With its pointed towers reflected in the Seine, the Conciergerie looks like a fairy-tale castle – but its story is one of kings and of the guillotine. It is what remains of the Palais de la Cité, the residence of the kings of France in the Middle Ages, on the Île de la Cité.
What to see
The Hall of the Men-at-Arms
The Salle des Gens d’Armes, built in the early 14th century, is one of the largest surviving Gothic halls in Europe: a forest of columns and ribbed vaults where the palace staff once ate.
The revolutionary prison
During the Revolution, the Conciergerie became the prison of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Thousands of prisoners passed through its cells before being taken to the guillotine. You can see reconstructed cells and the records of those held here.
Marie-Antoinette’s chapel
Queen Marie-Antoinette was imprisoned here in 1793 before her execution. A chapel was built on the site of her cell in the 19th century.
The HistoPad
A tablet guide (HistoPad) brings the medieval palace back to life with augmented reality – a big hit with children.
Tips
- Visitors under 26 from the EU enter free.
- Combine with the Sainte-Chapelle, the royal chapel of the same palace, a few steps away – look for a combined ticket when booking.
- Walk on to Notre-Dame, at the other end of the island.
