Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel-Dieu

Across the Bassin de la Préfecture, an arm of the Seine, is this historic hospital, fronted by superb 18th-century wrought-iron gates topped with the blue-and-gold fleurs-de-lis emblems of the French monarchy. The west wing houses La Cité de Vitrail, a stained-glass interpretation center with a permanent collection of 50 stained-glass windows, a library, and a workshop. Around the corner is the entrance to the Apothicairerie de l'Hôtel-Dieu, a former medical laboratory. Inside, time has been suspended: floral-painted boxes and ceramic jars containing medicinal plants line the antique shelves.