Notre-Dame Cathedral Facts & Figures
The key facts, dimensions and dates for Notre-Dame de Paris, grouped by the question that sends people looking for them. Measurements are approximate and drawn from published sources; the cathedral is an active place of worship, so hours and access can change for services.
What exactly is it, and where?
The formal identity and the practical one, in the same place.
| Full name | Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris (Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris) |
|---|---|
| Location | Île de la Cité, 4th arrondissement, Paris, France |
| Address | 6 Parvis Notre-Dame – Pl. Jean-Paul II, 75004 Paris |
| Coordinates | 48.8530° N, 2.3499° E |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic (seat of the Archbishop of Paris) |
| Architectural style | French Gothic |
| Nearest metro | Cité (Line 4); Saint-Michel (Line 4, RER B/C) |
How big is it?
The numbers behind the impression the nave makes when you walk in.
| Overall length | approximately 128 metres |
|---|---|
| Width across the facade | approximately 40 metres |
| Nave vault height | approximately 33 metres |
| West tower height | approximately 69 metres |
| Spire (flèche) height | approximately 93 metres to the tip |
| North tower climb | 422 steps to the chimera gallery |
When was it built?
Close to two centuries from first stone to finished cathedral, then a second campaign 500 years later — the one Viollet-le-Duc led, which gave the building its spire and its chimeras.
| Construction begun | 1163, under Bishop Maurice de Sully |
|---|---|
| Largely completed | c. 1260; detailing continued to c. 1345 |
| Viollet-le-Duc restoration | 1844–1864 (spire and chimeras added) |
| 850th anniversary | 2013 (new bells cast) |
What is inside it?
The pieces travellers come specifically to see. The Gallery of Kings on the west front is 19th-century work, not medieval, and the Crown of Thorns is kept in the Treasury rather than on open display.
| Rose windows | Three — west (c. 1225), north (c. 1250), south (c. 1260) |
|---|---|
| North rose diameter | approximately 13 metres, mostly original 13th-century glass |
| Great organ | approx. 8,000 pipes, five manuals; rebuilt by Cavaillé-Coll |
| Great bell (bourdon) | Emmanuel, cast 1685, over 13 tonnes, south tower |
| Gallery of Kings | 28 statues; originals beheaded 1793, 21 heads found 1977 |
| Most famous relic | The Crown of Thorns, acquired by Louis IX (13th century) |
What happened here?
Five dates that changed what the building means.
| Napoleon's coronation | 2 December 1804 |
|---|---|
| Victor Hugo's novel | Notre-Dame de Paris, published 1831 |
| The fire | 15 April 2019 — spire and roof destroyed |
| Reopening | 7–8 December 2024, after five years of restoration |
| Bell Towers reopened | 20 September 2025 |
What does it cost to get in?
The short version: the cathedral is free and the climb is not. The Bell Towers reopened in September 2025 and are sold online only, by the Centre des monuments nationaux, with no counter on site.
| Cathedral entry | Free; timed reservation recommended April–October |
|---|---|
| Bell Tower ticket | Separate, booked online via the Centre des monuments nationaux |