The Beautiful Churches in Paris to Visit

While modern day Paris is a very secular city, religion particularly Christianity once played an essential role in French society. Today you’ll still find a stunning variety of churches here, from grand Gothic cathedrals to gorgeous neoclassical chapels. Many of Paris’s oldest buildings are religious institutions, so if you’re interested in the history of the city, its churches are a great place to start. Let find out The Beautiful Churches in Paris to Visit.

The Beautiful Churches in Paris to Visit

La Sainte Chapelle

Come here for the magnificent medieval stained glass, all 1,113 panes depicting stories from both the New and Old Testaments. An example of Rayonnant Gothic architecture, La Sainte Chapelle was built between 1242 and 1248 to accommodate the Passion relics, including Jesus Christ’s Crown of Thorns, that were purchased by King Louis IX in 1239. In addition to the stained glass, paintings and carvings of Christian symbolism abound with sculptures of the 12 apostles and sculptural reliefs of angels holding royal crowns.
Admission is 10$ , or 15 $ if you buy a joint ticket to visit the neighboring Conciergerie, a revolutionary tribunal and prison where Marie Antoinette was held. This church is so historically meaningful, there’s even a free app called Sainte Chapelle Window that zooms in on the fifteen 50 foots tall windows to explain their stories.

Église de la Madeleine

Built between 1754 and 1842 and surrounded by 52 Corinthian columns standing 65 feet tall, Église de la Madeleine was intended to be a temple of glory to honor Napoléon’s Great Army. In 1806, Napoléon brought architect Pierre Alexandre Vignon onboard, who drew inspiration from the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens to create the La Madeleine we know today.
After Napoléon’s fall, King Louis XVIII ordered the neoclassical building to serve as a functioning church, the reliefs on the bronze doors represent the Ten Commandments. Inside are even more Corinthian columns, a neo Byzantine mosaic, sculptures, and paintings. Located north of Place de la Concorde, this is a high society favorite for weddings and funerals, and free classical concerts are held here throughout the year.

Eglise Saint Sulpice

Steps from Église St Germain des Pres, the second tallest church in Paris is famous for its gnomon, which played a role although factually inaccurate in the book and film, The Da Vinci Code. The Eglise Saint Sulpice was also where writer Victor Hugo got married. Building started on the Baroque church and its two distinctive mismatched towers in 1646, but it would take almost 100 years to complete. Today it features three paintings by Delacroix in the Chapelle des Anges to right of the entrance, the Rococo Chapelle de la Madone is by Florentine architect Giovanni Servandoni. The 6,588 pipe organ can be heard in all its glory at 10:30 am Sunday Mass.

Notre Dame Cathedral

A tragic 2019 fire might have made France’s most visited church off limits to travelers for the time being, but even just glimpsed from the outside, it’s easy to see why Notre Dame is one of Paris’s most treasured buildings. Located on Ile de la Cité, which divides the left and right banks of the Seine, it was built over two centuries from 1163 to 1345 and has long been one of the world’s finest examples of Gothic architecture.
Despite the imposing famed gargoyles meant to protect the building from weather damages they act as water spouts and evil forces alike, the cathedral has seen a lot, including rioting Huguenots, French Revolution looters, damage sustained during World War II, and the recent fire that almost took down the entire structure. Luckily the majority of the church’s priceless relics and items survived, including the famed rose windows. But the roof was completely destroyed and the 300 foots spire collapsed, which means construction work to restore the building for visitors will be ongoing.

Saint Eustache Parish

At 346 feet in length, the dimensionally impressive Saint-Eustache in Les Halles feels more like a cathedral than a church. It also features a range of architectural styles a Gothic façade with Renaissance and classical interiors due to being built in 1532 Louis XIV received communion here and then restored in 1840. As one of the most visited churches in Paris, Saint Eustache’s central Chapel of the Blessed Virgin, with its marble Pigalle statue, was inaugurated by Pope Pius VII when he was in town for Napoléon’s coronation.
Other important artwork includes Pilgrims at Emmanus, a painting by Rubens, a trip to the attic in 1926 led to the discovery of a tapestry originally from the chapel of Versailles, which now decorates Saint Eustace’s south transept. Music is a key element of the church’s history.