Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• From Place St. Michel, look across the river and find the prickly steeple of the Sainte-
Chapelle church. Head toward it. Cross the river on Pont St. Michel and continue north
alongtheBoulevardduPalais.Onyourleft,you'llseethedoorwaytoSainte-Chapelle(usu-
ally with a line of people).
You'll need to pass through a strict security checkpoint to get into the Sainte-Chapelle
complex (this is more than a tourist attraction: France's Supreme Court meets to the right
of Sainte-Chapelle in the Palais de Justice). Expect a long wait unless you arrive before it
opens. (The Annexe Café across the street sells €1 coffee to-go—perfect for sipping while
youwaitinline.)Firstcomesthesecurityline(allsharpobjectsareconfiscated).Noonecan
skip this line. Security lines are shortest on weekday mornings and on weekends (when the
courts are closed). Once past security, you'll enter the courtyard outside Sainte-Chapelle,
whereyou'llfindWCsandinformationaboutupcomingchurchconcerts(forconcertdetails,
see
here
). You'll also encounter another line to buy tickets to go into the church. Those with
combo-tickets or Museum Passes can skip the ticket-buying line.
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Sainte-Chapelle
This triumph of Gothic church architecture is a cathedral of glass like no other. It was
speedily built between 1242 and 1248 for King Louis IX—the only French king who is now
a saint—to house the supposed Crown of Thorns. Its architectural harmony is due to the fact
that it was completed under the direction of one architect and in only six years—unheard of
in Gothic times. In contrast, Notre-Dame took over 200 years.
Cost and Hours:
€8.50, €12.50 combo-ticket with Conciergerie, under 18 free, covered
by Museum Pass, audioguide-€4.50; daily March-Oct 9:30-18:00, Wed until 21:30 mid-
May-mid-Sept, Nov-Feb 9:00-17:00; last entry 30 minutes before closing, be prepared for
Visiting the Church:
Though the inside is beautiful, the exterior is basically functional.
The muscular buttresses hold up the stone roof, so the walls are essentially there to display
stained glass. The lacy spire is Neo-Gothic—added in the 19th century.
Inside, the layout clearly shows an
ancien régime
approach to worship. The low-
ceilinged basement was for staff and other common folks—worshipping under a sky filled
with painted fleurs-delis, a symbol of the king. Royal Christians worshipped upstairs. The
paint job, a 19th-century restoration, helps you imagine how grand this small, painted,
jeweled chapel was. (Imagine Notre-Dame painted like this...) Each capital is playfully
carved with a different plant's leaves.
