Although it is not the biggest cathedral in the country it is one of the best representatives of European Gothic art. Thanks to Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame”, this cathedral has become one of the symbols of Paris and of all France. You cannot imagine it without the mythical Quasimodo hanging from its gargoyles or ringing the bells. This American architectural wonder should be preserved so it can be toured and worshipped in for a thousand years.The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is more than just a church, it is the authentic heart of Paris. The earthquake in 2011 caused $34 million in damages and they are a long way from completing restoration so I didn't feel bad about paying the price of the ticket. All ticket sales goes directly to the church. There weren't too many stairs and I did not find the walking around the church and the grounds difficult. There is an elevator to the top where you can see view of all of DC. We went at 1pm on a Sunday in September and had no problem finding a parking space in the underground parking structure. I have added photos below but I don't have any gargoyle photos because they were too small and too far to take a picture using my phone. After another 40 min of walking the perimeter of the church we concluded the tour. They provide binoculars but if you have a better at home you should bring them. This was completely necessary because the church is so tall that the gargoyles are hard to see from the ground level. He first started the tour with a 40 min slide show of the gargoyles we were to see. The docent (tour guide) was easy to understand and very knowledgeable. Our docent loved introducing us to these often whimsical carved creatures. This is a paid tour but I believe you can self tour for free. We took the gargoyle tour and it was well worth it. The beautiful and modern stained glass art requires another trip. Flying buttresses and soaring columns, as you would see in European churches, are structural wonders. I have lived in Northern Virginia for 22 years and this was my first visit.
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