Sainte-Chapelle
The stained glass wonderlands of Sainte Chapelle create architectures of light on the Île de la Cité
The interior of this tiny Gothic chapel near Notre Dame—built in 1246 to house the Crown of Thorns and almost entirely hidden by the bulk of the Palace of Justice surrounding it—is a sculpture of light and color.
The thin bits of stone that hold the tall stained-glass windows and brace the roof seem to dissolve in the diffuse and dappled brightness glowing through the 13th-century windows.
The effect on a sunny day is, well, almost religious.
Tips
- Planning your time: Though spectacular, Sainte Chapelle is pretty small, so only takes about 15 minutes to see it—plus another 15 minutes to get through the slow line (they have an airport-style security system; bring photo ID), but budget at least 45 to an hour total.
- Combined admission: Get a combined tiket to Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie for €12.50 (or get into both with one of the passes:
- Free admission with a sightseeing discount card: Get into the Sainte Chapelle for free (and skip the line at the ticket booth) with either the Paris Sightseeing Pass
or the Paris Museum Pass.
- Take a tour of Sainte-Chapelle with our partners at Viator.com:
- Paris Latin Quarter Walking Tour
- Paris Walking Tour: Classic Paris
- Paris City Hop-on Hop-off Tour (Notre Dame stop; no site entry)
- Do not bring knives or scissors: You have to go through a metal detector and bag search to get into the chapel, and are not allowed to have any sharp or pointed metal objects. This includes pocket knives and small scissors. They will not let you in.
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This article was last updated in March 2012. All information was accurate at the time.
Copyright © 1998–2012 by Reid Bramblett. All rights reserved.
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Sainte-Chapelle
ADDRESS
4 bd. du Palais (in the Palais de Justice, 4 blocks west of Notre Dame)
Ile de la Cité (1er)
Tel. +33-(0)1-53-73-58-50
sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr
OPEN
Mar-Oct: Daily 9:30am–6pm (May–Sept, open Wed to 9:30pm)
Nov-Feb: Daily 9am–5pm
ADMISSION
€8.50
Paris Museum Pass: Yes (free)
Paris Sightseeing Pass: Yes (free)
TRANSPORT
Métro: Cité (4), Hôtel de Ville (1, 11), Maubert -Mutualité (10), Châtelet (7, 11, 14)
RER: Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame (B, C)
TOURS
• Paris Latin Quarter Walking Tour
• Paris Walking Tour: Classic Paris
• Paris City Hop-on Hop-off Tour (Notre Dame stop; no site entry)
4 bd. du Palais (in the Palais de Justice, 4 blocks west of Notre Dame)
Ile de la Cité (1er)
Tel. +33-(0)1-53-73-58-50
sainte-chapelle.monuments-nationaux.fr
OPEN
Mar-Oct: Daily 9:30am–6pm (May–Sept, open Wed to 9:30pm)
Nov-Feb: Daily 9am–5pm
ADMISSION
€8.50
Paris Museum Pass: Yes (free)
Paris Sightseeing Pass
TRANSPORT
Métro: Cité (4), Hôtel de Ville (1, 11), Maubert -Mutualité (10), Châtelet (7, 11, 14)
RER: Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame (B, C)
TOURS
• Paris Latin Quarter Walking Tour
• Paris Walking Tour: Classic Paris
• Paris City Hop-on Hop-off Tour (Notre Dame stop; no site entry)
