Notre-Dame Cathedral

Notre-Dame de Paris is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the 4th arrondissement, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is considered a prime example of French Gothic architecture, featuring pioneering rib vaults, flying buttresses, enormous rose windows, and naturalistic sculptural decoration. The cathedral also houses three pipe organs and immense church bells.

Don't miss

• The three enormous rose windows, including the west rose (9.6 m diameter, c. 1225) and the larger north and south transept roses (c. 1250–1260).
• The two west towers, each 69 m high, built between 1220 and 1250.
• The Great Organ, with over 8,000 pipes, built by François Thierry in the 18th century and later rebuilt by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll.
• The sculptural decoration on the west façade, including the Last Judgment tympanum and statues of biblical kings (the original heads are displayed at the Musée de Cluny).
• The crown of thorns relic, a nail and a sliver from the True Cross, deposited by King Louis IX.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Notre-Dame Cathedral

Cheapest way inEternelle Notre Dame: Notre-Dame Virtual Reality Tour4.3★ · 53 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$6 per personSee dates →Best full dayParis in A Day Louvre Eiffel Tower Notre Dame and Seine Cruise4.8★ · 2,362 travelers4-9 hoursFree cancellationFrom$115 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleNotre Dame Outdoor and City Center of Paris with Local Guide4.6★ · 39 travelers~1 hourFree cancellationFrom$29 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• Compare the three great rose windows, including the larger north and south transept roses.
• The recovered cockerel from the 2019 flèche contains three relics and is displayed inside.
• The Great Organ contains more than 8,000 pipes.

A bit of history

Construction began in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully and was largely completed by 1260. During the French Revolution, the cathedral suffered extensive desecration. In the 19th century, Victor Hugo's novel inspired a major restoration supervised by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. A fire in April 2019 caused serious damage, closing the cathedral for repairs; it reopened in December 2024.