Notre-Dame Cathedral

Construction on Notre-Dame de Paris began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and rumbled on for almost two centuries. The cathedral's two towers, western rose window, and spectacular flying buttresses along the east end were finished by 1345. It's survived Huguenot iconoclasm, the Revolution (during which it was briefly rebranded as the Temple of Reason), and Napoleon's 1804 coronation. Then, on 15 April 2019, the roof caught fire during renovation work. The spire collapsed on live TV.

The reconstruction ran for five and a half years and finished exactly on the deadline President Macron set the day after the fire. Notre-Dame reopened to worshippers and visitors on 8 December 2024. The interior is spectacular now — cleaned and re-illuminated in a way it hadn't been since the 19th century. The stained glass looks like it did in 1345, not through a century of Paris grime.

Entry to the cathedral is free — you don't need a ticket for the nave. But you do need a timed reservation from the official app or website, and the walk-in queue can be 90 minutes on peak days. The paid extras are the treasury (the crown of thorns, relics, gothic reliquaries) at €12 and the towers with the view over the roof and the gargoyles at €13 (separate ticket via CMN, sold in advance).

Sunday high mass at 10 AM (or 6:30 PM Saturday evening) is the atmospheric way in — no ticket, no queue, but sit at the back to leave the front for worshippers.