The two towers, north and south of Notre Dame Cathedral in France, officially reopened to the public on the 20th. This is the first time that the Notre Dame tower has resumed public visits since the 2019 fire.
After reopening, the tour routes of the tower have been adjusted. Visitors enter from the bottom of the tower on the south side, climb 424 steps and arrive at the 69-meter-high tower top platform with panoramic views of Paris and the “rebirth” church spire. Visitors can then walk to the open-air platform connecting the two north and south towers to see the stone architecture sculptures on the top of Notre Dame Cathedral and the restored wooden roof structure. After the tour, visitors go downstairs from the north tower.
The reopening comes as France celebrates its 42nd European Heritage Day. On the 19th, French President Macron arrived to visit the day before reopening.
According to a recent news released by the French Presidential Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral has received more than 8 million tourists since it reopened in December last year. Currently, tourists can enter Notre Dame Cathedral for free, but visiting the tower requires online purchase of tickets in advance, and the normal ticket price is 16 euros. According to French media reports, the tower’s annual maximum number of tourists is 400,000.
Notre Dame de Paris was built in the 12th century and is one of the most representative monuments in France. On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out at Notre Dame Cathedral, and its roof and spire were damaged, and the tower was subsequently suspended from opening. After five years of restoration, the main body of the cathedral reopened in December last year, but the overall restoration work continues and is expected to continue until around 2030.
