Tour Saint-Jacques

The Tour Saint-Jacques is a striking Gothic bell tower in Paris's 4th arrondissement and is considered the last remnant of the former church of Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie. Originally built in the late Middle Ages, the church served the butchers' guild, whose slaughterhouses were located in nearby Les Halles, and was also an important meeting point for pilgrims on the Way of St. James. The present tower was begun in 1508 in the Late Gothic style and completed in 1522. During the French Revolution, the nave was destroyed, but the tower was spared. After a restoration in the 19th century, it now stands as a freestanding monument and has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France" since 1998.

Visitors can climb the 310 steps up to the top of the tower, which is open to limited numbers of groups. From there, you get sweeping views over historic Paris. The top is decorated with numerous statues, including symbolic animal figures from the Book of Revelation and a colossal figure of St. James. At the foot of the tower, a statue commemorates the scientist Blaise Pascal, who carried out important air pressure measurements here in the 17th century. The tower is surrounded by a small park and sits in a central location between the Rue de Rivoli and the Place du Châtelet, making it an easily accessible and significant cultural landmark in the city.