The bronze statue of a lion crushing a serpent dominates the Square Barye. Antoine-Louis Barye sculpted the piece, and his work here marks the spot where his studio once stood on the Île Saint-Louis. He frequently observed the wild animals…
Historic Heart of the Seine
This walk takes you through the historic cradle of Paris along the Seine's two central islands. You will encounter world-famous medieval monuments, elegant 17th-century streets, and quiet riverside squares where the city's story first began.
Listen to this tour in the Mira app →
1. Square Barye
2. Église Saint-Louis-en-l'Île
The Église Saint-Louis-en-l'Île sits on the central spine of the Île Saint-Louis, identifiable by a pierced, openwork spire that rises like a crown above the surrounding stone houses. Construction began in sixteen sixty-four, replacing a…
3. Pont Saint-Louis
The Pont Saint-Louis wears a distinct, bright yellow coat of paint that marks it clearly against the stone of the surrounding bridges. This is the narrow footbridge connecting the Île de la Cité to the Île Saint-Louis. In the nineteen…
4. Notre-Dame Cathedral of Paris
Two stone towers rise above the Ile de la Cite, capped by the dark, spiked silhouette of a central spire. This is Notre Dame, a cathedral built over two centuries starting in the year eleven sixty-three. Bishop Maurice de Sully ordered its…
5. Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle sits on the Île de la Cité, distinguished by a narrow, delicate spire that reaches nearly two hundred fifty feet into the air. King Louis the Ninth built this royal chapel in the mid thirteenth century to house his…
6. Conciergerie
The Conciergerie stretches along the edge of the Seine with heavy, jagged Gothic towers that loom over the riverbank. Once a royal palace for medieval kings, the site shifted into a brutal prison during the French Revolution. Prisoners…
7. Place Dauphine
Place Dauphine is a triangular public square tucked behind the western tip of the Ile de la Cite. It is defined by rows of uniform brick and limestone townhouses, featuring steep slate roofs and tall chimney stacks. King Henri the Fourth…
8. Square du Vert-Galant
The Square du Vert-Galant occupies the western tip of the Île de la Cité, forming a narrow triangle of green that splits the river Seine. It gets its name from King Henry the Fourth, a monarch known for his many romantic affairs, who…