You are on the Pont d'Arcole (the Arcole bridge). From here, admire the beautiful view overlooking the Ile de la Cité and the Seine's surroundings. Behind the Ile de la Cité on the left, you can see another island with a metal bridge connecting them: that is the "Ile Saint Louis".The Ile Saint Louis, smaller than the Ile de la Cité, was once a simple pasture field where cows were grazing ... but in reality there were two islands: the "Ile aux Vaches" (cows' Island), and the Ile Notre Dame (Our Lady's Island). It was in the 17th century that the two islands were united and Louis Le Vau, architect of Louis IV, turned the Ile St Louis into a stylish residential area.As for the "Ile de la Cité", it is considered the original cradle of Paris. In the 3rd century BC, the Gallic fishermen of the Parisii tribe settled there -- that marked the birth of "Lutetia". Conquered by the Romans, the city was known for its inland water shipping activities. In the 5th century, under the Merovingian dynasty, the island took on the name of "Cité", and much of the city's activities were concentrated on the "Ile de la Cité". Until the tenth century, the fortified island faced multiple and disastrous Norman invasions, the memory of which will be perpetuated until the sixteenth century in Parisian churches with the prayer, "God, free us from the fury of the Normans".In the middle Ages, the "Ile de la Cité" grew considerably. The growing population moved increasingly onto the banks of the Seine. From a political, spiritual and cultural point of view, the island became a center of attraction for Europe. The royal and the judiciary powers, inseparable at the time, coexisted in the same palace, which was enlarged and embellished by Philippe le Bel ("Philip the Fair One"). Saint Louis ordered the construction of the Sainte Chapelle. Notre Dame was gradually coming to life. Schools of poetry and philosophy opened their doors.The Ile de la Cité, despite its long history, looks today as it did during the nineteenth century. The maze of narrow streets, which enclosed Notre Dame and the Palace of Justice, were destroyed by the work of Haussmann and replaced by wide roads opening the island to the circulation of traffic. However, one can still feel the old poetic ambiance, by meandering through the flower and bird markets that you will see just after the bridge on your right. In fact, go ahead and walk towards that bridge and cross it. Continue on straight, and you will arrive at the "Place du Parvis de Notre-Dame". Stand in front of the facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral