Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre-Dame de Paris stands at the eastern end of the Île de la Cité, where work on the Gothic cathedral began in 1163. Over the following two centuries it gained its twin west towers, flying buttresses and great rose windows, and it has been at the centre of the city's religious and civic life ever since. A fire on 15 April 2019 destroyed the roof and the spire, and after more than five years of restoration the cathedral reopened to visitors and worshippers on 7 December 2024.

The restored interior is noticeably lighter than before, with cleaned stonework and new liturgical furniture in the choir. Look up at the north and south rose windows in the transept, walk round the ambulatory to see the carved choir screen telling the life of Christ, and visit the Treasury, which holds reliquaries and liturgical objects and is the only part of the cathedral that requires a ticket. Outside, the west facade with its three carved portals and the reconstructed spire over the crossing are best seen from the parvis, the square in front, where a bronze marker shows point zéro, the official starting point for road distances in France.

Entry to the cathedral is free. A free time-slot reservation is offered and can shorten the wait, although visitors without a booking can still queue. The cathedral is an active place of worship with services through the day, so dress respectfully, keep voices low and expect some areas to be closed during masses. The towers are managed separately from the cathedral and need their own ticket. The Archaeological Crypt under the parvis shows the remains of Roman and medieval buildings and is also ticketed.

Queues are usually shortest early in the morning and in the late afternoon on weekdays. Allow about an hour for the cathedral itself, longer if you add the Treasury or the crypt. Bags are checked at the entrance.

Cité on metro line 4 is the nearest station, and Saint-Michel Notre-Dame on RER B and C is just across the Petit Pont. From here it is a short walk to Sainte-Chapelle, the flower market on the Île de la Cité, the bookshops along the Left Bank quays and the quieter streets of the Île Saint-Louis, reached by the Pont Saint-Louis behind the cathedral.