3 wonders in one walk : Sainte chapelle, place Dauphine and Pont Neuf

The island of the city indeed gathers wonders and deserves a good day of visit. Here are the interesting spots not to be missed:

The Pont Neuf seen from the Pont des Arts
The place Dauphine
The Saint-Chapelle
The conciergerie
The Notre Dame cathedral and its crypt

The Hôtel Dieu is magnificent but unfortunately it is not accessible to the public.

We are going to talk about the first three spots which can constitute an afternoon of leisure, lunch included.

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The first piece of advice we give you is to go backwards on your walk. Visit the Saint-Chapelle at the time when most tourists have lunch, around 1:00 pm. Buying your ticket online will save you time.

The Sainte-ChapelLE, one of the most beautiful Gothic wonders in the world.

It is a palatine chapel, that is to say, integrated into a palace. The palace in question is the Palace of Justice of Paris. This palace is the place of the former parliament and all the former jurisdictions. This place was also the place of residence and exercise of power of the kings of France.

Ile de la cité 1650 — *The courthouse in 1650. It has suffered several fires. The current facade of the palace was built at the end of the 18th century.*

The construction of the Sainte-Chapelle was ordered by Louis IX, called Saint Louis after his canonization. The chapel was intended to house one of the most prestigious relics: the crown of thorns of Christ as well as other relics of the Passion of Christ including a piece of the cross and the rod of Moses. The monarch acquired the Holy Crown in 1239 for a considerable and unattested sum, which represented at least the price of the chapel and probably several times the annual income of the king of France.

The building consists of a lower and an upper chapel.

It is a real firework of light and color that causes an immediate emotion. What Saint Louis probably wanted was to inspire in this place, near the kings of France, the power and magnificence of the risen Christ, whose relics had been preserved.

After being transferred to the National Library of France during the revolution of 1789, the Holy Crown returned to Notre Dame de Paris in 1801. It was transferred to a secret location after the cathedral burned down and will be reinstalled at Notre Dame de Paris before it is reopened to the public.

The charming Place Dauphine

Its construction was ordered by Henri IV. After the Place des Vosges, of rare elegance, the Place Dauphine is the second royal square named by the king himself, in honor of the dauphin born in 1601, the future king Louis XIII. The Place Dauphine, like the Place des Vosges, was made up of identical buildings but in the absence of legal constraints linked to the use of the buildings, the occupants gradually transformed the buildings.

CITE ISLAND PARIS — *Henri IV architecture, recognizable by the mix of ashlar, red brick and arcade in the lower parts*

The restaurant tested for you

ROSE DE FRANCE RESTAURANT PARIS — *The salmon tartar, appreciated by Sophie Aulnette, Director of the Relais du Louvre*

La Rose de France
Open every day from 8am to 10pm
Starters between 12 and 16€, main courses between 18 and 26€.
24 Pl. Dauphine, 75001 Paris
https://larosedefrance.fr/fr

The Pont Neuf

Leaving the Place Dauphine, you can take the Pont Neuf, one of the most beautiful bridges in Paris. Despite its name, the Pont Neuf is the oldest bridge in Paris. It was built under Henri III, brother of Henri IV. This bridge was “new” because it was devoid of dwellings, which at the time, was not common.

PEUT NEUF PARIS PAINTING — *The painting of JB Raguenet (XVIIIth) represents the bridge with the pump of the Samaritan today disappeared.*

You will then walk along the Seine to reach the Pont des Arts, which you can use to admire one of the most beautiful views of Paris. A good moment to end this walk.