Category: Cathedrale de Notre Dame de Paris

A Touristic Pilgrimage to Notre Dame de Paris


There are a lot of substacks about Paris and France. Little Lights on Rosa Happiness Street is worth your investigation. Lorie is a great writer and journalist. 

Here is her post this week on Cathedrale de Notre Dame:

“You could spend a day, a year, even a lifetime exploring this hallowed place. You could also learn from my mistakes.

LORIE TEETER LICHTLEN

DEC 12, 2025

Notre Dame Cathedral on a blustery December day. Photo credit: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

This week marks the first anniversary of the resurrection of Notre Dame Cathedral.

After the mass for heads of state, which was broadcast around the world, on December 8, 2024, the masses were allowed to visit. They flocked in numbers as monumental as the cathedral itself.

Over the past year, Notre Dame has hosted:

  • 11 million visitors – or more than 30,000 per day, every day, for a year
  • 1600 celebrations – for Lent, Easter, the death of Pope Francis, election of Pope Leo XIV, Advent, Christmas, etc.
  • more than 650 pilgrimages – of which one-third from outside of France
  • 600 official delegations, and
  • 44 groups of “vulnerable, isolated or disabled” people

Meanwhile, the renovations have continued apace. It’s now possible to climb to the towers, visit the crypt and admire the treasures in the sacristy. Thirty priests take turns staffing the two new confession chapels.

Much remains to be done. Designs for new stained-glass windows went on display in Paris this week; the windows themselves will be installed in Notre Dame in 2026. Other projects – notably involving the gargoyles and flying buttresses – will reportedly keep skilled artisans busy until 2030.

With all this exciting activity underway, why did it take me a year to finally visit the “new” Notre Dame?

Well, it took me that long to wait for the crowds to wane or, rather, to work up the courage to face them. I have walked by the cathedral many times over the past year and seen huge lines of people along the concrete forecourt. I have seen them drenched in the rainy spring and fall, and fried in the summer sun. I imagined them travelling from around the world for their dream vacation in Paris, only to find themselves in a very long line, kids whining, and cowering under the makeshift shelter of a scarf. The well-prepared will have brought umbrellas or bought plastic ponchos from the nearby shops.

Admission is free but advance reservations are recommended (there is direct access for the cathedral’s worship services). I tried for months to book and found few slots that would allow me to go in with family or friends, so finally decided to go alone. The evening of Sunday, November 30th, I booked a slot for one person the next afternoon.

Those who haven’t yet made the journey may benefit from my experience.

On this blustery December day, the lines were the shortest I had ever seen. My “reserved” line had about 20 people in it when I joined. After our QR code reservations were scanned, we were all allowed in at precisely 2:45pm. The “no-reservation” line was moving briskly, too.

We passed through the central doors under the 13th century Portal of the Last Judgment, hardly noticing its sculpted scenes of heaven and hell. Pristine statues of the 12 apostles watched quietly as we filed by.

Inside, as my eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, I was struck by the scent of wood smoke. Was it a remainder or a reminder of the tragic fire that nearly destroyed this hallowed place on April 15, 2019?

Many visitors did not heed the request to come without bulky backpacks. There are no lockers or coat check desks at Notre Dame. (No cafeterias or drinking-water fountains either.) Add in throngs in winter coats and it can get congested. At least no one seemed to be lugging luggage when I visited.

A year ago, some said the “new” Notre Dame seemed too new: too bright and shiny for its 860 years. Today’s lighting bathes the cathedral in a gentle golden glow. The result underscores the grandeur of the interior while allowing visitors to marvel at the artistry on display.

The visit is organized clockwise, starting with a welcome desk offering free headsets for guided tours via a mobile app and ending with a small gift shop area. Throughout the cathedral, votive candles can be purchased via credit card and vending machines offer commemorative medals. Proceeds from these and the shop help finance the restoration efforts.

