Bienvenue à Notre-Dame de Paris

tanjabrittonwriter 30 Comments

When I left for Germany in August 2025 for a planned three-week stay, little did I know that I would be gone for nearly four months. Many of you will have experienced the pain and sadness that result from facing the mental and physical decline of an aging parent, and the turmoil associated with having to make big life decisions for them. I could not have made it through those months without the moral and practical support of many family and friends, for which I continue to be deeply grateful (thank you—you know who you are).

During that somber stretch, the opportunity for a short break presented itself, thanks to my best friend from high school. When she returned to France after visiting family in Germany, she took me with her. I always treasure the time I get to spend with her and her husband at their idyllic rural Burgundy home that is surrounded by an enchanted and enchanting garden (merci encore, Heike et Pascal!).

And ever since another friend had traveled to Paris and enthralled me with her impressions of Notre-Dame de Paris, I longed to see the recently resurrected cathedral with my own eyes (merci, Isabelle!).

I’m happy to report that it happened—not only once, but twice. In late September 2025, Heike and I took a two-plus-hour train ride from Sens to Paris on a Sunday to explore the church and join other flaneurs on the streets of the French capital, and in early October, the day I returned to Germany by train via Paris, I deposited my luggage at the Gare de L’Est (whence all trains for Germany depart) and did the same by myself before my evening departure.

As a lover of everything Paris, I vividly remember the shocking television images showing Notre-Dame in flames in April 2019. Like many observers, I was skeptical about Président Emmanuel Macron’s declaration to rebuild it in 5 years but was happy to be proven wrong—owing to the concerted efforts of the French government, the French people, legions of talented artisans, and the generosity of donors from 150 different countries, who gave at least 846 million Euros. One can argue the advisability of spending money—so much money—on restoring a medieval building, but this cathedral is as iconic a Parisian and French landmark as La Tour Eiffel and Sacré-Coeur de Paris on Montmartre. Paris without it, or with only a shell of itself, seemed unthinkable.

The original rooster that used to top the spire of the cathedral, which collapsed during the fire. The sculpture melted and lost its gilding and has since been replaced with a new golden rooster.

So it came to pass that the heavy doors of Notre-Dame reopened with a ceremony to select invitees on December 7, 2024, and to the public on the following day. Even though most major projects had been completed by then, some restorations were ongoing during my visits and continue to this day. As I learned from informational signs detailing the work:

  • 2,000 oaks were used to rebuild the wooden framework
  • 2,000 statues or decorative features were restored or remade
  • 100 meters was the height of the scaffolding installed to rebuild the spire
  • 1,000 m3 of stone were used to rebuild the walls and vaults
  • 4,000 m2 of lead were used to rebuild the roof
  • 41,000 m2 of stones were cleaned

A monumental effort to restore one of France’s most recognizable monuments!

Even if you have never visited, you might remember the church’s central role in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The movie has possibly had more viewers than Victor Hugo’s famous 1831 novel, Notre-Dame de Paris, has had readers. Nonetheless, the popularity of the novel in the early nineteenth century spawned efforts to preserve and restore the church after it had suffered serious damage during and after the French Revolution, as well as from the tooth of time.

If you have visited Notre-Dame in the past, you might recall that the exterior and interior walls of the cathedral used to be very dark, thanks to centuries of accumulated grime, dust, soot, and other pollution.

The most striking aspect of the “new” cathedral is the color of its stone. Whether you call it blonde, beige, cream, or something else, the luminosity of the structure is one of the most conspicuous features in my memory. In addition to how clean and shiny are all the surfaces, be they stone, stained-glass windows, paintings, or sculptures, a new floor and light wooden chairs also contribute to the very bright appearance of this venerable edifice whose origins date back to the 12th century and the French Gothic period that also saw the construction of the famous cathedrals of Reims and Chartres.

The architectural grace inherent in the Gothic style, in combination with the brightness brought about by recent renovations, were heightened by the pleasing interplay of rays of sunlight with stained-glass windows. As I was captivated by the prismatic performance of photons, the artistic accomplishments of countless capable craftspeople, and the uplifting notes emerging from the restored pipe organ, I was also struck by rays of hope.

When people put their heads together and collaborate for a greater good, we can accomplish great things, creating beauty in the process. In my mind, the restoration of Notre-Dame represents something good and inspiring, and I felt a similar sense of awe and admiration in many of my fellow visitors.

PS: I took hundreds of photos but am showing only a small selection. In the interest of “brevity” (feel free to chuckle with me), I’m also limiting my narrative. If you would like to learn more, online accounts and images about this cathedral, its history, the fire, and the reconstruction abound.

30 thoughts on “Bienvenue à Notre-Dame de Paris”

  3. Dear Tanja, I’m so sorry to read about your family trauma last year. Such events are always hugely painful, and must be even more difficult when those involved are resident on different continents. I am pleased to know that family and close friends all rallied round to support you at such a difficult time.

