from Notre Dame

As we made our way between the towers it was incredible to be up close with the details of the stunning architecture of the church. There are carvings and gargoyles and grotesques everywhere. Gothic spires rise from the rooftops, the huge towers still standing tall above us.

View of the roof of the cathedral between the towers of Notre Dame

A grotesque watching over Paris

When we reached the south tower we were allowed to go inside the tiny doorway and climb up to huge bell itself, hanging from the wooden frame that rises right up to the roof of the tower. My imagination was running wild again and I could picture Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame wandering around up here. I can imagine that the bells themselves must be deafening, but a beautiful sound spreading out over the city.

The bell in the south tower of Notre Dame

A spire from the roof of Notre Dame rises up above the city

View of the roof of Notre Dame Cathedral

“All Paris was spread out at his feet, with her thousand turrets, her undulating horizon, her river winding under the bridges, her stream of people flowing to and fro in the streets; with the cloud of smoke rising from her many chimneys; with her chain of crested roofs pressing in ever tightening coils around about Notre Dame.” – Victor Hugo

We wandered around the south tower and I took one last look out over Paris. It is still hard to believe that I am here in this iconic city.

Panoramic view of Paris from the South Tower of Notre Dame

Paris

We descended for some time down the spiral staircase of the south tower before exiting out into the square in front of the cathedral. It must be amazing to be a Parisian living among sites like this every day. I’m not sure I could ever get sick of it.