Notre Dame cathedral visitor guide

Visit Notre Dame cathedral, Paris

The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most iconic examples of architecture in France and the most famous of the French cathedrals. One of the first Gothic cathedrals ever built, it is situated on the Île de la Cité, an island in the River Seine in the heart of Paris.

The Towers of the cathedral are a listed National Monument.

France This Way review: a visit to Notre-Dame cathedral was always an important part of a visit to Paris, but since the recent renovation works the cathedral is really a remarkable place, one of the most beautiful cathedrals anywhere, and a visit is completely indispensable if you are exploring the city

History of the Cathedral of Notre Dame

It was in 1160 that the decision to build Notre Dame was made, shortly after the Paris church became the central church for all kings of Europe. Bishop Maurice de Sully deemed it crucial that a newer, grander cathedral be built, and the old church on the same location was demolished.

Three years later construction on Notre Dame began and even Pope Alexander III attended the ceremony where they laid the first cornerstone. Construction of the cathedral took almost 200 years, almost as long as the entire gothic period, and most would agree it is one of the most important examples of the Gothic style in the world.

inside Notre Dame cathedral

In architectural history, the cathedral of Notre Dame was one of the first buildings that made use of the flying buttress. These buttresses are the arches along the side of a church, supporting the weight of the walls and roof, and allowing the walls they supported to have large sections cut out of them to allow expansive windows.

Although the buttresses were not originally part of the building plan, they proved to be necessary to make the building work and are now a crucial part of the cathedral’s look, and a key feature of other gothic cathedrals.

As a building that has been around for almost 1000 years, across the centuries Notre-Dame has experienced quite a lot of damage and vandalism:

In the 1500’s, when the Huguenots - a reformist offshoot of the church - gained influence, they destroyed many of the windows of the cathedral that they deemed idolatrous.
In the 1600’s a modernization movement also forced major alterations.
During the 1700’s many of the cathedrals treasures were destroyed during the French Revolution.

Excavations over the years have discovered that the area surrounding and beneath the cathedral also holds a great deal of history, with hidden rooms and cellars, furnaces, and other secrets.

By the middle of the 19th century the cathedral was in very poor condition and in danger of collapse However, Victor Hugo’s book 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame' renewed interest in the cathedral and saved it from being torn down – in fact, it inspired the campaign to raise money to restore the cathedral in 1845. The 20th century saw various attempts to restore and maintain the cathedral.

The biggest threat to the cathedral took place in April 2019, when an enormous fire destroyed the spire and caused a very substantial amount of damage to the roof and to the structure of the building. In perhaps the most impressive renovation project ever carried out, the cathedral was rebuilt, repaired and entirely refurbished within five years, and is now open to the public again. Having been completely renovated and cleaned it is now a bright and magnificent cathedral.

entrance representing the Last Judgement

Visiting Notre-Dame de Paris

There is no charge to enter the cathedral but from a practical point of view, you need to reserve your visit in advance. A charge is payable if you also wish to climb the towers. See HERE to make reservations. No agents or travel guides are authorised to offer reservations, you must always use the official site.

Start your visit along with thousands of visitors in the large square in front of the cathedral, called the Place du Parvis Notre-Dame.

Much of your visit will consist of simply strolling around the Parvis square and walking around the outside of the cathedral. The facade is of course one of the most important parts of the building and notable for its symmetrical structure, its large towers and rose window, the statues of 28 statues of the Kings of Israel in a row across the middle of the facade and the stonework around the entrances. There are three of these portals:

the one on the left is dedicated to the Vigin Mary and dates from 1210;
the central portal represents the Last Judgement and dates from around 1220
the right portal is dedicated to Saint Anne and dates from 1170. Interestingly some of the sculpture on this oldest doorway is thought to have been reused from the church that previously stood here.

Note: the statues of Kings in a row on the facade are not original, they are a 19th century addition. The original statues had largely been destroyed, although remanants including several heads have been rediscovered, and can be seen in the Cluny Museum in the city.

Walking around the cathedral you can also see the impressive doorway on the northern side and the lovely architecture and spire to the rear of the cathedral. The statue in the Parvis to the right in front of the cathedral is a 19th century statue of Charlemagne. To the right hand side and rear of the cathedral you can also see small garden areas.

There are two separate queues to enter Notre-Dame: the one to the front is to enter the main cathedral while a separate queue to the left of the facade is for access to the Cathedral Towers.

The first thing you will notice when you enter is the great size of the cathedral and the layout, with the side aisles curving to meet behind the altar: this was quite original at the time although often copied later.

medieval carvings inside the cathedral

In particular you will want to see the 14th century carvings from the life of Christ in the choir area and the three rose windows. Unfortunately most of the original stained glass windows were removed in the 18th century but these rose windows are magnificent and provide some compensation for the missing glass.

Because of the renovation since the fire, the inside if the cathedral is very luminous, and the architectural details are easy to see. The windows, the detail in the nave and side naves, the ceiling details, everywhere you look there is something impressive to admire.

After admiring the interior of Notre Dame cathedral you can visit the towers, although this requires a separate reservation. Here you can climb the remarkable new double-helix staircases to see the famous bells and gargoyles and the views across the Paris rooftops. You do have to climb more than 200 steps to enjoy this splendour!

The only downside of a visit to the cathedral is that there are very often an enormous number of visitors in the cathedral. As a result, during your visit you are usually moving along slowly in a large queue of people. This not a problem, you can always step out of the queue to enjoy the artworks and other sights of interest, but don't expect a time of quiet contemplation! Most definitely don't let talk of the crowds deter you from visiting!

Attractions nearby

The entrance to a little known attraction can be found at the other end of the square in front of the cathedral. The Archaeological Crypt of the l'İle de la Cité explores the area below the cathedral and the square, where both ancient and medieval walls and artefacts have been uncovered and gives visitors a small insight into the city across centuries of history. Not necessarily an unmissable part of a visit to Paris but interesting to visit all the same.

See more cathedrals in France. You can find more travel ideas in the Paris region guide.

To make travel arrangements to visit Notre Dame cathedral see HERE

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Map of Notre Dame cathedral and places nearby

Places to visit near Notre Dame cathedral

Square René Viviani

The Square René-Viviani in the centre of Paris has views of Notre-Dame and the oldest tree in Paris

Square René Viviani guide

Shakespeare and Company

Shakespeare and Company is a historic bookshop and literary centre in the 5th arrondissement

Shakespeare and Company guide

River Seine

The Seine river is at the heart of the city, near many of the famous monuments, and a boat ride on the Seine is a popular attraction

River Seine guide

Sainte-Chapelle

Sainte-Chapelle, on the Ile de la Cité in Paris, is an important gothic chapel with remarkable stained glass windows

Sainte-Chapelle guide

Conciergerie

La Conciergerie at Paris is one of the oldest and most important gothic palaces in France

Conciergerie guide

Saint-Jacques Tower

The Saint-Jacques Tower is a 16th century belltower from an older church, now used as a viewpoint to admire the views across Paris

Saint-Jacques Tower guide