Attraction
Musée du Louvre
The world-famous former royal palace on the Right Bank, home to the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and thousands of works spanning antiquity to the…
Sainte-Chapelle
A 13th-century royal chapel within the Palais de la Cité, celebrated for its soaring walls of medieval stained glass.
At a glance
- Type
- Gothic royal chapel
- Area
- Île de la Cité, Paris, France
- Official site
- sainte-chapelle.fr
- Last checked
- October 23, 2026
Good to know
- Stained glass
- Online ticketing
- Free for EU residents under 26
Why we recommend it
Built for Louis IX to house relics of the Passion, the Sainte-Chapelle is one of the high points of Gothic architecture. The modest lower chapel leads up a narrow spiral stair to the upper chapel, where walls of stained glass rise almost uninterrupted to the vaulted ceiling and tell biblical stories in hundreds of scenes.
The glass is at its most luminous on a bright day, so try to visit in sunshine and avoid the late-afternoon rush. Tickets can be booked online, and the chapel sits inside the law courts complex, so expect a security check. It pairs naturally with Notre-Dame and the Conciergerie nearby.
Reviewed by Lifestylemetro · Details checked October 23, 2026
Sainte-Chapelle FAQs
What are the opening hours?
From 1 April to 30 September it opens 9am to 7pm, and from 1 October to 31 March 9am to 5pm; last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
When is it closed?
On 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.