Statement – Notre-Dame de Paris
16 April 2019
Download statement here
It is with great sadness and emotion that we acknowledge the devastating fire that occurred last night at Notre-Dame-de-Paris. With more than 12 million visitors each year, the cathedral is the most visited monument in France and Europe, epitomising the soul of the French capital and symbolising the history and culture of France.
The soul of Paris has once again suffered but we remain confident in the deep resilience of our wonderful city. We extend our support to all the teams who worked throughout the night to save this icon of our history and culture, and to all tourism industry professionals who contribute each day to glorifying Paris.
Expressions of emotion and comfort from all over the world have eased the pain of the sad images that have been circulating in recent hours.
The people of France, together with Parisians and lovers of the French capital, will in the next few months and years have their heart set on rebuilding this landmark symbol.
Visitors to our capital, who are numerous at this spring holiday/ Easter time, will be able to come and show their attachment to the monument but also find many other sites worthy of interest, whether they be religious monuments like the Basilique Saint-Denis, the Sacré-Cœur and the Church of Saint-Eustache or cultural sites nearby like the Sainte-Chapelle or the Panthéon.
Our concierge service is on hand to help you to re-programme the activities of Tour Operators and other stakeholders and advise your customers so that their stay remains a memorable one. Our teams can be contacted on +33 1 49 52 42 63, from Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and on Saturday from 9.30am to 5.30pm, and at our information office on 29 rue de Rivoli every day from 10am to 7pm (last entry 6.45pm).
Our website www.parisinfo.com and our social networks @parisjetaime will keep you informed in real time about the re-opening of the Île de la Cité and its monuments, as well as any eventual modifications to services by our partners (cruise companies, sightseeing bus operators).
For visitors who wish to attend religious services during Holy Week, here are the services at the nearby church of Saint-Eustache:
18 April – Holy Thursday: 7.30pm celebration of the Last Supper and procession to the altar of repose / 9pm vigil with the Singers of Saint-Eustache
19 April – Good Friday: 12.30pm Stations of the Cross / 7.30pm celebration of the Passion
20 April – Easter Saturday: 9pm Easter vigil and mass
21 April – Easter Sunday: 11am mass / 5pm organ recital / 6pm mass
The Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau is working with tourism stakeholders and institutional bodies to support and promote Paris and welcome visitors in the best conditions.
To contribute to the restoration of Notre Dame, donations can be made to the Fondation du Patrimoine (Heritage Foundation).
https://don.fondation-patrimoine.org/SauvonsNotreDame/~mon-don
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