Notre-Dame de Paris

Notre-Dame: Opening Hours, Entry and Etiquette

Notre-Dame Cathedral is open every day of the year. On weekdays the doors open early in the morning and stay open until…

Getting There and Restroom Tips

Notre-Dame sits in the middle of the Île de la Cité, the birthplace of Paris and the very heart of the city, so there ar…

Three Tips for Reading the Cathedral

It would be a shame to snap a few photos of Notre-Dame's breathtaking beauty and move on. Learn a few secret codes and t…

Notre-Dame: History and Scale

Beneath the stone floor of Notre-Dame, the symbol of Paris, lies far more history than you might imagine. To understand…

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame: The Story

Before the tour begins in earnest, here is a quick retelling for anyone who hasn't had time to read the novel that saved…

Gothic Architecture: Reaching for the Sky

Looking at Notre-Dame's exterior, have you ever wondered how anyone in the 12th century managed to build something so gr…

Flying Buttresses and the Hidden Drainage System

Walk around to the side or back of the cathedral and you'll see them: huge stone wings flaring out from the walls. These…

The Portal of the Last Judgment

The three doorways at the heart of the west façade, and its highlight, carry a whole Bible carved in dramatic detail. In…

The Portal of the Virgin

We are now standing before the left-hand door of the west façade, the Portal of the Virgin. In a cathedral named Notre-D…

The Portal of Saint Anne

Furthest to the right of the three doorways is the Portal of Saint Anne. Saint Anne was Jesus's grandmother, the mother…

Towers and Sculptures

Lift your eyes a little higher to the upper levels of the façade. Directly above the Portal of the Last Judgment, two 69…

The Spire Reborn

Soaring into the Paris sky, Notre-Dame's spire is the cathedral's signature silhouette, and it carries a full-blown dram…

The Narthex and the Bronze Baptismal Font

The space you step into just inside the entrance is called the narthex, a kind of vestibule where visitors gather themse…

Reading the Cathedral from the Nave

You are now standing in the central aisle of the cathedral, which architects call the nave. Look up at the arched ceilin…

Two Flowers of Light in a Forest of Stone

Stand where the cathedral's two arms cross and turn your head from side to side. Two enormous flowers of light have bloo…

Choir Screen Sculptures, Part 1: The Birth of Christ and the Start of the Passion

You have reached the choir screen. Many visitors walk straight past it, but this is worth a pause. A line of sculpture s…

Louis XIII's Vow and the Pietà

This is the heart of the cathedral, the deepest and most sacred spot: the high altar. At its center is the Pietà, flanke…

The Crown of Thorns Reliquary and Its Halo of Light

Here stands the reliquary of the Crown of Thorns. It looks nothing like the crown we imagine; instead it has been reinte…

Choir Screen Sculptures, Part 2: Scenes After the Resurrection

Turn around after viewing the Crown of Thorns, and the sculptures you meet next, on the south wall, have a very differen…

The Night of April 15, 2019, and the Rebirth

This is the story of a tragedy that stunned us all, and of a restoration that felt like a miracle. On the evening of Apr…

Where to Go Next Near Notre-Dame

Having followed Notre-Dame's footsteps through the centuries, you have seen how the cathedral has weathered countless ha…