November 26, 2024
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris will finally reopen to the public with a globally broadcast ceremony and a series of celebratory masses.
The more than 800-year-old church has been closed for repairs since April 2019, when a fire just about wrecked the building for good, causing the roof and spire to collapse.
Following an enormous 5-year restoration project, the medieval icon once again looks as it did before the fire, albeit considerably spruced up, from the replaced wooden spire topped with a gilded brass rooster to newly dusted bells in the belfry, cleaned-up frescoes and stained-glass windows, repaired gargoyles, and an interior fully scrubbed of grime for the first time in centuries.
An astonishing 15 million people are expected to visit the cathedral during its first year back. While admission remains free (though France’s culture minister has floated the idea of charging an entry fee), a new mobile app and online reservation system are expected to launch in early December, days before the church’s official reopening.
You don’t have to use the online booking platform to reserve a time slot for your visit, but if you don’t you’ll have to wait in line for up to 3 hours, according to National Geographic.
For the first 6 months after reopening, only individuals will be allowed to enter Notre-Dame; tour groups can return in June 2025.
Once inside, you’ll follow a new, self-guided, north-to-south circuit designed to lead from darkness to light, per Nat Geo. A highlight will be the Crown of Thorns (obtained from Constantinople by Saint Louis in the 13th century), now on full display in an elaborate new reliquary.
During the epic renovation, Paris-based Nat Geo photographer Tomas van Houtryve got exclusive, behind-the-scenes access to the work being done on the Gothic monument.
Providing a fascinating, up-close view of the historic project, the photographer’s images are featured in the December 2024 issue of National Geographic.
A selection of those photos have been made available to Frommer’s. Scroll on for a glimpse of Notre-Dame as the church gets ready to welcome back the world.
Pictured above: Notre-Dame de Paris at the time of the 2024 Summer Olympics