The Ceilings of Paris

They say that its easy to identify tourists in a city by the way they look up at the buildings. The locals keep their heads down and go about their days. I’ve long been fascinated by the ceilings of the cities I visit. Paris’ iconic structures did not disappoint.

Standing under the Eiffel Tower gives you a view where you can admire the engineering and details that created this iconic structure.

Louis XIV’s fifth chapel at Versailles is one of the more stunning spaces I visited. The ceilings adorned in gold and painted ceilings rise over 130 feet above the floor.

The ceiling of the Gallerie of Battles. Shockingly quiet compared to the hall of mirrors and royal apartments, this space was almost more restrained. The skylights brought in a beautiful, diffuse light that contrasted the gilded ceilings to perfection.

Notre Dame’s restored and cleaned ceilings are stunning. The view up to the ceiling gives you a welcome respite from the 15,000+ visitors who come through the nave every single day. With the renovated lighting and cleaned stone, the space shines.

The stained glass of Sainte Chapelle’s 13th century facade reaches to the sky like nothing else in the city of light.

Designed as the precursor to the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles, the Galerie d’Apollon is nearly as opulent as the Sun King’s palace. Louis XIV didn’t think it quite struck the mark and took it a few steps further.

Sacre Coeur’s grand volumes might seem plain compared to the opulent finishings of the other cathedrals in Paris, but the Chateau-Landon quarries provided a french travertine that creates a restrained and timeless elegance.

The modern spaces at the Louvre - Stairway to Victories and IM Pei’s iconic Pyramid - both provide stunning contrast to the original palace’s grand halls.