So you want to take beautiful photos with the Notre Dame Cathedral? You and everyone else!

The Paris Notre Dame Cathedral is bursting with colour at the moment. Blossoms droop down the walls of its gardens towards the Seine below, and people walking by its stunning architecture are showered with petals caught by the fresh spring breeze. There’s no place quite like this world famous cathedral for romantic photos in Paris, and with the winter beginning to make way for sunny skies, you’d be forgiven for wanting to start your French vacation right here.

Unfortunately, the whole world is thinking like you! So how are you to get a great photo with the Notre Dame in springtime? Here’s our exclusive list of the three best spots to get a good photo with the Paris Notre Dame.

1. From the Square René Viviani

This exquisite little garden on the left bank of the Seine is an idle five minute stroll from the front of the Notre Dame – but what a paradise awaits you there! It’s a tiny dedication to the grander palace gardens of the Tuileries and Palais Royale, but every bit as picturesque, with sunny bench seats around circular gardens, garden arches and walkways lined with trees. It’s also the home to the oldest tree in Paris, and even contains stone carvings that are remnants of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, left over after it was restored in the 19th century.

Of course, it’s most attractive element must be that amongst these gardens, it’s also possible to get a beautiful photo in the garden, looking back across the Seine and towards the Notre Dame. While people certainly visit the Square René Viviani, it’s far from the frenetic pace of people you see in front of the Cathedral, and with the right framing, your photograph will look like you’ve visited a private garden that just happens to have one of the world’s most stunning monuments behind it!

2. Along the Quai de Montebello

As you walk along the left bank, you will see breath-taking views of the Notre Dame Cathedral glimpsed between leafy trees and bouquinistes (Paris booksellers). Any one of these spots is perfect for a photo with the Notre Dame, but the best has to be at the top of the staircase leading down towards the Notre Dame Batobus stop. Here, the trees clear and you can see what is arguably the most beautiful photo opportunity in Europe: the majestic Cathedral, garlanded in spring blossoms, and in front of it, the stunning Seine. Take a picture here, and you’ll have the quintessential Paris photo – all of the beauty, and none of the crowds.

3. On the Pont de l’Archevêché

Here you can have a classic photo with the Notre Dame that spans the whole of the Seine, giving a spacious and luxurious feel to your photos. There are also often buskers and artists on the bridge, adding authentic local colour to your vacation pictures. Even better, you can finish your stroll across the bridge with a trip to the back of the Notre Dame, where from the Square Jean XXIII you will find more inspiration. Finish your visit with an amazing ice cream from one of the famous vendors on the Île de la Cité, and life literally can’t get any more perfect.