The two islands: Cité to Saint-Louis
Sainte-Chapelle's glass, the prow of the island, and Berthillon at the far end. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. Sainte-Chapelle
Go first and go early — the queue is for the security check at the law-courts gate, not the chapel itself. Upstairs, fifteen metres of thirteenth-century stained glass on a clear morning is the reason to set an alarm. Book a slot ahead if you can.

2. Notre-Dame parvis
The cathedral reopened in December 2024 after the fire and the rebuild, so the front is whole again. The square is the better view; if you don't want the interior queue, just read the façade from out here.

3. Square du Vert-Galant
Down the steps behind the Henri IV statue to the very tip of the island, at water level. A pointed little park where the river splits around you — bring a coffee and sit on the point.

4. Pont Neuf
The oldest standing bridge in the city, despite the name. Cross it for the carved stone faces along the parapet, then take the stairs back down to the quays rather than the traffic above.

5. Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île
The single spine running the length of the smaller island. Walk it slowly for the food shops and the *hôtels particuliers* (private mansions); the whole street is quieter than anywhere you've just been.

6. Berthillon
The ice cream the island is known for, made on site. Expect a queue at the shop and a shorter one at the cafés nearby that scoop the same tubs. The shop tends to shut for August and Mondays — a *café* round the corner saves you either way.

The two islands: Cité to Saint-Louis