FAQ
©NDP
Can baptisms, weddings and funerals be celebrated at Notre-Dame de
Paris?
Every day of the year, masses, vespers and the sacrament of reconciliation are celebrated at Notre-Dame de Paris. Since the cathedral is no longer a parish, baptisms, marriages and funerals are no longer held there.
For your child’s baptism, your wedding, or a funeral, please
contact the priests at the parish closest to your home. You can find their contact information
on your diocese’s website.
If you live in Paris, visit :www.diocese-paris.net. Or for other locations in
France: www.cef.fr.
Is the cathedral accessible to reduced-mobility individuals?
Parts of the cathedral are accessible to reduced-mobility individuals:
the nave, side aisles and transept, more than two-thirds of the building. There are three
steps to access the choir and the Treasury.
Please note: there is a small step at the entrance portals to access the main floor.
Is the cathedral open on holidays? When is it open?
The cathedral is open every day of the year from 7:45 am to 6:45 pm (7:15 pm on Saturdays and Sundays), uninterrupted – except for rare occasions due to security reasons.
Night services are held from May to October, when the cathedral is open
some weekday evenings.
Where is the cathedral? How do you get there?
The Cathedral is located on the Ile de la Cité, at the historical centre of Paris, near the Hôtel-Dieu and the Police Headquarters (Préfecture de Police), a few metres from the Palais de Justice and Sainte Chapelle. For more information on coming to the cathedral, read “How to get to the Cathedral”
Is there an entrance fee for the cathedral?
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is a church. It is State property, but the clergy manages it for the Roman Catholic church. Entrance is open and
free of charge. Only the cathedral Tower visit () and the Treasury have entrance fees.
How can I attend a liturgical celebration? Do you have to pay? Do you have to make reservations?
To attend one of the cathedral’s many liturgical celebrations (masses, services, etc.) just arrive a few minutes before the start of the celebration (at least 15 to 30 minutes for major celebrations).
See the celebration agenda on this page.
Participation in liturgical celebrations is open to the public and free of charge, it is not necessary to make a reservation.
How do you get to the cathedral towers?
You get to the Cathedral Tower visit (managed by the National Monuments
Centre) from an entrance outside the cathedral, at the foot of the North Tower, Rue du Cloître, on the left side of the cathedral.
Do you have to wait in line to enter the Cathedral?
Usually, entering the Cathedral is quick and easy. Due to higher numbers of worshippers and visitors, entrance may take slightly longer, although wait times are never excessively long (waits may be longer in summer
and around major holidays: Christmas, Holy Week, Assumption).