Along the left (north) aisle, a series of chapels represent the stages in the history of Christian revelation, from Adam, Noah and Moses to Solomon and Elijah. Each has its own distinctive style, and each is more stunning or elaborate than the next. The chapels are adorned with precious paintings and frescoes, hand-woven tapestries, decorative tiles, and sculptures in wood, marble and other materials. Some are equipped with mini elevators to allow wheelchair access.

My favorite among the chapels is dedicated to Saint Louis: a beautifully simple space, twice the size of the others, with wooden benches that invite contemplation. Photo credits: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

Across the aisle from the chapels, the north wall of the choir enclosure is lined with scenes from the life of Christ in polychrome stone. For this Christmas season (until February 2), this area also features a large “crèche” or nativity scene, with traditional Provençal figures and a terracotta village.

The north choir enclosure and Provençal “crèche” for Christmas. Photo credits: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

Traffic jams formed near the north and south transepts – ie, the perpendicular arms that constitute the cathedral’s cruciform shape. Mobile phones aloft, hundreds of tourist pilgrims like me turned in circles, attempting to capture the reverential atmosphere distilled by the vaulted ceilings and famous rose windows.

Traffic jam at the north transept. Credit: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

When the hum of collective admiration grew too loud, an ethereal “shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh … silence, please” floated from invisible speakers. This message played several times during my visit, once followed by an invitation to attend mass by heading to the reserved seating area. (Notre Dame celebrates three masses per day on weekdays and four on weekends.)

“The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is delighted to welcome you: pilgrims, believers or not, Christians, visitors from around the world, all men and women of goodwill!” – from the Notre Dame de Paris web site

I’m not Catholic but could have attended the mass. Instead, I continued to meander around the cathedral with the other tourists.

Another traffic jam soon formed, this time around the holy relics.

Who knew that Notre Dame houses what are believed to be relics from the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ? The Crown of Thorns, a Nail and a fragment of the Cross were purchased in 1238 by King Louis IX – later canonized as Saint Louis — from the Latin Emperor of Constantinople. Had I known, I might have been prepared to sit in thoughtful meditation before the holy crown in its crystal case within a large golden circle. Many others did so. Instead, I suddenly felt unworthy of occupying precious space there and just took pictures from a respectful distance.

The Crown of Thorns in one of the holy relics housed at Notre Dame. It is displayed on Friday afternoons, in a crystal case within a golden circle. Photo credit: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

My qualms turned out to be unfounded: the crown wasn’t on display the day of my visit. As I learned later, it was traditionally visible on the first Friday of each month; as of last week, it can be seen every Friday starting at 3:00pm.

Had I pored over the official Notre Dame web site and downloaded the mobile app, I would have been less clueless. As it was, I read every available description — and there are many!

The south aisle of the cathedral is lined with more chapels, including a new one devoted to Eastern Christians. The choir enclosure on this side offers another series of polychrome sculptures illustrating the apparitions of Christ. While the south enclosure is more recent than the north one, both were created by master sculptors in the 14thcentury.

By this time, I had been walking, studying and admiring the countless artistic and architectural masterpieces for over two hours. I wasn’t overwhelmed by all the beauty to the point of fainting, as the French author Stendahl was during a visit to Florence, Italy. I did need to sit down and process everything I was seeing and feeling, however.

Mini lifts for wheelchair access and card payments for votive candles are among the enhancements at the “new” Notre Dame Cathedral. Photo credit: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

I chose a seat in an empty section of the pews for the general public (as opposed to those reserved for worshippers) and started scribbling notes in my iPhone. Inspired by the atmosphere of Notre Dame, I was absorbed in poetic thoughts — until a group of tourists sat behind me and started happily chatting with each other.

I moved to another empty section but, within minutes, another chatty group arrived. I turned around a few times but, like the first group, they were oblivious to my frown. Should I have floated a “shhhh” of my own?

