The church’s portal would originally have had colourful statues to encourage the masses to learn about bible stories from these amazingly detailed sculptures. Today, they are a fascinating insight into medieval life, and I’ll guarantee that you’ll want to spend time examining them. The oldest statues, carved around 1170, can be found in the right hand side doorway (centre top) and depict Mary and baby Jesus surrounded by a couple of angels and the kneeling form of Louis VII.

The cathedral is just huge and is amazingly well lit by natural light cascading through its windows. I was told that it can host a congregation of around 9,000 people and that’s really hard to comprehend. Indeed, in it’s early life the masses would have piled in and stood or sat on the floor. So originally it’s likely to have taken far more people for a service - that really emphasises the power of the priesthood in medieval days!

The Rose windows are spectacular and subtly bathe the Cathedral in a multitude of colours. The rest of the glass is not original glass as it was all replaced in the 1700’s with a simple fleur-de-lys, again in the 1800s. Its present glass was manufactured "the medieval way", and so Notre Dame is beginning to return to its earliest form.

The nave is surrounded by small chapels built between the buttresses as a responses to the high demand of the rich guilds in the 13th and 14th Centuries who were more than happy to contribute to the fabric of the building if they received due recognition. Chapels are always fascinating places rich in tapestry, sculpture and religious icon – these are no exception to that rule.

Some of the best views of the Cathedral’s exterior can be seen by taking a Bateau Mouche (the Parisien water taxi). From the Seine, you virtually encircle the great building and are ideally placed for some unique views and some great silhouettes of the terrific towers. I’d certainly recommend that you take in a tour of the area at night and enjoy the street life and cafés that create that typically Parisien feel to the bustling area that is known as the Cité.

The gargoyles are absolutely amazing, and they do look like they come alive.

When you enter, there is an area where you can light a candle in memory of a loved one, which is a cool thing to do. I lit one in memory of my grandmother there- after all, how many people have the chance to say they lit a candle in remembrance of a loved one at Notre Dame? If you can, listen in on a tour group's guide outside of the cathedral to learn fascinating history about it. Inside the guides don't really talk out of respect for the church.

Europe has hundreds of gorgeous cathedrals, spanning hundreds of years of history. Not one can even come close to the beauty of Notre Dame.

We arrived and queued up on another hot day in Paris. The queue was about an hour long, but there are a few sandwich shops along the way, so we had a chance to grab a Coke and some bread.

After you purchase your ticket, you walk up a long, long, long spiral staircase. The view at the top is amazing. Like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc, you can see all of Paris from the top of Notre Dame.

There are two wonderful things about Notre Dame that separate it from any other cathedral. The first is the gargoyles. They are everywhere, and they lend a heavy Gothic air to Notre Dame. But who knew stone creatures could be so impressive, menacing, and breathtaking all at the same time?

The other amazing part of Notre Dame is the bell. The bell is not simply a myth; it is huge. It's housed in a tower at the top, and there are wooden stairs leading to it.

Notre Dame is not for those who are scared of heights or claustrophobic, as there are many tight passes very high in the air. But it's worth every penny and every bead of sweat. I felt like I was a piece of history while standing on top of Notre Dame.