Visitors to Paris in the coming years may need to add an extra five euros to their travel budgets — at least if they want to step inside Notre Dame, one of the most famous landmarks in Europe. In an interview with Le Figaro, the oldest daily newspaper in France, French minister of culture Rachida Dati said she supported an entrance fee for Notre Dame Cathedral of five euros per visitor. The funds would be spent to repair and preserve not just the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, which was severely damaged by a major fire in 2019, but also to preserve and restore other churches throughout France. Based on recent tourism numbers, she estimates the fee could raise approximately 75 million euros per year.
Photo: Catarina Belova/Shutterstock
You May Soon Have to Pay to Enter This Famous European Landmark
The idea was immediately met with mostly negative feedback, with most people against the idea of paying to enter a sacred space. The Archdiocese of Paris on behalf of Notre Dame issued a statement reiterating its ongoing position that public access to churches and places of worship should be free. The backlash prompted Dati to expand on the idea on X (formerly Twitter), explaining that visitation should remain free for anyone attending for religious services, but that visitors coming purely for the cathedral’s cultural and historical value — rather than out of any religious motivation — should be asked to pay the small fee.
The interior of France’s Notre Dame Cathedral. Photo: Vichie81/Shutterstock
As of late October 2024, no decision has been made on instituting an entrance fee for Notre Dame Cathedral, or how exactly the process would work. The massive cathedral is one of the finest examples of still-standing Gothic architecture in the world. It was completed in the 13th century and has been the site of many notable events in world history, including the coronation of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. It was looted and damaged during the French Revolution, served as the home of Quasimodo in Victor Hugo’s fictional The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), and survived Nazi bombing in World War II.
It’s been closed to the public since the 2019 fire, which caused nearly 700 million euros worth of damage, especially to the roof. Notre Dame is scheduled to reopen on December 8, 2024 — just a few weeks before the start of the Vatican’s 2025 Jubilee Year. It’s a celebration that brings millions of religious pilgrims to Rome, many of whom are likely to visit other sites of religious importance while in Europe, such as Paris’ Notre Dame.
Is there precedent for charging an entrance fee for Notre Dame Cathedral?
Inside the Hagia Sophia. Photo: Xseon/Shutterstock
Traditionally, visiting most active religious sites is free for the public. But several other famous churches and religious sites around the world have entry fees, many of which are structured in a way that aims to divide religious pilgrims and visitors from your average sightseeing tourist.
In Istanbul, there’s a steep 25 euro fee to visit the Hagia Sophia. Built in the sixth century, it’s globally recognized for its stunning Byzantine art and architecture, and has one of the largest domed roofs in the world. It’s arguably the most famous tourist site in Türkiye, especially since it’s 1,000 years older than the Blue Mosque, its neighbor in the former historic center. Visitors who pay the entry fee gain access to the historic parts of the building, but are not allowed to enter the part of the mosque used for religious worship. Certain parts of the Hagia Sophia are open only to Muslim worshipers and/or Turkish citizens.
If you want to visit Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia — famous not just for its design by celebrity architect Antoni Gaudí, but also because it’s been under construction for more than 150 years, it’ll cost you. General admission to Sagrada Família with an audio guide costs 26 euros, while guided tours rise to 27 euros per person. Admission with entry to the basilica’s towers is 36 euros per person, though discounts are available for seniors, students, and children. It’s possible to visit Sagrada Familia for free, but it’s limited to specific times to reach religious visitors — mainly Sundays and other days with holy obligations. Attending mass or any type of religious service doesn’t include access to the basilica or any of the complex’s museums or exhibits.
Visitors to London’s Westminster Abbey are also already used to paying for the privilege. Like the proposed entrance fee for Notre Dame Cathedral, the 30-euro fee per person includes access to most of the historical and museum areas, including Poets’ Corner and the Coronation Chair. (The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries require an additional five-euro ticket.) However, that fee is only for general sightseeing, and access to the sanctuary for religious services like daily prayers or Sunday worship remains free. 