The main styling used in Notre Dame remains Gothic architecture, which can be easily identified by such features as ribbed vaults, ogee arches and clustered columns.
Towards the end of the cathedral's completion, architects began utilizing Rayonnant architecture traits, an off-shoot of French Gothic, which specialize in motifs. The best example of Rayonnant in Notre Dame remains the famed rose window.
One of Notre Dame's most heralded trademarks continues to be its gargoyles, grotesque sculptures popular in Gothic architecture, which sit perched high above the cathedral.
Stained glass windows add to the Gothic elegance of Notre Dame, providing added light to the interior of the often dark cathedral.
Initially used as projectile reinforcements for walls, flying buttresses soon became trademarks in Gothic architecture and, as a result, can be found all around Notre Dame.
