Cathédrale Notre Dame

Lonely Planet review

Imagine the pomp, the extravagance, the over-the-top costumes and the egos writ large of a French royal coronation… For centuries, the focal point of such affairs was Cathédrale Notre Dame, a Gothic edifice begun in 1211 - on a site occupied by churches since the 5th century - and mostly completed a century later. The most famous event in the cathedral's history was the coronation of Charles VII, with Joan of Arc at his side, on 17 July 1429.

Very badly damaged (like the whole city) by artillery and fire during WWI, the edifice was restored with funds donated largely by John D Rockefeller; reconsecration took place in 1938, just in time for the next war. Today, the 138m-long cathedral is more interesting for its dramatic history than for its heavily restored architectural features. The finest stained-glass windows are the western façade's 12-petalled great rose window, its smaller downstairs neighbour, and the rose window in the north transept arm, above the Flamboyant Gothic organ case (15th and 18th centuries). Nearby is a 15th-century astronomical clock. There's a window by Chagall in the axial chapel (behind the high altar) and, two chapels to the left, a statue of - you guessed it! - Joan of Arc.

Persons strong-of-thigh might want to climb to the cathedral roof, incl Musée du Tau on a one-hour tour - the Palais du Tau has details.