Felicity Long
Paris has its share of bucket-list attractions -- from the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum to the Arc de Triomphe and the storied Champs Elysees.
But Notre Dame Cathedral, set to reopen to the public on Dec. 8 after a fire ravaged the structure in 2019, is an icon unto itself thanks in part to the fact that it's not just something to look at or take selfies in front of, but rather to experience in all its complicated glory.
Let's face it: Even before the fire that destroyed the famous spire and most of the roof, Notre Dame had already been through a lot.
Built in the 12th century, the cathedral survived the ravages of the black plague, anti-church destruction during the French Revolution, two World Wars -- including Hitler's order to burn the city to the ground -- and finally, the shocking fire five years ago that left Parisians speechless with grief and spurred international support, both emotional and financial.
As to the building itself, there are too many highlights to single out. Architecture buffs marvel at the flying buttresses — a breathtaking innovation in its day — and the rose windows, which were dismantled and hidden during WWII and reinstalled after the war. The windows survived the fire but have now been cleaned during the interior restoration, returning them to vivid colors that haven't been seen in many years.
The spire, which was destroyed in the fire, has been an unforgettable part of the city skyline for centuries, and the bells have acted as a soundtrack to Paris since the Middle Ages, working their way into the culture -- think Quasimodo and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" -- along the way.
Personally, I'm partial to the gargoyles that hunker over the upper reaches of the exterior and seem to guard not only the Gothic structure below but also the city itself from whatever fresh challenges may come.
On any given day, you'll likely see groups of people congregating in the space in front of the cathedral, hanging out, meeting friends and enjoying the magic of the city against the backdrop of its dramatic façade.
My favorite view of Notre Dame is from a Seine cruise aboard a vedette at Pont Neuf -- an hourlong sailing along the river that divides the Left and Right Banks. You'll see some of Paris' most famous sites along the route, including the Musee d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower, but the real highlight is Notre Dame itself, holding pride of place in the Ile de la Cite and dominating both banks of the Seine River.
In the past few years, it's been heart-wrenching to see this medieval masterpiece under wraps during the restoration, made more complicated by the pandemic. I feel safe predicting that the view of that resurrected spire and the sound of those bells pealing once again in the restored belfry will lift the spirits of everyone who hears them -- even those of us listening in our imaginations from several thousand miles away.