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The Royal French Necropolis: Basilica of St Denis Tour
2h30
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About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis, 1 rue de la Legion D Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis France
The Basilica of St. Denis is the official necropolis of the French monarchy; here you will find the tombs of 43 kings and 32 queens, from Dagobert in the 7th century to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Get introduced to the city and history of Paris through the kings and queens that both made and ruled it.
Also learn about the story of St. Denis, patron saint of Paris, whom the cathedral is dedicated to and who, according to legend, walked here carrying his own head! This magnificent Gothic masterpiece was built in the 13th century, many years before the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Chosen by St. Louis to be the final resting place of the French royal family, it houses a collection of the finest medieval and Renaissance royal tombs.
During the French Revolution, the remains of kings and queens were meticulously dug out and thrown into a mass grave. With the Restoration of the monarchy, the glory of the kings had to also be restored, but how were their bodies found after the turmoil of the Revolution? Your guide will tell you this story, as well as that of the 10-year-old son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, whose heart is preserved today in a crystal urn.
Learn the secrets of the lives and deaths of the French royal families on a visit to this incredible Gothic treasure.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
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This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis, 1 rue de la Legion D Honneur, 93200 Saint-Denis France
The Basilica of St. Denis is the official necropolis of the French monarchy; here you will find the tombs of 43 kings and 32 queens, from Dagobert in the 7th century to King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Get introduced to the city and history of Paris through the kings and queens that both made and ruled it.
Also learn about the story of St. Denis, patron saint of Paris, whom the cathedral is dedicated to and who, according to legend, walked here carrying his own head! This magnificent Gothic masterpiece was built in the 13th century, many years before the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Chosen by St. Louis to be the final resting place of the French royal family, it houses a collection of the finest medieval and Renaissance royal tombs.
During the French Revolution, the remains of kings and queens were meticulously dug out and thrown into a mass grave. With the Restoration of the monarchy, the glory of the kings had to also be restored, but how were their bodies found after the turmoil of the Revolution? Your guide will tell you this story, as well as that of the 10-year-old son of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, whose heart is preserved today in a crystal urn.
Learn the secrets of the lives and deaths of the French royal families on a visit to this incredible Gothic treasure.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Included
- 1.5 hour guided visit of the Basilica of St Denis
- Escorted metro ride to St Denis from central Paris
- Fully accredited local guide
- Small groups of 20 people or fewer
- Entry/Admission - Basilica Cathedral of Saint-Denis
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Gratuities
Additional
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please note the total tour time is 2.5 hours including transportation time
- Sunday bookings will give you the opportunity to attend Mass after your visit.
- Mass starts at 6:00 pm from October to March, and at 6:30 pm from April to September.
- Note that the Basilica is both a museum and a church. For this reason, very occasionally, due to funerals or exceptional masses, the tour may be canceled or postponed. We will of course notify you as early as possible.
- From October to April please make sure you are dressed warmly as it does get cold inside the cathedral.
- There are a few steps to enter the church and to reach the crypt. The Necropolis museum has special access and elevators for disabled people. Please notify us so we can make the arrangements with the staff there.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
Features
Cultural
85%
Tourism
80%
Original
20%
Nightlife
15%
Reviews
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Went on this tour with my daughter. When we met up with our guide we found out we were the only two on the trip so we had a private tour! Our guide was great and we had such a great time! He went to college in Alabama and spoke perfect English with a southern accent which was adorable. He would also speak English with a French accent if you wanted him too. He was extremely informative and gave us an excellent tour. We looked him up when we got home and found him on the internet giving private VIP tours at Versailles so you know he is great. The tour itself was also wonderful. Very informative and interesting.
Wonderful trip to St. Denis with an equally wonderful and knowledgeable guide.....We had visited St. Denis in the past, but this tour gave us so much more insight into the history of this magnificent basilica. We feel that St. Denis is a place not often visited by the majority of tourists, which is really a mistake as there is more history and beauty in this church than in most of the other churches in Paris combined.. This is a tour we very highly recommend....
Wonderful