Notre Dame
The heart of Paris
Even before its most recent fire, Notre Dame had weathered much history and hardship. It’s been a place of worship, of food storage, of cults and prostitution, once a meeting place for atheists dubbed the ‘Temple of Reason’, and also a hiding place for Nazi Snipers during the 1944 liberation march.
This bastion of French history and culture reopened its doors in December 2024, much to the fanfare of French people and tourists the world over. Whilst tours won’t be able to run until mid-2025, that won’t stop the 12-15 million visitors anticipated to visit over the next year. Until we can host our expert-led tours again, here are some tips and insights into how best to see Notre Dame.
Back with no more bangs
After taking 200 years to complete the building that began in 1163, the Notre Dame has stood firmly in the centre of Paris for over 850 years. On April 15th, 2019, a mysterious fire started that toppled the spire and gutted the inside of the building.
Bien sûr, Christmas 2019 was the first in 200 years that a Christmas Mass was not held at the Cathedral. A lengthy and much debated plan for restoration followed, with Covid-19 bringing further delays. However, heritage architects, masons and roofers have worked hard to apply their ancestral mediaeval techniques to bring the Notre Dame back to life within a record five and a half years.
Saved by the novel
Notre Dame with its beautiful spires, grotesque gargoyles and awe-inspiring Rosette windows captures the imaginations of old and young alike. It’s no surprise then that the 19th-century writer Victor Hugo used it as the basis of his famous novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. Written during a time of cultural upheaval, Hugo’s gothic writing and compelling story solidified Notre-Dame de Paris as a national icon and championed its historical preservation.
If you want to get in the literary mood before your visit, but don’t feel like tucking into Hugo’s tome, the Disney adaptation also does the trick (and is a lot more uplifting!).
Time to faire la fête!
Defying all odds, President Macron’s five year goal for completion was delivered by French army general Jean-Louis Georgelin, who has been in charge of returning Notre Dame to her glory. After the Inauguration ceremony on December 7th, Notre Dame opened her grandes portes the next day, with the week after full of celebrations.
The public are welcome to buy tickets for a whole suite of events planned to run up until Pentecost in June 2025. Don’t fancy the crowds? You can make a quieter detour to Musée Cluny to see the salvaged statues of Notre Dame.
6 Parvis Notre-Dame - Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris
The great heights of Notre Dame can be reached by a number of methods and many stations:
You can grab the metro:
- Line 1 or Line 11 to Hotel de Ville
- Lines 1, 4, 7, 11 and 14 to Châtelet with a short 10/15min walk to scenically approach Notre Dame from a distance
- Ride the RER B or C to Saint-Michel/Notre-Dame
Hop on a bus:
- Lines 47 or 75 to Parvis de Notre-Dame
- Lines 21, 38, 47 or 96 up to Cité/Palais de Justice
