Notre Dame Cathedral reopened after 5 years of restoration

On April 15, 2019, a catastrophic fire destroyed part of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The 12th-century cathedral’s iconic bell tower survived the fire, but the spire and roof collapsed, leaving the interior covered in toxic lead dust.

After a restoration project spanning more than five years, Notre Dame Cathedral reopened Saturday for two days of invitation-only celebrations. About 50 heads of state attended, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Due to the highly confidential nature of these events, Paris police This weekend will blockade the entire Ile de la Cite area around Notre Dame Cathedral. It will be open only to guests and those who live and work on the island.

The church will reopen to the public on Monday.

Here’s what’s new inside, along with tips for visiting Notre Dame on your next trip to Paris.

A look inside the restored church

In addition to the new roof and spire, the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral also has some notable changes. French artist Guillaume Bardet designed a completely new altar and other liturgical furnishings resembling a baptismal font, all cast from bronze.

Although the church’s limestone walls look new, they have been cleaned of more than a century’s worth of fire dust and stains.

French artist Sylvain Dubuisson has created a new 13-foot tall relic for the Crown of Thorns, believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ at his crucifixion. The temple is made from cedar – the same wood as the relics saved from the fire. On December 13, the Crown of Thorns will be returned to the cathedral and placed in the middle of the reliquary in a special ceremony.

Pipe 8,000 large organ had to dismantle and clean up the toxic lead dust that was on it when the roof collapsed. Three stained glass rose windows survived the fire but also had to be thoroughly cleaned.

The bell rung by the gold medalists and record-setting athletes at the Stade de France during the 2024 Olympics is now located in one of the cathedral’s bell towers. The towers will remain closed to the public until further notice, according to the Paris tourism office.

Although the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral has reopened, visitors will notice that scaffolding is still present on the outside of the church. Work will continue for several more years to restore it facade and flying buttressesusing the remaining funds from nearly 1 billion euros (about 1.06 billion USD) raised after the fire.

How to visit Notre Dame Cathedral

After the opening weekend, the church will host another week of special celebrations, including an evening welcoming local merchants and residents (December 11), the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12) and the return of the Crown of Thorns. (December 13).

Most of these events will also be invitation-only, but the public can visit in the afternoons and evenings from December 9 to 15. On December 16, the church will be open back to normal and open to the public every day from 7:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

A new booking service for timed entry to the cathedral will open on December 7, for tours starting on December 9 at 3:30pm. Reservations can be made in advance via the website official website or Notre Dame’s upcoming mobile app.

Reservations are free and you can book up to two days before your visit. The new mobile app will be available for iPhone and Android users in French, English and Spanish and will include five self-guided tours.

Digital tickets will be sent via email. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended.

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