Notre Dame de Paris, France

Notre-Dame de Paris (French: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris) is the medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the heart of Paris. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Paris, Banks of the Seine”.

History of construction

Construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, and the cathedral was essentially complete by the mid-14th century. It is about 128 metres long, the vault of the nave rises 33 metres, and the two western towers reach 69 metres. In the 19th century, after decades of neglect and damage during the Revolution, the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc restored the building and added the slender spire and the famous chimeras.

Architecture

The west façade has three carved portals, the Gallery of Kings with statues of the kings of Judah, and a great rose window. Gargoyles drain rainwater from the roof, while the chimeras on the gallery between the towers are purely decorative. Inside, three rose windows with medieval glass light the transepts and nave, and the cathedral keeps the Crown of Thorns, displayed in a chapel behind the choir.

2019 fire and restoration

On 15 April 2019 a fire destroyed the medieval oak roof structure and brought down the spire, but firefighters saved the towers and the stone vaults largely held. After five years of restoration, financed by the French state and by donations from around the world, Notre-Dame reopened on 7 December 2024, with a new spire rebuilt to Viollet-le-Duc’s design and a cleaned, bright interior.

Visiting

Entry to the cathedral is free. It is open every day from about 8:00 to 19:00, and until 22:00 on Thursdays; you can book a free time slot online to shorten the wait. The towers reopened in September 2025 and are visited with a timed ticket that must be booked online (2026: €16, free for under-18s and EU residents under 26). Before the fire, Notre-Dame drew more than 12 million visitors a year, so arrive early or in the evening. Behind the apse, the Square Jean-XXIII garden offers a fine view of the flying buttresses.