Saint-Eustache is one of the most visited churches in Paris and one of the city’s best landmarks. It doesn’t look that good from the outside, but never judge a book by its cover!

Let’s visit the church together!

 

explore paris saint eustache

 

Right next to Châtelet, there is a huge church. Absolutely huge. The church of Saint-Eustache is a massive church, that looks pretty weird from the outside, with 2 different architecture styles mixing. However if you get past the outside look, and step inside, you’ll be blown away by how beautiful the inside of the church really is!

 

Here’s what we will see in this guide:

You can click on any of the part above to go straight to it!

 

Let’s get started with the first item on the list: Saint-Eustache location

 

saint eustache paris header image

 

Saint-Eustache Location

The church of Saint-Eustache is located in the first arrondissement of Paris (one of the most beautiful destinations in Europe), near Place Dauphine and the Sainte Chapelle.

 

 

To reach the church, the best is to take the train or the metro to “Châtelet”. You can take trains A, B & D, and metros 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14.

You can also walk from the Pont Neuf (10 minutes walk), or from Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois (10 minutes walk)

 

Saint-Eustache Facts

What best way to learn more about a place and its history than facts? I’ve gathered for you a few interesting facts about Saint-Eustache that you can find below:

  • the church was built in the 17th century
  • the construction began in 1532, and finished in 1633: it took 101 years to complete
  • the reason it took so long was because of frequent money problems
  • it was the place of King Louis XIV first Communion
  • Saint-Eustache’s organ is the largest pipe organ in France (8,000 pipes!), even larger than the one in Notre Dame de Paris
  • the south tower was never finished

 

eglise saint eustache paris old map

By Sperreau — under CC BY SA 3.0

 

Exploring the church

Visiting churches is definitely one of the best things to do on rainy days in Paris. And just like most of the churches in France, Saint-Eustache is free to visit.  

Before entering the church, I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the outside, the Eglise Saint-Eustache looks a bit weird. This comes mainly from the fact that there are multiple architectural styles mixing, Gothic, Renaissance and Classical styles.

 

 

From the outside, you can already see that Saint-Eustache is a very luminous church inside, with a lot of stained glass windows. The windows are built over 3 different levels.

 

 

You can see the stained glass windows directly after the entrance, and they look amazing. Very tall windows, with beautiful details.

 

details of stained glass window

 

The thing that truly struck me when I entered the church of Saint-Eustache was the sheer height inside of it. More than 33 meters high (108 feet). The church feels really epic and massive when you enter, with tall columns and pillars on the side, supporting the beautifully carved vaults.

 

 

When in the church, look above to gaze at the ceiling. If you stand at the point where the nave and transept cross, you’ll have this stunning view:

 

saint eustache church ceiling masterpiece

 

As guessed from the outside, the inside of the Eglise Saint-Eustache is very bright, thanks to all the windows.

 

 

Another interesting detail you will see in the church, that I mentioned above, is the largest pipe organ in France. I didn’t see it at first, when walking around. Then I looked up, and I was stunned by how massive it was! The pipe organ is so impressive to see, and if you step all the way back you will see amazing statues on top.

 

pipe organ and ceiling of eglise saint eustache

 

the pipe organ of church saint eustache

 

Here are a few other pictures taken inside the church of Saint-Eustache to finish your virtual visit:

 

 

beautiful stained glass windows of saint eustache

 

 

What To Visit Next?

After visiting the church of Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, there are several other places you could check out.
The 3 that I recommend are:

These 3 locations are the perfect follow-up to your stroll, because they are also located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, and a 10 minutes walk is all it will take to reach them.

 

chapel in eglise saint eustache

 

If you want other ideas of places to visit in Paris, you could also check out these:

I hope you enjoyed this guide about a less-famous side of Paris. Did you already visit this beautiful place? Or did you just learn about it? Either way, let me know in the comments below!

If you plan to visit this church, make sure to tag your Instagram photos with #kevmrc so that we can all see them!