    I must confess it is decades since I last visited Notre Dame. However, its majesty and beauty remained lodged in my brain, so I was deeply saddened when I first read reports of that massive fire. Like you I was sceptical about the grand plans for the cathedral’s restoration, and have been delighted to be proved wrong. The wider lesson is clear – with imagination, determination and adequate resources the apparently impossible can be achieved. It is, ultimately, a truly inspiring story; thank you for sharing your thoughts and images of it.

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    • Thank you for your kind words, Mr. P. It was (and continues to be) a traumatic process and being half a world away makes everything harder.

      Being in Paris, seeing what had been accomplished in 5+ years, and being surrounded by so much beauty inside the cathedral really lifted my spirits (mostly in a secular way, but who am I to say?! 😊). Heaven knows that money is wasted in so many sacrilegious ways, it’s good to know that it can be employed to build, rather than destroy.

      Warm wishes,

      Tanja

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  4. ‘Many of you will have experienced the pain and sadness that result from facing the mental and physical decline of an aging parent’…yes, indeed. It was also my case three years ago. I understand your feelings.
    Thank you for sharing the news about this splendid cathedral. I last visited it back in 2017.

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    • Thank you for your comment and commiseration. I guess it’s part of life to be faced with our parents’ decline but that does not make it any easier.

      I think Notre-Dame’s new appearance is more remarkable to those of us who knew it before the fire.

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  5. Es tut mir leid, lesen zu müssen, warum Du solange dem Blog fern geblieben bist. Eltern und überhaupt Familie oder einen Freund leiden zu sehen und sie eines Tages zu verlieren ist immer ein Lebensabschnitt, den man nicht vergessen kann. Es ist sehr schön, dass Du eine Zeit in Frankreich mit Freunden verbringen konntest, das richtet das Gemüt wieder auf.
    Was auch immer der Wiederaufbau von Notre Dame gekostet hat, er war es wert.
    LIebe Grüße und danke für den Bericht und die Fotos.
    Maren

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    • Danke für den Kommentar, liebe Maren. Du hast recht–die Ereignisse des vergangenen Jahres haben mich verstummen lassen und ich habe noch immer Probleme damit. Diese kurze Auszeit hat mir wirklich sehr geholfen.

      Ich denke auch, daß so viel Geld für schlimme Zwecke verschwendet wird, daß die Millionen Euros, die für die Kathedrale ausgegeben wurden bzw. noch werden, gut angelegt sind.

      Herzliche Grüße zurück,

      Tanja

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  6. Sending you a big warm hug, Tanja, as I know well what it feels like when our parents get to this stage. I’m glad that there was good support from family and friends…it makes such a difference to have that.

    I remember the horror of seeing the news footage of the fire and the damage to Notre Dame and it is wonderful to see it looking so beautiful again in your photographs. I love the feeling of light now in the interior and your photograph of the colours from the stained glass projected onto the stonework is very uplifting. Such a story of hope!

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    • I appreciate the sentiment and hug, Ann, thank you. I would have been completely overwhelmed without all the support and will always be grateful for it.

      Those images of the burning cathedral will likely stay with us forever, but it’s good that we can complement them with the new ones of light and colour, and with a sense of hope for better things to come.

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  8. Greetings to you –

    Thank you for taking us along with you during your trip to Notre-Dame!

    What a gift that you were able to visit it!

    I am so glad that the restoration process was a success! I heard about the tragic fires that filled this cathedral, and my heart was so sad. I never would have imagined that the cathedral would ever have looked like your images showed it to again!

    I am sure that your visits to this cathedral will be ones that you will never forget!

    Thank you again for sharing a taste of this stunning architectural masterpiece.

    Blessings,

    Gavin

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    • Dear Gavin,

      Thank you for your kind comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the tour of Notre-Dame. It was so uplifting to see all that had been accomplished after the devastating fire.

      As you said, I will never forget my visit there.

      All the best,

      Tanja

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  10. Hi. Notre Dame is iconic, for certain. My wife and I stayed with friends in Paris for a few days in September 2024. They asked me what I’d like to do in their city. The main thing that came to mind was to see Notre Dame. We all went on a long walk from their apartment to ND, It wasn’t open to the public yet, but it looked darn good. That was a memorable walk.

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    • Hi Neil,

      Thank you for your comment. You were in Paris just a few months too early, before the cathedral reopened. But I’m sure your walk through Paris with your friends as well as seeing the building from the outside was very special. Any stroll along the streets of Paris is.

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  11. I’m so sorry about your family difficulties. It’s so hard to observe aging, declining parents. Wishing you strength and peace in that regard.

    I was in Paris (for the first time!) a couple of years ago–loved it! The repairs were still in progress, but there was an excellent timeline and interpretive sign describing the work being done. Obviously, it was quite involved and complicated given the particular building, age, and situation. Thanks for this lovely post; I hope to visit Paris again soon.

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    • Thank you for your kind words and wishes, Tina. That it’s a sad period in our lives when we have to watch our parents fade away is an understatement.

      I’m glad you enjoyed your visit to Paris–better late than never! It doesn’t matter how many times I have visited, I will always look forward to the next one. I hope you will make it back there again.

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