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| | Paris | |||
| Ile-de-la-Cite | |||
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This is the oldest part of Paris. Around 300 BC, a Celtic tribe called the Parisii plunked themselves down on the islands in the Seine. Things went on from there – the Romans used the river as a trade route, in later centuries the island was a crowded medieval city, from which Notre Dame cathedral rose to its glorious heights. During the French revolution, Marie Antoinette stuck it out in her cell in the Conciergerie prison. Kids can just close their eyes and the history of Paris will rush out from the stones. |
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Notre Dame Cathedral – Slowly walk through the cathedral, soaking up the glorious stained glass windows and those airy Gothic stone arches that gracefully bridge the empty spaces and somehow meet in the middle at the keystone. When this cathedral was built in the Middle Ages, there were no digital architectural drawing programs, no cranes to hoist everything up, no nail guns, no steel, and yet, Notre Dame de Paris stands as a stunning example of the lightness of stone. |
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After you've goggled at the gargoyles, step into the belfry to see the Emmanuel bell, the huge 13 ton bell that's rung for great occasions. (There are 11 great bells of Notre Dame, and at various times of the day, you'll hear the bells rung.) |
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For the piece de resistance, climb up the next steps to the very top of Notre Dame, with fabulous views of the cathedral spire, flying buttresses that keep the church from falling down, and fabulous views of Ile de la Cite and Paris in all directions. |
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The South Tower is something for kids of all ages (even petulant teenagers will be impressed), and it's not a guided tour per se, so children can go at their own pace. Wire netting is put up at all open-air places, no there's no worry about little kids getting too close to the edge. The steps up the tower are easy to climb (we saw lots of little kids going up), but the steps are quite narrow, and it wouldn't be easy to manage with an infant in a baby backpack. The tower is open daily. |
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Tip: Tower Tour is free with the Paris Museum Pass |
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Notre Dame play place – After you’ve visited the cathedral, there is a charming little play area on the south side of the church, with little bouncy things and park benches. Any exhausted parent can sit peacefully to watch the boats on the Seine, while the kids play under the shadow of this magnificent cathedral. | |
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Sainte-Chapelle – Don't miss this luminous gem of 13th century Gothic architecture. In the Upper Chapel, sit down briefly to gaze at the ethereal blue and red stained glass windows. Go down to the Lower Chapel, originally a shrine to display holy relics. On the ceiling, gilded stars sparkle in a deep blue ceiling, supported by columns covered with golden fleur-de-lis and painted castles. Tip: Free with the Paris Museum Pass |
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Go for an ice cream – Walk over to the Ile St-Louis for an ice cream at Berthillon (right next to the bridge that connects Ile de la Cite with Ile St-Louis). Delicious flavors of ice cream and sorbet – chocolate, vanilla, nougat, raspberry, strawberry, lemon, pear, orange and more. Long lines in summer, but a fun treat. Kids can sit on the embankment, munching their ice creams, with Notre Dame in the background. |
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| (More children's books on other Paris and France pages) | ||||||
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Tower
Tour 
