Home > Tourist Attractions  > France   Select from the following attraction(s).   Abbaye du Mont Saint-Michel (Mont Saint-Michel Abbey) Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile Arènes d’Arles (Roman Amphitheatre in Arles) Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre (Sacré Coeur Basilica, Montmartre) Cathédrale de Chartres (Chartres Cathedral) Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral) Château de Chenonceau (Chenonceau Castle) Château de Versailles (Palace of Versailles) Cimitière du Père Lachaise (Père Lachaise Cemetery) Cité de Carcassonne (The Walled Town of Carcassonne) Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie Disneyland Resort Paris Grotte de Lascaux (Cave of Lascaux) Maison de Claude Monet et Le Jardin d’eau (Claude Monet’s House and Water Garden) Musée du Louvre (Louvre) Musée d’Orsay (Orsay Museum) Palais des Papes (Popes’ Palace) Parc Astérix Parc Naturel Régional des Volcans d'Auvergne (Regional Nature Park of the Volcanoes of Auvergne) Plages du Débarquement de la Bataille de Normandie (D-Day Beaches) Planète Futuroscope Pont St-Bénézet (St Benezet Bridge) Rocamadour Tapisserie de Bayeux (Bayeux Tapestry) Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)       Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris (Paris Notre-Dame Cathedral) Description: Begun in 1163 by the architect Maurice de Sully and completed in about 1345, Notre Dame ranks as one of France’s finest examples of Gothic architecture. During its long life, besides being a resplendent medieval cathedral, Notre Dame was reportedly set on fire during the Commune of 1871, when the Communards rose against the French government in the wake of their defeat during the Franco-Prussian war and was also used to house livestock. It has also been the site of many historical events, including the crowning of Henry VI of England in 1430 and the marriage of the Catholic Marguerite de Valois to the Huguenot (Protestant) Henri of Navarre in 1572, which sparked the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre during the French Wars of Religion. Today, the cathedral still awes visitors with its massive rose windows, its 7800-pipe organ, towering spire and splayed flying buttresses. Contact Addresses: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, Ile de la Cité, 6 Place du Parvis, 75004 Paris, France Tel: (01) 4234 5610 or 4432 1672 (towers). Fax: (01) 4051 7098. E-mail: info@cathedraledeparis.com Website: www.cathedraledeparis.com Transportation: Air: Paris Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport or Paris Orly Airport. Rail: RER: Châtelet-Les Halles or St-Michel-Notre-Dame. Underground: Cité. Road: Bus: 21, 24, 27, 38, 47, 85 or 96. Car: A1 (from Lille); A4 (from Strasbourg); A16 (from Dunkirk); A13 (from Caen) or A6 (from Lyon). In Paris, from either bank of the River Seine, signs are marked to Ile de la Cité. Opening Times: Daily 0800-1845 (cathedral); daily 0930-1930 (towers). Admission Fees: Cathedral: Free. Towers: EUR5.5/FFr36 (adult), free (child under 18).     Copyright © 2005 Highbury Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd.  Terms and Conditions apply.