Notre Dame Cathedral Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris reopened in December 2024 after five years of post-fire restoration, and the interior is in some respects cleaner and lighter than it had been in decades. The April 2019 fire destroyed the 19th-century spire and most of the roof; the subsequent restoration rebuilt the spire to Viollet-le-Duc’s 1859 design and restored the nave ceiling using a combination of traditional and modern methods. Distances across France are still traditionally measured from the bronze star on the parvis in front of the west entrance, a geographical fact unchanged by fire or restoration.
Construction of the cathedral began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and the main structure was largely complete by 1345. For nearly 900 years it has been the geographic and spiritual centre of Paris.
Visiting the Cathedral
Entry to the interior is free but timed-entry tickets, bookable through the cathedral’s official website, are strongly recommended during peak season. Queues without tickets can be significant between 10am and 3pm.
The interior is 128 metres long and 48 metres high at the vault. The three rose windows (west facade, north transept, south transept) are the defining experience inside. The north rose retains most of its original 13th-century glass, with a deep blue ground that changes quality through the day as the sun moves.
The tower visits (north then south) are a separate ticketed experience. The 387-step climb (no lift) delivers a close-up view of the gargoyles and chimera figures added by Viollet-le-Duc in his 19th-century restoration, and a view along the length of the Ile de la Cite.
Around Notre-Dame
Sainte-Chapelle is 10 minutes west within the Palais de Justice complex. The upper chapel, built by Louis IX in 1248, has 15 windows covering 600 square metres of glass. On a sunny day the light inside is unlike anything else in Paris. Book tickets in advance; skip-the-line is worth it in summer.
Ile Saint-Louis, immediately east of the Ile de la Cite, is one of the few parts of central Paris with a genuine residential character. The main street (Rue Saint-Louis en l’Ile) has cheese shops and Berthillon, the most cited ice cream producer in Paris.
Where to Eat
Bouillon Chartier on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre (about 20 minutes on foot or one metro stop) serves traditional French bistro food at low prices in an 1896 dining room with the original zinc counters. No reservations; usually a queue. Worth it.
Where to Stay
The 4th and 5th arrondissements immediately around Notre-Dame have hotels across the price range. Hotel des Grandes Ecoles in the Latin Quarter is a reliable mid-range option with a garden. Paris’s metro connects Cite station (Line 4) directly under the island to all major transport hubs.