Cathedrale Notre Dame De Paris

Begun in 1163 by the architect Maurice de Sully and completed in about 1345, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris ranks as one of France's finest examples of Gothic architecture. 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 Protestant Henri de 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, 7,800-pipe organ, towering spire and splayed flying buttresses. Visitors should be prepared to climb the 387 spiral steps to the top of the 75m (246ft) north tower. The views over the River Seine and the city centre are well worth the effort.