Tour Saint-Jacques, the ancient bell tower with its sublime view over Paris, open from May to November

The Tour Saint-Jacques, with its panoramic view over the whole of Paris, is open to visitors from May 18 to November 12, 2023. Located just a stone's throw from the Hôtel de Ville, this historic monument is a sight to behold, with its 62 meters and 300 steps. Tours are available in small groups.

How about an incredible view of Paris? Head for the top of the Tour Saint-Jacques, accessible only for part of the year, between May 18, 2023 and November 12, 2023, to discover this medieval tower, built between 1509 and 1523, the starting point of the Compostelle pilgrimage. The rest of the year, it can only be admired from below, in the square of the same name.

The statue of Blaise Pascal stands in the middle of the square. History has it that he conducted barometric experiments here. The tower is designed in a Gothic style, with gargoyles and other ornamental moldings thanks to the particularly hard "liais" bench and the stone extracted from the Saint-Leu quarries in the Oise region. The Tour Saint-Jacques is in the heart of the capital, at the center of the commercial thoroughfares (rue Saint-Denis, rue Saint-Martin and rue des Ecrivains, now rue de Rivoli).

It's a place steeped in history, home to a lead shot factory from 1824 to 1836, and once the heart of a monumental church, Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie, where Nicolas Flamel is buried. Since the 19th century, the tower has been the subject of numerous development projects by the city: in 1853, historian N.--M. Troche suggested transforming it into a clock, and Paris incorporated the Montsouris municipal meteorological observatory until 1898.

Guided tours are offered by the MagmaCultura agency, in partnership with the City of Paris, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday to Sunday, by reservation only. Don't forget to bring your good shoes, as you'll need to climb 300 steps to earn this superb view of the capital. For this reason, access is forbidden to children under 10 and to people with heart problems. To get to the Tour Saint-Jacques, you can get off at Châtelet, on lines 4, 7, 14, 11 and 1, as well as RER lines A, B and D.

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Tour Saint-Jacques, the ancient bell tower with its sublime view over Paris, open from May to November

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