Ste-Chapelle

The most exquisite of Paris’ Gothic monuments, Ste-Chapelle is tucked away within the walls of the Palais de Justice (Law Courts). The ‘walls’ of the upper chapel are sheer curtains of richly coloured and finely detailed stained glass, which bathe the chapel in extraordinary coloured light on a sunny day. Built in just under three years (compared with nearly 200 years for Notre Dame), Ste-Chapelle was consecrated in 1248. The chapel was conceived by Louis IX to house his personal collection of holy relics (now kept in the treasury of Notre Dame). A joint ticket with the Conciergerie costs €11.