Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France

Every Sunday morning at 10am in the Cathedral at Notre Dame in Paris they have a Gregorian Mass.  As you can imagine, this massive Gothic church has amazing acoustics, adding to the atmosphere of the Sunday Gregorian service.  I’m sure I reserved my one way ticket to the perpetual inferno since I kept wondering how Led Zeppelin would sound in this perfect auditory setting.

Pro tip: If you go to Notre Dame, after you finish seeing the inside, line up around the corner to climb to the top.  The claustrophobic climb is worth it to see the gargoyles up close.  Time your visit so you can be on the catwalk when the bells chime.

Update: Since the devastating fire at Notre Dame in 2019, the church has been closed. It is expected to be closed for years during the rebuild.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Monsaraz, and Evora in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all podcast platforms.