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

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 15 and November 15 2025, to discover this medieval tower, built between 1509 and 1523, the starting point of the pilgrimage to Compostela. For 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 center at the finish line. History has it that he conducted barometric experiments here. The tower is designed in 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 located 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. In 1853, historian N.--M. Troche suggested transforming the tower into a clock, and Paris incorporated the Montsouris municipal meteorological observatory until 1898.

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Guided tours are offered by MagmaCultura, in partnership with the City of Paris, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, by reservation only. It's also possible to discover the Saint-Jacques Tower in the evening, once a month.

Don't forget to bring good shoes, as you'll have to climb 300 steps to get this superb view of the capital. For this reason, access is forbidden to children under 10 and 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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