HIDDEN GEMS: IF YOU PITCH up at the stunning Église Saint-Sulpice, in Paris, and find a bunch of people on their hands and knees, knocking on the floor near the obelisk, just ignore them, writes Brian Boyd
They're looking for hollow spaces and some form of conclusive proof that this church, tucked into a neat square on the Left Bank, was the headquarters of the Priory of Sion religious secret society.
Before the publication of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, Église Saint-Sulpice was a handy spot to take a breather while walking your feet off around Paris. Almost as big as Notre Dame Cathedral, the church has some intriguing architectural features - bits have been added on since it was first built, in the 13th century.
The big thing here is the air of quiet relaxation the church gives off. People shuffle around all the nooks and crannies, and at times it's difficult to believe you're minutes from one of Paris's busiest traffic areas. It's the sort of place you don't need a guidebook for: just exploring it on your own is enough to throw up visual and historical delights.
Since the church was mentioned in The Da Vinci Code its custodians have been discouraging fans of the book from visiting. A big sign on the way in reads: "Contrary to fanciful allegations in a recent best-selling novel, this is not a vestige of a pagan temple. No such temple ever existed in this place."
The message seems to have got through: after a lot of traffic through its doors a few years ago, the church is much quieter again now.
After a visit, drop into the fabulous Café de la Mairie (00-33-1-43266782), across the square.
• Église Saint-Sulpice, Place Saint-Sulpice, Paris, 00-33-1-42345998, www.paroisse-saint-sulpice-paris.org.
• Do you know of a hidden gem? E-mail us at go@irishtimes.com