Instead, I saved the notes on my phone, put it in my pocket and went to the gift shops. The “shops” are actually four curved display cases forming a circle around the salesclerks; each case has its own cash register. Three of the counters sold similar items: a slim guide to the restoration works, notebooks, bookmarks, medals, necklaces, rosary beads, a Christmas music CD and decorations, etc. The fourth sold books, sculptures and more decorative items. I stood in line for two different cash registers to buy a few gifts. Had the line been shorter, I might have inspected that fourth counter’s wares. (Those items and many more are available at Notre Dame’s online boutique.)

I put on my coat and went outside, the fresh air feeling good after the crowds and hours indoors. The sun was low and the cathedral’s 21 bells were ringing. I love bells and it was great to hear them ringing, especially knowing they had been silenced for five years.

I was happy with my visit but wished I had focused less on getting through the front doors and more on studying all that the “new” cathedral has to offer. I’m determined to go back, once I have done my homework, to appreciate even more the miracle that is Notre Dame de Paris.

The bells of Notre Dame de Paris. Credit: Lorie Teeter Lichtlen

Those wishing to contribute to the continuing restoration of Notre Dame can find a way to do so at https://www.friendsofnotredamedeparis.org/

Thanks for reading Out My Window! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

TIPS for getting the most out of your visit:

  • Read up on the history, art and architecture of Notre Dame before going!
  • Download the mobile app for tour guidance on-site in English, French and Spanish
  • Try to book your visit in advance through the official reservation site or attend a mass to avoid the long “no-reservation” lines
  • Check the practical information site for the opening hours, dress code, free guided tours, etc.
  • If you want to see the Crown of Thorns, aim to go on a Friday afternoon
  • Food and drink are not allowed on-site so have a bite before your visit
  • Bring a small umbrella for the wait in line, even on sunny days; small bottles of water are also a good idea
  • If you must bring a backpack, make it a small one; don’t bring bulky items
  • Ask for headphones at the welcome desk and use the app to better appreciate what you see
  • If you have to talk with others inside the cathedral, keep it short and whisper
  • The gift-shop counters offer a few items but can require standing in line multiple times; the official e-shop has a wider selection and you don’t have to carry heavy items or worry about breaking fragile ones. All proceeds go to the restoration effort.
  • Resist the temptation to head to the closest café or restaurant before or after your visit. A few blocks away in any direction, the fare and prices are less touristy. One exception: go for Berthillon ice cream on the Ile Saint Louis, behind Notre Dame. It’s a classic part of any visit to Paris!Let me know how it goes!

Little Lights on Rosa Happiness Street

A bientôt,

Sara

Visiting the renovated Cathedrale de Notre Dame

Here in France, christmas cards are hardly ever sent. Starting Jan 1, les Français send New Year’s cards. The rule of thumb is that one has the entire month of January to send these cards. Which, if you think about it, makes so much sense. Christmas shopping, parties, craziness, family get togethers are in the rear view window. Only taking down the tree and putting away ornaments remain. There is more relaxed time to send a card and even a letter of yearly catch-up.

So I am not late in wishing everyone Happy New Year.  For me personally, I’m happy to say good bye to 2024. It wasn’t a bad year. In fact, if I were to write down all the successful things that I did or happened to me, it was a good year. But it was an emotional year. It was like grabbing on to the tail of a kite and hanging on for dear life during a raging storm. Among the bigger things that happened, I sold my home in Oakland, California, I had cataract surgery on both eyes, I had carpal tunnel surgery on my left wrist, the Paris Olympics came to town, and I joined a year long writing Studio making a commitment to write a first draft of a second book.

In December, I spent three weeks in very cold Ann Arbor, Michigan (where exists one of the most wonderful bookstores ever: Literati) with my sister and returned in time to celebrate New Year’s eve with friends in the Marais. For me, flying west to east produces much worse jet lag than flying the other way and it seems that I lost a number of days last week, getting my feet back on the ground.

