The basilica of Saint-Denis, first masterpiece of Gothic art, is the church of a powerful abbey and a place of pilgrimage very important in the Middle Ages. The cathedral basilica of Saint-Denis links its destiny to that of royalty by becoming the burial place of the kings and queens of France. Today it houses more than seventy funerary tombs, including those of Dagobert, Francis I, Catherine de Medici or Louis XVI.
The Pantheon, temple of the French Nation, was originally a religious building glorifying the person of St. Genevieve, patroness of Paris. In 1791, the Revolution transformed the monument into a temple of great men. In the nineteenth century, he received, according to successive regimes, an assignment sometimes religious, sometimes patriotic. Since 1885, date of entry to the Pantheon of Victor Hugo, the building has become the place where the great men of the motherland: Voltaire, Rousseau, Zola, Pierre and Marie Curie ... and since 1 July 2018, Simone Veil .
Public transportation options are available nearby. Suitable for all physical fitness levels. Admission to all national monuments is free of charge to people under the age 18. Citizens and permanent residents from the European Union can visit for free if they are aged between 18 and 25 years old (an ID is necessary).. The last admission is 45 minutes before closing.. Please note it closes at 4pm on the 24th and 31st December 2024 for the Pantheon, and it closes at 4:15pm in Saint Denis. Saint Denis Special Opening Times: The first Monday of each month and each Sunday (opening at 12 p.m. and closing at 6:15pm in Jan-Sept, and closing at 5:15pm in Oct-Dec 2024)." . Please note that access to the monument will be free on September 21th and 22th during the European Heritage Days. The monument is also free the first Sunday of each month from November to March.. The Pantheon is closed on January 1st, May 1st, December 25th . Saint Denis Basilique is closed on January 1st, May 1st, December 25th and during religious services.