07-07-2025
6 years after the fire, Notre Dame to reopen its towers to visitors
PARIS - The towers of Notre Dame in Paris are to reopen later this year, six years after a devastating fire severely damaged the iconic cathedral.
According to the French Centre for National Monuments (CMN), visitors will be able to climb the 420 steps up to the viewing platform again starting on Sept. 20.
The towers were closed after the fire in 2019 and have since undergone extensive restoration work. The work focused primarily on stabilizing and securing the belfries and the viewing platform at a height of 69 meters (225 feet) - with a view over Paris and the new spire of the cathedral.
Due to the expected crowds, online booking is mandatory. Tickets are expected to cost €16 ($18.80) and the annual capacity is limited to 400,000 visitors. Ticket sales are due to start at the beginning of September.
The cathedral itself has been open for services again since December. The Gothic cathedral was heavily damaged in the fire in April 2019.
Without the towers, visiting Notre Dame takes approximately 30 minutes, according to its website. Visitors can download a free app that includes suggestions for a range of tours, including for families and pilgrims.
The app is available for Android and iOS. It's currently offered in English, French and Spanish, with more languages to follow in 2025.
What happened to Notre Dame?
The more than 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece in the center of the French capital was heavily damaged in a fire on April 15, 2019.
The exact cause of the blaze remains unclear to this day. Many were skeptical at the time that restoration work at the medieval cathedral could be completed in such a short time period when French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild Notre Dame in five years.
After five years of restoration, however, the Parisian landmark is now almost unrecognizable. Natural stone surfaces covering about 42,000 square meters now shine brightly after having been cleaned of centuries of accumulated dirt and soot.
The cathedral was reconstructed identically, but the furnishings inside are now contemporary.
The altar and the tabernacle, where the consecrated hosts are kept, have a minimalist design and are made of bronze, as is the baptismal font right at the entrance to the cathedral. The old baptismal font used to be located in a chapel on the north side.
What else is there to see in Paris?
Tours of Notre Dame's towers aren't the only addition that Paris is getting this summer. The golden balloon that hovered in the sky above Paris during the Olympics is back, sailing above the city at dusk and visible from rooftops across the capital.
Before it rises from the Tuileries Garden in the city center, it is accessible to visitors during the day. You can see the glowing hot air balloon free of charge and without reservation every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., before it rises into the sky in the evening.
We first saw the hot air balloon ascend with the Olympic flame near the Louvre during last year's Summer Games in Paris.
The balloon's return is part of France celebrating Paris as a symbolic place in the history of ballooning. After all, this is where the Montgolfier brothers launched the first manned hot-air balloon in 1783.
The balloon isn't the only mark that the Olympics left on Paris, and after the river Seine was showcased in the swimming competitions and opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics, officials have also decided to open special pools so anyone can swim in the river.
Three outdoor pools are preparing to open on July 5: one opposite L'île aux Cygnes (Swan Island) near the Eiffel Tower, one not far from Notre Dame Cathedral and one near the National Library.
They will have changing rooms and showers, be supervised by lifeguards and offer space for sunbathing, city officials say. There will also be swimming facilities specifically for families and children near the Eiffel Tower.
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