Notre-Dame Cathedral to reopen 5 years after devastating fire

The iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is set to reopen its doors to the public on December 7, 2024, following an extensive restoration process that began after the devastating fire in April 2019. The reopening ceremony will take place under heightened security measures, as announced by Laurent Nunez, the head of the Paris Police Prefecture, Report informs via French media.

To ensure the safety of the event, 6,000 police officers and gendarmes will be deployed to secure the closed perimeter around the Île de la Cité, where the cathedral is located. Additional military personnel and rescue workers will be on duty in the surrounding areas.

Access to the island will be limited to pedestrians only, with several metro stations and roads in the nearby Left Bank districts closed throughout the day. The square in front of the cathedral will be accessible only to those with invitations.

The fire at Notre-Dame on April 15, 2019, shocked the world as the cathedral's iconic spire collapsed and much of its roof was destroyed. The blaze was extinguished after a grueling 15-hour battle by firefighters, but not before causing significant damage to the 850-year-old Gothic masterpiece.