Basilica of Saint-Denis, Gothic cathedral in Saint-Denis, France
The Basilica of Saint-Denis is a Gothic cathedral located in the northern suburb of Saint-Denis near Paris, with vaulted ceilings reaching up to 29 meters. Two large rose windows, each measuring 12 meters across, fill the nave and transepts with colored light.
The site evolved from a Gallo-Roman cemetery into a royal burial ground starting in the 7th century. In 1144, Abbot Suger commissioned the choir in a new Gothic style that influenced architecture across Europe.
The cathedral serves as a royal burial ground and displays stone tombs carved with figures of kings and queens lying in repose. Visitors walk among monuments that show how French rulers wished to be remembered through sculpture and stone.
The cathedral opens daily and sits near the Saint-Denis Basilique metro station on line 13. Visitors who want to explore the tombs and vaults should plan time for a quiet walk through the interior.
The choir of the basilica is considered the first building of the Gothic style and set new standards with pointed arched windows and slender flying buttresses. These innovations spread from here to many regions of Europe and shaped church architecture for centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
