Notre Dame is a Gothic masterpiece on the Ile de la Cité in the Seine. The Île de la Cité is formed by two meanders of the Seine, it was the centre of ancient Lutetium, medieval Paris and the contemporary capital.The building itself was founded in 1160 by the bishop of Paris, Maurice de sully, and it took almost 200 years to complete.

The glory of the Cathedral is its facade. There are three entrances: to the right is the Portal of St.Anne which features the Virgin and Child, the central portal depicts the last judgement and to the left is the portal of the Virgin. The Notre-Dame tower visit is a trip through all of the upper parts of the western façade, dating from the 13th century, where you can contemplate the gargoyles and chimera built by Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century and the 17th century Emmanuel Bell. 387 Steps (there isn’t an elevator) to the top of the South Tower. It’s best to be in good shape !

Notre Dame
Opening hours: Open every day of the year from 8:00 am to 6:45 pm (7:15 pm on Saturdays and Sundays).
Admission: Free of charge ever day of the year, during the opening hours.
Get there by Metro: Ligne 4 Station Cité or Saint-Michel, Ligne 1, 11 Station Hôtel de Ville, Ligne 10 Station Maubert-Mutualité or Cluny – La Sorbonne, Lignes 7, 11 et 14 Station Châtelet

Downstream from the Pont Neuf is the Louvre, a former royal palace. At one time the world’s largest palace, currently the world’s largest museum. It’s a classical grand building that stretches for about 1 km between the Seine and the rue de rivoli.

The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa, you can find it in the Denon wing. The work is owned by the Government of France and is perhaps the most famous and iconic painting in the world. The painting is a half-length portrait and depicts a woman whose expression is often described as enigmatic.

The Museum houses some 400.000 items. The collections are divided into eight sections: Greek, Egyptian antiquities, Oriental antiquities, Islamic art, Etruscan and Roman antiquities, paintings, sculptures, graphic arts and objects d’art.

The Louvre
Opening hours: Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (rooms begin closing at 5:30) every day except Tuesday and the following holidays: January 1st, May 1st and December 25, 2009.
Admission fee:
Tickets for the Permanent Collections: between EUR 6,- and EUR 9,-
Tickets for Exhibitions in the Hall Napoléon: EUR 11,-
Combined Ticket: between EUR 11,- and EUR 14,-
Getting to the Louvre:
Métro: Palais-Royal–Musée du Louvre station.
Bus: The following bus lines stop in front of the Pyramid: 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, 95, and the Paris Open Tour bus.
Car: An underground parking garage is available for those coming by car. The entrance is located on avenue du Général Lemonnier. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Plan of the Louvre (PDF)

Some of these pictures made in Paris are slightly modified with photoshop (if so only the background).