Knowing that we would be visiting Paris, I knew we had to visit Notre Dame. It was not because I was a religious person. Formal religion and I have been at odds at times over my lifetime, but I have great respect for those who are devoted to their faith and the places where they practice it. Seeing it restored, I understood why Notre Dame has endured, not only as a cathedral, but as a symbol of Paris.
Notre Dame reopened after the fire on December 7, 2024, although repairs were still ongoing when we visited in May 2026. The vast majority of the work had been completed, but there was still a crane on the exterior, spots where the smoke damage remained visible, and an area of active construction. Despite the continuing repairs, most of Notre Dame had been restored, and it was glowing.
There was something particularly moving about seeing it this way. The evidence of what had happened was still there, but so was everything that had survived. The soaring limestone, the stained glass, the rose windows, the chapels, the sculptures and the chandeliers were all there again. People were excited to be there. They admired the restoration, pointing out details to one another. It didn’t feel like visiting a monument that had simply been repaired. It felt like visiting a place that had been given another life.
Construction of Notre Dame began in 1163 and continued for roughly two centuries. The cathedral has seen world wars, revolution, and political transformations. Notre Dame was there for the French Revolution in 1789. Napoleon was crowned there in 1804. Notre Dame was already more than 700 years old when the Eiffel Tower was built in 1889. In 1944, the bells of the cathedral rang out in celebration of the liberation of Paris. Sometime when you come from a country that is a youthful 250 years old, it’s difficult to appreciate the places you are standing before have been there for centuries.
And then there was the fire.
The restoration was far more than rebuilding what had been destroyed, not to minimize the skill and care that went into rebuilding the structure. The soot was painstakingly cleaned from the intricate limestone carvings inside and outside the cathedral. Painted details and gilding were restored. The stained glass was cleaned and restored after being exposed to smoke and heat. The chandeliers, some damaged when they fell during the fire and others tarnished by smoke, were restored to their original condition. The Crown of Thorns returned. A new golden rooster weather vane was placed atop the steeple, carrying holy relics and a scroll bearing the names of the thousands of craftspeople who worked on the restoration.
Reading through the restoration progress reports on the Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris website makes you appreciate just how much went into bringing the cathedral back. Seeing it now, it is hard to believe it was ever in the condition shown in the photographs taken after the fire.
But perhaps that is the most remarkable part of seeing Notre Dame today. It isn’t exactly as it was before the fire. You can still find reminders of what happened, and the work is not entirely finished. But after more than eight centuries of history, revolution, war, neglect, restoration and then fire, Notre Dame is still standing.
And standing inside it, I understood a little better why so many people—religious or not—felt that they had lost something when it burned.
Notre Dame is more than a cathedral. It is part of Paris. And seeing it restored, even if still a work in progress, makes you believe that some things really can endure.
If you would like to donate to the continuing restoration of Notre Dame, donations can be made at the Friends of Notre Dame de Paris website here.
