If you are a tourist coming to Paris, one of your first stops will be the Ile St Louis. There are a number of large mansions on Ile St Louis and Notre Dame is only a short footbridge walk away, located on Ile de La Cite. Notre Dame is the most popular tourist destination in Paris, rivaled only by the Eiffel Tower.

Unlike the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame shows the city's long, storied history. Begun in 1163 in a spot that had been sacred since Roman times, the Notre Dame is a monument surely deserving of the word. It was a monumental undertaking and it is monumentally beautiful.

History of Ile St Louis
Ile St Louis is actually a island in the middle of the Seine. It may not seem like it when you are standing only a short footbridge walk from Notre Dame, but it is quite a large island. The island was a judicial and religious center throughout the middle ages.

You don't get any more central Paris than Ile St Louis. It was for centuries central to Parisian history. Way back, the island was actually two smaller islands which were combined in the 17th century. When the islands were combined, the aristocracy built their mansions on the new island, many of which are still standing.

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