Notre-Dame de Paris is the Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, the island in the Seine where Paris began. After the fire of April 2019 destroyed its roof and spire, the cathedral went through five years of restoration and reopened to worshippers and visitors in December 2024. This guide explains how to reach Notre-Dame de Paris by metro, how entry works now, and what to look for inside and out.
The story of Notre-Dame de Paris
Construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully, and the main structure took close to two centuries to complete. The cathedral became a model of French Gothic architecture, with its twin west towers, flying buttresses and three great rose windows. Napoleon was crowned emperor here in 1804. By then the building was in poor condition, and Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, known in English as The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, helped spark a major restoration led by the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who added the spire and many of the carved chimeras on the towers.
The 2019 fire brought down that spire and most of the medieval roof timbers. The restoration rebuilt the roof and recreated the spire to Viollet-le-Duc's design, while cleaning stone and paintwork inside. Many visitors are struck by how bright the interior now looks.
Getting to Notre-Dame by metro
The nearest station is Cité on Metro Line 4, the only metro station on the island. Line 4 runs north to south through central Paris, connecting with Châtelet, Saint-Michel and Montparnasse. Cité is a deep station, so look for the lifts if you have luggage or a buggy. You come out on the street beside the flower market, and from there the square in front of the cathedral is about five minutes' walk.
The Saint-Michel Notre-Dame RER station, on lines B and C, is just across the river on the Left Bank, and is useful if you are coming from the airports or from the Musée d'Orsay side. You can pay with a Navigo pass or individual tickets bought from machines and the official RATP app.
Notre-Dame tickets and entry
Entry to the cathedral is free. To manage the queues, the cathedral has offered free optional reservations for a time slot through its official website and app, while also admitting visitors without a booking through a separate line. Check the official website, notredamedeparis.fr, for current opening hours, the reservation system and mass times, as these may change.
Climbing the towers is a separate, paid visit managed by the Centre des monuments nationaux, with its own booking system. Check its website to see whether the towers are open and to book a slot, because places are limited.
Notre-Dame is an active place of worship. Visitors are asked to stay quiet, dress respectfully and keep out of areas reserved for prayer during services.
Best time to visit Notre-Dame de Paris
Since the reopening, demand has been high. The quietest times are usually early in the morning, soon after opening, and on weekdays outside French school holidays. Late afternoon light through the west rose window can be beautiful. Lines move fairly quickly, but in summer it is worth bringing water and a hat for waiting in the square. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the interior, and longer if you also climb the towers or visit the archaeological crypt.
What to see at Notre-Dame
The west facade
Stand back in the square to take in the three carved portals. The central Portal of the Last Judgement shows the dead rising and being weighed by the Archangel Michael. In the paving of the square, a small bronze star marks Point Zéro, from which road distances in France are traditionally measured.
The rose windows
Inside, the north and south rose windows in the transepts hold medieval stained glass and are among the most famous in Europe. Look up at the west rose above the organ as you leave.
The nave and choir
Walk the length of the nave to the crossing, where the new spire rises above the vault, then around the ambulatory. The carved stone screen around the choir shows scenes from the life of Christ, and behind the altar stands a marble Pietà by Nicolas Coustou, part of the group known as the Vow of Louis XIII.
The exterior from the gardens
Walk around to the Square Jean XXIII behind the cathedral for the best view of the flying buttresses and the east end.
Nearby on the same metro stop
- Sainte-Chapelle: a thirteenth-century royal chapel with walls of stained glass, a few minutes from Cité station. Book tickets ahead.
- The Conciergerie: a former royal palace and Revolutionary prison next to Sainte-Chapelle.
- Crypte archéologique: Roman and medieval remains under the square in front of the cathedral.
- The flower market: right by the station exit.
- Pont Neuf and Square du Vert-Galant: at the western tip of the island, good for a riverside break.
- Île Saint-Louis: a short walk across the footbridge behind the cathedral, with quiet streets and ice cream shops.
For cafés, bakeries and more around Cité, open Notre-Dame de Paris on Around the Metro, or browse the Paris metro map.