Notre-Dame is a living Gothic cathedral on the Île de la Cité, where Paris once concentrated its religious life and river crossings. Its medieval fabric, nineteenth-century restoration, 2019 fire and continuing conservation record how the city repeatedly rebuilds its most visible landmark.
Quick facts
Bishop Maurice de Sully laid the first stone of Notre-Dame in 1163, in the presence of Pope Alexander III.
The crowned figures in the Gallery of Kings portray kings of ancient Judah, not French monarchs; revolutionary attackers beheaded them, and their heads were rediscovered in 1977.
The cathedral reopened for worship and visitors on 8 December 2024 after the 2019 fire; its towers reopened to visitors in September 2025.
Get directions to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Confirm the visitor entrance and current access with the venue before travelling.
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On the parvis outside Notre-Dame, a small brass compass rose marks “point zéro,” the point from which France’s road distances are measured. The original marker was removed after the 2019 fire and damaged beyond restoration; the City of Paris installed a faithful replica in 2025. The city also records a local saying: step on it and you will return to Paris. The promise is folklore, but the marker’s location is meaningful.
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