French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday reopened Notre Dame‘s iconic towers in Paris for public visits, one of the final steps in the immense reconstruction following a devastating fire.
The inauguration of the restored towers by Macron, who has spearheaded reconstruction efforts since the fire on April 15, 2019, comes a day before the opening weekend, when the public can finally climb the 424 stairs to enjoy unmatched views of Paris.
Nearly 30,000 visitors a day have streamed through the doors of the cathedral since its reopening in December 2024, to see for themselves the remarkable rebirth of the great Gothic church. Macron hosted world leaders and luminaries, among them Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Britain’s Prince William and then President-elect Trump at the reopening.
The landmark reconstruction of Notre Dame to its former glory marks a major success for Macron, who is politically embattled at home. He can boast of fulfilling a promise made in the wake of the fire for the restoration to be finished within half a decade.
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Macron was given the honor of being the first person to be given a tour around the newly restored towers, which also allows a close view of the cathedral’s famous gargoyles — grotesque sculptures of mythical beasts that adorn its exterior walls.
“The towers of Notre-Dame reopen to the public,” Macron wrote on X. “The cathedral is regaining all its splendour and once again offers its spectacular views of Paris.”
Visitors can enjoy an approximately 45-minute tour, which begins in the south tower with an ascent to the belfry.
“This route already existed before the fire, but it has been greatly improved in many ways,” said Philippe Jost, Macron’s pointman for the reconstruction, pointing to new viewpoints and spaces for visitors.
Visiting the towers will be trickier and pricier than visiting the cathedral itself. Tickets, which cost 16 euros (roughly $19) rather than the free entry for the cathedral itself, must be bought online, with only 19 people allowed in at any one time.
The tickets for the first two days over the weekend sold out in just 24 minutes.
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The total cost of restorations neared $1 billion, Jost previously told CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” Workers had to stabilize the 12th-century monument, encasing it in scaffolding after it was damaged in the fire. Hundreds of artisans then used 21st-century tools such as drones and computer animation to guide reconstruction.
Safety measures meant to prevent future fires were also installed, and metal trusses divide the massive roof into three sections, making it less likely for a fire to grab hold and spread.
While the opening of the towers marks the final major stage in the reconstruction process, there is still more work to be done. The apse at the eastern end of the cathedral is the next part to be renovated.
“The work we have undertaken includes repairs that the cathedral needed, which are not related to the fire and which will take us into the post-reopening period,” Jost said.
“Our ambition now is to complete a full restoration of the cathedral, addressing everything that will enable it to look its best,” he added.