Each day since my return, I went to the Cathedrale de Notre Dame website to get a reservation to see the renovation. It was clear that no one needed a reservation but if you didn’t want to wait in a long line in the cold, it was recommended. The site gives you three days: the day you are looking and the following two days. Even though the reservations/billets are free, every day, each day said ‘Sold Out’. Until yesterday. I was so surprised to see a possible reservation for 2pm that I thought I was seeing things. I confirmed that I wanted the ticket, printed it out, invited my friend, Cherilyn, to join me, ate some lunch, and off I went to see this miracle of rebuilding.

We have all seen photos of the new inside. Because of spot lights, it all looked so WHITE, so BRIGHT, so unNotre Dame, even though it looked spectacular. I wasn’t sure I would love it the way everyone else had. 

When I got there, there were two very long queues, blocks long. I went up to a number of people and asked in French if they were in the reservations line. Not one of them spoke French. They just looked at me vacantly. So I asked in English and managed to piss at least one person off. She kept insisting that I had to go to the end of the line. It seemed that the majority of tourists had no idea that there was the possibility of reserving a ticket and a time. I found the reservations line, ten people in it, and was inside in less than two minutes even with the TSA-like security before entering. Cherilyn met me inside.

My first impression was deep relief. It wasn’t bright white, hurting your eyes bright. The renovators had managed to give all the columns and the ceiling a tone of ‘wear’, of having been around for awhile. All the artifacts had been saved and some of those were cleaned up to a just finished white. 

All images are photos taken by me

In spite of the lengthy lines on the Parvis, inside was not packed with people. It was easy to move around with the exception of seeing the crèche that is put up each December for Christmas. There the crowds were huge and not moving. It was the only time during the 90 minutes I spent inside the cathedrale that I was annoyed and wanted to jab a few people with my elbow.

Because I love elephants, here is a small photo of the contingent from India.

To get to the crèche, you walk down the left side of the sanctuary. Passing the crèche takes you to all the chapels where one can pray to a specific Saint. Most did not have finished stain glass windows but instead a pattern that was a holding place. My understanding is that the stain-glass, the gargoyles, and the spire will all be continuing work for the next couple of years. At the back was a large chapel dedicated to the Crown of Thorns that has been in Paris since Louis IX acquired it. It was orignially housed in the Cathedrale but moved to Saint Chapelle which Louis IX built specifically to house the artifact. During the renovation, it has been on view in the Louvre.

Chapel for the Crown of Thorns.

Votive candles were everywhere for 2 euros. 

We then walked up the right side of the sanctuary stopping to sit for about 30 minutes just to let the feel of the place saturate us. President Macron is one of the most unpopular men in France at the moment but this five year project that he pulled off, the renovation of the Cathedrale, is stupendous. Once inside and looking at every detail, it is hard to imagine that it was all done in this time period. It justifiably will be the most visited tourist “attraction” in Paris this year.

Many of the windows were saved from the fire.  The BBC has a wonderful video describing the process of renovating the cathedrale. Click the link to watch it

The Rose window at the front of the cathedrale partially hidden by the magnificent organ.

Also up on the website is the calendar of musical events happening in Notre Dame for 2025. Many are already sold out but those of you living in Paris can have a look on the site. Click here.

As we made our way to the exit doors, we passed a machine of souvenirs. For three euros, I received a ‘gold’ coin that says Reouverture de la Cathedrale 8 décembre 2024.

I walked into the cold afternoon a very happy visitor to the new and restored Cathedrale de Notre Dame.

Thanks for reading Out My Window! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

A bientôt,

Sara

Today is Thanksgiving in the US but not in France.

The big news today in Paris is that the dates for the reoopening of Cathedrale de Notre Dame (which many of you will remember burned in a horrendous fire in 2019) have been set.

Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral opens its doors on December 7-8, 2024 almost five years after a devastating fire. © Nancy Ing Duclos for INSPIRELLE

The magazine Inspirelle, https://inspirelle.com/notre-dame-reopening-how-to-celebrate-its-rise-from-the-ashes/ wrote today about Notre Dame and the day that we have all been waiting for. The re-Opening. The following are quotes taken from the article. I’ve put the address above if you would like to read the entire article.

“Christians and non-Christians around the world watched in horror almost five years ago when flames engulfed the rooftop of the beloved 800-year-old Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris. When the spire toppled over in the early evening of April 15, 2019, crashing through the roof’s nave and sending billowing, ominous smoke into the Parisian skies, we all wondered if the cathedral would survive. Yet, here we are five years later, waiting with bated breath for Notre-Dame’s grand reopening and comeback. Rebuilt and restored. And word has it, the cathedral is more beautiful and transcendent than ever.”

Thanks for reading Out My Window! This post is public so feel free to share it.

“Our first look inside the restored Notre-Dame will be on November 29, 2024 when President Macron makes his seventh and last visit to the worksite inside the cathedral before it is officially handed back to the Paris Diocese in early December. The state was responsible for the full restoration of Notre-Dame after the fire, which it entrusted to the Notre-Dame Restoration Committee. Remember, the French President expressed his determination that the landmark would reopen its doors five years after it suffered serious damage to its structure.”

“December 7, 2024..(is the day). The President of the French Republic returns to Notre-Dame in the evening for the official reopening. On the square in the forefront, he will deliver a short, emotional speech before declaring the handover of the cathedral to the Archbishop of Paris. Monseigneur Laurent Ulrich will knock on the medieval doors of the cathedral three times with a crozier, his special staff. The cathedral, which had been silent, then “answers” ​​him by singing Psalm 121 three times – resounding again with the song of praise. On the third time, the doors open. The eight bells of Notre-Dame will also ring again, beckoning everyone to come in.

On this occasion, 100 world leaders, dignitaries, religious leaders and the faithful have been invited to the official ceremony that will be broadcast live by France Television and shared with international media. Inside, vestiges and prayers will be delivered.”

“The following day on December 8, Msgr Ulrich will oversee the inaugural mass at 10:30 a.m. Paris time. The rector, Msgr Olivier Ribadeau-Dumas, will be by his side. The religious procession will be filled with color and emotion. The liturgical vestments worn by the clergy have been designed by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a fixture on the French fashion scene. The capes recall medieval chivalric style with golden crosses surrounded by bursts of shards in primary colors, reflecting nobility and simplicity, modernity and joyful outreach. The President is expected to attend mass with over 1,200 guests representing various religious and charitable associations, workers, and donors who contributed to Notre-Dame’s restoration.

A second public mass is scheduled for the evening at 6 p.m. local time. France Television will cover the two masses live, and international media will be able to broadcast their images as well.”

The beloved Mother and Child survived the rooftop collapse and was placed back in the sanctuary Nov. 15, 2024 Photo: Nancy Ing Duclos

“Check the Notre-Dame website for the registration link to reserve free seats for masses and private prayers as well as visits in the first week of the reopening (reservations should open around December 1, 2024). Or, look out for the new Notre-Dame mobile application to reserve dates and learn more. Five newly organized tours are available for visitors to fully appreciate and experience the full breadth of Notre Dame’s history, architecture, spirituality and restoration.”

“The Crown of Thorns will return to the cathedral’s treasury on December 13 in a grand ceremony. This religious relic, believed to be the woven crown worn by Christ on his way to crucifixion, was saved the night of the fire by those who risked their lives to enter the burning church.

On December 16, the cathedral returns to a normal schedule offering daily mass three times a day to the public.

Musical concerts with international artists are planned for the cathedral every Tuesday night for the following new year. Click here for the program and to reserve seats.”

So today, we in France give thanks that our beloved Cathedrale has survived and we will all get to visit the new and we are told even more beautiful inside in the near future.

Thanks for reading Out My Window! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Subscribed

A bientôt,

Sara