Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris Reopens 5 Years After Fire

U.S. President-elect Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy are among guests at the cathedral’s opening ceremony.

The choir, clergy, and guests stand during the ceremony to mark the reopening of Notre-Dame of Paris Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Notre-Dame de Paris

PARIS—France’s iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral is opening its doors to the public five years after a fire devastated the medieval landmark.

The April 2019 blaze tore through the church, destroying its iconic spire and most of the roof in a few hours. Yet, amid the destruction, images from inside Notre-Dame underscored the resilience of the medieval structure: Towering walls stood firm, statues remained intact, and a golden cross gleamed above the altar, surrounded by the charred rubble of the collapsed roof.