Climbing the Bell Tower

Last August I went to Paris. I’ve been to Paris before, but I missed the chance to visit Notre Dame. There was no way I was going to make that mistake again. My apartment was a five minute walk to the cathedral. Notre Dame is over 800 years old and took nearly 200 years to complete. I heard that many times before I went. It did not fully sink in until I saw the cathedral. The facade is absolutely breathtaking. It tells biblical stories including Eve being tempted by the serpent and the Last Judgement.

The interior of the cathedral has beautiful stained glass windows, but the real masterpiece of Notre Dame is 200 feet up; the bell tower. The line to climb the tower can be very long. I’d go first thing in the morning or in the afternoon about an hour before it closes. I went first thing in the morning and only waited 20 minutes. The hike up the bell tower is exhausting. The spiral stone staircase seems like it will never end. Then, finally, you emerge and get wonderful views of Paris.

After taking in the gargoyles, I climbed the rest of the way up the bell tower to see the bell. The bell is the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. I cannot fathom climbing the stairs every day to ring the bell. After spending 45 minutes taking in the beauty of Paris, I made my way down the stairs. The descent does not take nearly as long as the climb. Once you’re done you can go inside the cathedral where you can see medieval paintings, Joan of Arc statue, or make a confession. Try to time your bell tower visit, so you can attend one of the several Mass services (which is a very humbling experience) or you can walk across the street, get some ice cream, then head to the park behind the church and relax. After all, you just climbed 400 steps.