We plan to visit Sainte-Chapelle on May 1 but read on Centre Des Monuments Nationaux's website that it is closed on that day. Can anyone please shed a light?

Thank you.

Well it states on its website that it will be closed May 1, so I would count on it being closed:
http://sainte-chapelle.monuments-nat...d/page/visites

Almost every site will be closed that date, including the Louvre. Eiffel Tower is open (it never closes), as are churches.

May 1 is Labor Day in France. It is a national holiday, one of the big ones. Much will be closed (shopping, museums) and transportation will be on Sunday/holiday schedules. St
Chapelle is located within the precincts of a central courty building and thus it will be closed. Parks, most cafes, and restaurants in entertainment districts like Montparnasse will be open, though many other restaurants will be closed.

You should be able to buy bread at bakeries in the morning, and convenience stores may be open for an hour or two in the morning and the mid afternoon, but small shops, department stores and supermarkets will be closed.

There will be parades and marches and possibly demonstrations in some parts of town. These will not threaten you, but they may disrupt transportation by shutting some streets temporarily and by packing the Metro with huge crowds on a day when service is reduced.

A great day to spend as Parisians spend it: going to a park or having a lengthy meal.

The one time I was in Paris on May 1 I took 2 Paris Walks tours. They operate their tours almost every day. The second walk was in the Marais and ended up at the Place des Vosges where there were lots of people and a few buskers under the arcade. It was wonderful listening to them.

http://www.paris-walks.com/

Why wouldn't you believe the official national website?

Thanks for the advice.

The reason I asked the question is because the official national website also states that Cathedral Notre Dame will be closed on May 1, which I believe is not the case, as the website of the Cathedral stipulates.

On May 1st you can visit churches, the Eiffel Tower or take a cruise on the Seine. When they say that Notre Dame is closed, they are talking about the areas for which you need a ticket, like the towers or the crypt.

You can also march in the workers' march which will be much more impressive than usual this year.

For those who are unaware, May 1st is the most strictly applied holiday in France. In the old days, television would not even begin broadcasting before 8pm on May 1st. In any case, absolutely no government operated museum or attraction will be open on that day. (In case you're wondering, the Eiffel Tower is not technically a monument but a privately owned attraction. The owner is the City of Paris through a holding company.)

In recent years, more and more shops have decided to open on May 1st, in spite of the fact that they must pay the employees 200% wages on that day and give a compensatory day off on top of that. I believe that even Monoprix was open on May 1st last year, which surprised me.

Thanks kerouc for the explanation.

kerouac,

You so often come out with great information for all of us. I do hope you know that we really do appreciate it.

Joan