Why go

Step up the narrow spiral staircase into the upper chapel of the Sainte-Chapelle on a sunny day and the walls seem to dissolve into colour. Fifteen great windows, each about 15 metres high, hold 1,113 scenes of stained glass, two thirds of them original, telling the story of the Bible from Genesis to the Resurrection. It is one of the masterpieces of the Rayonnant Gothic style and one of the most breathtaking interiors in Europe.

King Louis IX, later Saint Louis, built the chapel in the 1240s inside his royal palace to house the relics of the Passion he had bought, including what was believed to be the Crown of Thorns. Today the chapel sits within the walls of the Palais de Justice, the law courts of Paris. It has survived fire, revolution and years as an archive store, and a long restoration of the glass has left the colours richer than they have looked for centuries. It is listed by UNESCO as part of the Banks of the Seine.

What to see

  • The upper chapel. The royal chapel itself, where the stained glass rises almost from floor to vaulted ceiling.
  • The rose window. The great west rose, added in the 15th century, shows the Apocalypse and glows in the late afternoon.
  • The lower chapel. Used by palace staff, it has a low, painted vault studded with fleurs-de-lis and gold.
  • The Conciergerie. Next door, the medieval palace became a revolutionary prison where Marie-Antoinette was held before her execution.

Plan your visit

The Sainte-Chapelle opens from 9am to 7pm between April and September and from 9am to 5pm between October and March, with last access 30 minutes before closing. It is closed on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December.

Since 12 January 2026 prices depend on residence. Nationals and residents of the European Economic Area pay €16, and other visitors pay €22. A combined ticket with the Conciergerie costs €23 or €30, and an audio guide is available on site for €4. Entry is free for under 18s, for EU nationals and regular residents aged 18 to 25, and for everyone on the first Sunday of January, February, March, November and December.

Book a time slot online if you can. Because the chapel lies inside the law courts, every visitor goes through a security check at the entrance on Boulevard du Palais, and queues can be long in summer. Visitors who already have a ticket book their slot at the ticket office.

The light matters more here than almost anywhere. A bright morning or early afternoon shows the glass at its best; on a dark winter day the colours are more muted. The visit itself takes under an hour. Many evenings, the upper chapel hosts candlelit classical concerts, a memorable way to see it.

Nearby

Notre-Dame is five minutes’ walk east along the island. At the western tip, the Square du Vert-Galant is a peaceful garden below the Pont Neuf, where the Vedettes du Pont Neuf start their Seine cruises. The flower market on Place Louis-Lépine is a lovely short detour, and the Latin Quarter is just across the Pont Saint-Michel.