Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Paris: The Cathedral That Burned and Came Back

On April 15, 2019, the 850-year-old spire of Notre-Dame de Paris collapsed into the fire, visible across the city. The north-south and east-west rose windows survived. The medieval nave survived, though badly damaged. The stone vaulting was partially destroyed. The fire was caused by an electrical fault in the attic during restoration work. The immediate global grief was extraordinary; one billion euros was pledged in donations within days, a number that reflected both the building’s standing and some controversy about how quickly the wealthy donor class mobilised for a cathedral versus for other crises.

After five years of restoration, Notre-Dame reopened to the public in December 2024. The interior has been extensively renovated, with conservation work that included both restoration of existing elements and some new modern additions in areas where original material was lost. Whether you find the new elements sympathetic or jarring is a matter of personal taste; the fundamental Gothic structure that makes the interior what it is has been preserved and reinforced.

The Architecture

Notre-Dame was begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and largely completed by 1345, though modifications continued for centuries. It sits on the Ile de la Cite, the island in the Seine that was the original Roman settlement of Paris and remains its geographical heart.

The west facade (the main entrance side) has three portals with tympanum carvings depicting the Last Judgement, the Virgin Mary, and St Anne. The Gallery of Kings above the portals shows 28 kings of Judah and Israel, not French kings, though 28 heads were hacked off during the Revolution by people who misidentified them as French monarchs; the original heads are now in the Cluny museum.

The flying buttresses on the exterior are among the most graceful in Gothic architecture, necessary structural elements that allow the thin walls to carry enormous loads of stained glass rather than solid stone. The best view of them is from the Pont de l’Archeveche or the garden behind the cathedral (the Square Jean XXIII).

The interior is 128 metres long, 48 metres wide, and 33 metres high at the nave vault. The three rose windows (west, north, and south transept) are among the largest and best-preserved medieval stained-glass windows in the world; the north rose (13th century, almost entirely original) is considered the finest.

Visiting

Entry to the cathedral is free but requires pre-booking a timed slot through the official website (notredame.paris). This was implemented during the reopening phase and likely to continue. Queuing without a booking may be possible but not guaranteed; during peak tourist season, free entry slots book out days in advance.

The treasury (Tresor de Notre-Dame) has a separate entry fee and contains relics, ecclesiastical objects, and historical items including the alleged Crown of Thorns (acquired by Louis IX in 1239).

The tower climb was suspended during restoration and was expected to reopen; check the current status.

Around the Cathedral

The Ile de la Cite has several other significant sites within walking distance. The Sainte-Chapelle, five minutes’ walk west, is a Gothic chapel built by Louis IX to house the Crown of Thorns and completed in 1248. The upper chapel’s 15 stained-glass windows, 75 percent original 13th-century glass, depicting the entire Old and New Testament in 1,113 biblical scenes, are among the most extraordinary things in Paris. Entry requires a ticket; book in advance.

The Conciergerie (part of the same complex as Sainte-Chapelle) was the medieval royal palace and later a prison where Marie Antoinette was held before her execution. The medieval hall inside is one of the largest Gothic halls surviving in France.

Eating and Staying Near Notre-Dame

The Ile de la Cite itself has limited restaurants; tourist traps cluster around the cathedral approaches. Cross either bridge: the Left Bank (south) has the 5th arrondissement’s Latin Quarter with good bistros; the Right Bank (north) connects to the Marais and the Ile Saint-Louis.

The Ile Saint-Louis immediately east of the Cite is a residential island with several good fromageries, the Berthillon ice cream institution (seasonal queues), and quiet cafe terraces.

Hotel accommodation on the Ile de la Cite or overlooking the cathedral directly is expensive; equivalent quality is available for less in the Marais or the 5th.