On the occasion of the 42nd edition of the European Heritage Days, dedicated this year to the theme “Architectural Heritage,” the Centre des Monuments Nationaux is inaugurating a new visit itinerary to the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris from September 2025. The itinerary, enriched with audio and multimedia aids, has been revamped with the opening of new spaces thanks to the major restoration and usability enhancements promoted by the public body Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris. Visitors can enjoy spectacular views from the top of the towers, the restored bell towers and the famous “forest,” reconstructed in solid oak wood. The experience, lasting about fifty minutes, allows visitors to immerse themselves in Gothic architecture through a tour that stimulates the senses and inspires wonder.
During the visit, you can see two original chimeras that survived the fire, educational models displayed in a large medieval room, and undertake the ascent of the 424 steps that lead along the spectacular solid oak double spiral staircase, built to the full height of the restored bell tower. A panoramic view of Paris and the spire opens from the south tower terrace. Next, the path leads to the cathedral’s two imposing bell towers and the Cistern Courtyard, from which the famous “forest,” the medieval wooden structure restored between 2023 and 2024, a symbol of the exceptional craftsmanship employed in the restoration work, can be seen.
The reopening of the route of the towers represents one of the most anticipated moments of the European Heritage Days, also enriched by cultural initiatives at the Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie, also located on the Île de la Cité and historically linked to Notre-Dame. A “Construction Village” will be set up at the cathedral’s base camp, where visitors can meet those involved in the restoration. Given the expected high turnout, access to the tour requires mandatory online reservations, while entrance to the Yards Village will remain free.
The tour starts at the foot of the south tower and offers a renovated route. More regular resting spaces have been provided to facilitate ascent and descent, with visual markers indicating the number of steps walked. The design of the path was entrusted to studio Nathalie Crinière, in collaboration with C-Album (graphics), RC Audiovisuel (multimedia), Patrick Rimoux (lighting), SNOOP (plastics) and Life Design Sonique (sound). The scenic layout, designed in harmony with the atmosphere of the cathedral, recalls traditional materials and facilitates circulation in small spaces. The signage adopts typography created especially for the reopening.
The first introductory room explains the main stages of the cathedral’s construction and the most relevant historical events. A sectioned model of the facade provides an overview of the route, while a comprehensive model, accompanied by an audiovisual narrative, traces the building’s history from the laying of the foundation stone in 1163 to its reopening on Dec. 8, 2024, after the devastating fire of 2019.
Visitors can also take a closer look at two original chimeras. The Salle des Quatrelobes houses a soundscape that enhances the tolling of bells, protagonists of Notre-Dame’s religious and civic celebrations and French history. Four epochal events are evoked through the soundscape: the States General convened by Philip the Fair in 1302, the coronation of Napoleon in 1804, the era of Louis XIV in 1660, and the Liberation of Paris in 1944. The room also allows visitors to take a closer look at recent restoration work.
The majestic oak double spiral staircase, designed by architect Philippe Villeneuve and built by the firm MdB Métiers du Bois (Calvados), offers an immersion into the structure of the bell tower. Reaching a height of 69 meters, one can enjoy a 360-degree panorama of the city and a close-up view of the new spire. Two orientation boards guide the visitor in reading the cityscape. The descent leads to the Cortile delle Cisterne, a link between the two towers, from which one can admire the complex roof structure of the great attic, the famous “forest” above the nave.
The route ends with a sound creation that accompanies visitors along the descent of the north tower, softening the return to the city. This electroacoustic work, entitled Souffles and Scories and signed by composer Valérie Vivancos (aka Ocean Viva Silver), was created in collaboration with Noirlac Abbey. The composition, divided into four movements, combines sounds of bells, voices inspired by Gregorian chant, fragments of words and the noises of artisan crafts, creating a sensory journey that accompanies the descent “from the celestial to the terrestrial.”
"The reopening of the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris and the inauguration of their new tour route represent a powerful and deeply moving moment, a source of great joy for the Centre des Monuments Nationaux. Thanks to the very efficient work of the public institution Rebâtir Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral, a universal symbol of Paris and France, is once again a place of shared wonder," said Centre des monuments nationaux President Marie Lavandier. “This new tour of the towers invites a sensitive and stimulating exploration: an immersion in the main stages of its construction, an encounter with the legendary bells, and an ascent to a spectacular and unforgettable 360° panorama. Thanks to our partnership with Noirlac Abbey, this visit is enriched with an artistic dimension, supported by a soundscape that accompanies the visitor’s steps on the descent to the city, prolonging the emotion. By choosing to reopen the towers on the occasion of European Heritage Days, we make this moment a symbolic gesture: that of a living heritage, capable of uniting people, moving them and giving meaning to the present and the future.”
Climbing the South Tower requires good physical condition. The tour is not recommended for people with heart failure and/or prone to vertigo, as well as pregnant women and young children. The tour includes 424 steps, narrow (45 cm), low passages. The tour has no elevator, water supply points or restrooms.
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| Paris, Notre-Dame reopens its towers to the public with a new tour itinerary |
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