Cathédrale Notre Dame

Lonely Planet review

The soaring, Gothic Cathédrale Notre Dame looks smog-blackened and grim. But the structure's volcanic stones, dug from the quarries of nearby Volvic, were the same blackish-grey hue the day the finishing touches were put to the choir seven centuries ago.

The twin towers are from the 19th century, when the west façade was restored by Gothic revivalist Viollet-le-Duc. The original architects took full advantage of the strong, light Volvic stone to create a vast, double-aisled nave, held aloft by particularly slender pillars and vaults. Stand before the altar steps and marvel at the glowing 14th-century rose windows at each end of the transept. Several stained-glass windows in the choir and side chapels are also medieval.