Notre Dame Cathedral

Description:

• The neo-Romanesque cathedral was constructed between 1877 and 1883 using bricks from Marseilles and stained-glass windows from Chartres. The Romanesque towers of nearly 60m (197 ft.) tower over a large white statue of the Virgin Mary and the nearby Saigon Post Office. The cathedral would pretty much be at home in any Catholic European country. The tiles are a cubic pattern done in black, white, and gray. They have a slightly disconcerting 3D effect, but they are no match for the statute of Mary framed in neon blue lights in the first archway on your left. The atmosphere is fairly serene and there's something calming about taking a rest on the wooden pews.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010