Visiting La Sainte Chapelle Paris: A complete guide

La Sainte Chapelle Paris is one of the greatest achievements in medieval Gothic architecture, and one of the most beautiful churches in Europe. 

Along with the slightly earlier Chartres Cathedral, the Sainte Chapelle stained glass windows are among the best produced in the Middle Ages, and the most famous in the world.   Along with nearby Notre Dame Cathedral and the Basilica of St Denis, it’s a Paris must see. 

Sainte Chapelle Paris was partly inspired by a much earlier Royal Chapel – the astonishing Palatine Chapel in Aachen Cathedral, built by Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne around the end of the 8^th century AD. 

Unlike most of the other famous churches in Paris, Sainte Chapelle was built in one go – roughly between 1242 and 1248 – hence its unity in style and design. 

There are two chapels in Sainte Chapelle – the lower chapel was intended for use by members of the royal court, nobles and servants, while the upper chapel was only intended for use by the French royal family. 

The upper chapel of La Sainte Chapelle Paris is no longer a church – it was deconsecrated at the time of the French Revolution, and church services have not been held there since. 

Its name is usually written Sainte Chapelle or Sainte-Chapelle, and in French it is abbreviated to Ste Chapelle. However, English speakers often refer to it as Saint Chapelle or St Chapelle. 

Sainte Chapelle – which translates as ‘Holy Chapel’ – was built by King Louis IX of France (also known as Saint Louis) to house a collection of relics he had acquired from Baldwin II, Latin emperor in Constantinople, in 1235. 

These relics included the Crown of Thorns purportedly worn by Jesus during his crucifixion, and also some fragments of the True Cross (on which he was crucified).  

Other relics procured by Saint-Louis include the Holy Lance, which was used to pierce him just after he died on the cross, and the Holy Sponge, with which he was given a drink of vinegar while on the cross. 

Sainte-Chapelle was subject to some modifications in the later Middle Ages, including an external staircase, which was later demolished. 

La Sainte-Chapelle Paris suffered from some of the iconoclastic fervour whipped up by the French Revolution, and was secularised, ceasing to be a working church. 

It also suffered some damage, including the destruction of the spire, and the relics were also removed, with some ending up in nearby Notre Dame Cathedral. 

The architecture of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris is from the mid-13^th century, around a century after the first foray into Gothic was made a few miles away at the Basilica of St Denis.  

La Sainte Chapelle Paris was built around the same time as Amiens Cathedral and was one of the first examples of what has since become known as the Rayonnant Gothic style.  

During this period there was an emphasis on decoration, particularly with regard to church windows. Architects went for bigger windows and delicate stonework holding them together, and there is no better example of this than Sainte-Chapelle. 

The vast majority of the Sainte Chapelle windows are in the upper chapel, once the sole preserve of the French royal family. 

My impression over both my visits to Sainte-Chapelle is that the windows seem to be giant walls of stained glass, held together by lacework in stone.  

There are 15 stained glass windows in La Sainte Chapelle Paris, reaching a height of 15 metres (50 feet). They depict over 1,100 scenes, and mostly consist of Biblical stories from both the Old and New Testaments.

Some also show the acquisition of the relics and their delivery to Saint Louis and Sainte Chapelle. 

Around two-thirds of the stained-glass windows in Sainte Chapelle are originals from the 13th century – the rest are replacements following damage, particularly at the time of the French Revolution. 

The magnificent rose window in Sainte Chapelle was added around 1490, 250 years after the windows in the rest of the Upper Chapel. 

It differs stylistically from the other windows in Sainte Chapelle, and is a classic Flamboyant Gothic rose window (rosace in French). Flamboyant Gothic was a style of architecture used in the late 14^th and throughout the 15^th century, characterised by intricate decorative stonework like this rose window.  

The window also differs in colour from the earlier panel windows – the hues are less saturated and intense than the 13^th century glass. 

This rose window depicts the Last Judgment, as foretold in the Revelation of St John. It’s one of the most fascinating windows in Sainte Chapelle, complete with a multi-headed Beast and the Whore of Babylon.   

The stained-glass windows dominate your attention in Sainte Chapelle, but the ceiling vault and some of the other decoration is also worth a closer look. 

The ceiling vault is a wondrous sight, painted deep blue like a twilight sky with hundreds of stars. It’s magical, and the nave vault in St Germain des Pres church, across the river on the Left Bank, is similar. 

Sainte Chapelle is also adorned with statues of the Twelve Apostles and some exquisitely painted pillars, including the one pictured with the fleur de lis pattern.  

You enter the Lower Chapel (Chapelle Basse) first before heading up the staircase to the Upper Chapel (Chapelle Haute).   

This was where royal staff and servants worshipped, and it’s as richly decorated as many a cathedral or large church. The pillars are beautifully painted, as are the ceiling vaults. 

The Lower Chapel also houses the Sainte Chapelle gift shop, which sells a selection of books and souvenirs. 

When I visited in July 2022, a lot of restoration work was in progress around the exterior of Sainte-Chapelle, and the only clear sight I could get of it was from an entrance to the Palais de Justice complex where visitors leave after visiting the Chapel. 

This conservation work meant that the terrace next to the main external door of the Upper Chapel of Sainte Chapelle was closed, which was a great pity. 

Fortunately, the first time I visited Sainte Chapelle Paris this area was accessible. The intricate sculpted doorway is one of the hidden wonders of Sainte Chapelle, and if it’s accessible when you visit, be sure to take a few minutes to see it.  

Some visitors to Sainte Chapelle say how beautiful the windows are when sunlight is shining through them. I saw this for myself when I visited back in 2000 and can vouch for this. 

However, when I returned to Sainte Chapelle in 2022 it was a dull, overcast day. Yet if anything the windows looked more beautiful, the near-800-year-old hues richer without direct sunlight. I’d like to return again with my wife and son one day, and we’ll look to do so on another dull day. 

If you’re looking for things to do in Paris in the rain, Sainte-Chapelle is a great place to go for an hour or so. 

The best time to visit Sainte Chapelle Paris – and other similar attractions – would be early in the morning or near the end of the day.   I opted to book a time slot at 1730, the last but one slot of the day. That should be a quiet time, my wife suggested. It wasn’t, as it turned out – la Sainte Chapelle was packed with people. 

I had checked the early morning slots (0900 and 0930) and they had similar numbers of places available to the time I chose. However, at 0900 I suspect there would be less walk-up visitors than late in the day. 

Evening Sainte Chapelle concerts are held throughout the year, and normally consist of popular classical favourites such as Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Strauss waltzes, Mozart, Schubert and other familiar names right across the classical repertoire. 

Capacity is limited to 200 for performances, which because of the size of the venue are usually by small ensembles or soloists.  We haven’t attended a concert in Sainte Chapelle, but can guarantee that it is an incredible setting for  such performances.     

St Chapelle Entrance Fee 

The price for admission for adults to Sainte Chapelle Paris is 11.50 euros. Under 25s get in free.  

St Chapelle Opening Times 

Sainte Chapelle is open from 0900 to 1900 (9 am to 7 pm) from April 1^st to September 30^th.  Between 1^st October and 31^st March it is open from 0900 to 1700 (9 am to 5 pm).  

Sainte Chapelle Tickets  

The best way to visit Sainte-Chapelle is with a skip the line ticket, which will take you past the walk-up visitors queuing outside the Palais de la Cite.  This ticket can be used at any time on the day you book for – you are not tied to a particular visit time. 

You can also visit La Sainte Chapelle Paris with the Paris Museum Pass – if doing so, you are advised to reserve a time slot online before visiting, to avoid lengthy queues outside.  

It’s also possible to buy a ticket which entitles you to entry to the Conciergerie – which includes the prison cells – a short distance along the street. If you don’t have the Paris Museum Pass this is very good value. It’s 18.50 euros for both attractions – a saving of over 4 euros. 

The entrance to the Palais de Justice and Sainte Chapelle is on the west side of Boulevard du Palais, on the Ile de la Cite.  As the photograph above shows, signs on the building indicate where the entrance is. Barriers are also set up on the street with lines for each time slot. 

From there, you proceed into the Palais de Justice, where you pass through a security bag check before moving on to the Lower Chapel in Sainte Chapelle.  

Can you take bags into Sainte Chapelle? 

You can only take small bags into La Sainte Chapelle, and these are subject to a security scan. The website states that ‘large and voluminous’ bags are forbidden. 

When I visited La Sainte Chapelle I took a small dry bag worn over my shoulder, and only carried my camera body and two lenses. This meant I got through security and into the Chapel quickly and easily. 

Is there locker storage at Sainte Chapelle? 

No, there is no baggage storage at Sainte Chapelle. So you really do need to travel light if you’re visiting.