Notre Dame Cathedral reopens after a 5-year restoration

On April 15, 2019, a catastrophic fire destroyed parts of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The 12th-century cathedral's iconic bell towers survived the blaze, but its spire and roof collapsed, coating the interior in toxic lead dust.

Following a more than five-year restoration project, Notre Dame reopened Saturday for two days of invitation-only celebrations. There were roughly 50 heads of state in attendance, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

Due to the high-security nature of these events, the Paris police will this weekend cordon off the entirety of the Ile de la Cite area around Notre Dame. It will only be open to invited guests and people who live and work on the island.

The cathedral will reopen to the public Monday.

Here's a look at what's new inside, plus tips on visiting Notre Dame Cathedral on your next trip to Paris.

A look inside the restored cathedral

In addition to the new roof and spire, the interior of Notre Dame also has several noticeable changes. The French artist Guillaume Bardet designed a brand-new altar and other liturgical furnishings like a baptismal font, all cast from bronze.

Though the cathedral's limestone walls may also look new, they were scrubbed clean of the dust from the fire and more than a century's worth of grime.

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

The 8,000-pipe grand organ had to be dismantled and cleaned of the toxic lead dust that coated it when the roof collapsed. The three stained-glass rose windows survived the fire but also had to be thoroughly cleaned.

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

Though Notre Dame's interior is open again, visitors will notice that scaffolding remains on the cathedral's exterior. Work will continue for a few more years to restore the facades and flying buttresses, using the leftover funds from the nearly 1 billion euros (about $1.06 billion) raised following the fire.

How to visit Notre Dame Cathedral

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

Most of these events will also be invitation-only, but the public can visit Dec. 9-15 during the afternoons and evenings. On Dec. 16, the cathedral will resume its regular schedule and open daily to the public from 7:45 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A new reservation service for timed entry to the cathedral opens on Dec. 7, for visits starting Dec. 9 at 3:30 p.m. Reservations can be made via the official website or soon-to-launch mobile app of Notre Dame.

Reservations are free, and you can book them 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 it will include five self-guided tours.

Digital tickets will be sent by email. Reservations are not mandatory but are highly recommended.

Related reading:

• Paris Pocket Guide: What to see, do and eat in the City of Light
• How points and miles made my son's Paris travel dreams come true
• The best hotels in Paris
• Best ways to get from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the Paris city center