Notre-Dame's iconic towers reopen with an amazing new spiral staircase

The swirling staircase takes you up to the newest reopened part of the Notre-Dame cathedral

Six years after a fire damaged much of the building, an iconic section of one of France's most famous buildings has reopened to the public.

The Notre-Dame cathedral stood for more than 850 years until the 2019 fire caused the spire and roof to collapse.

Since then, repair works have been taking place to put the building back together, with the restoration completed in 2024 and most of the cathedral ready for the public.

As part of the 42nd edition of the European Heritage Days in Paris, the bell towers have been officially reopened too, with a new tour route celebrating some of the designs.

Construction of the original Notre Dame cathedral began in 1163 and took nearly 200 years to complete

France's president, Emmanuel Macron, was the first person to be given the tour, which takes guests through a newly built spiral staircase.

There are 424 steps to climb in total, and the towers stand 69 metres high.

President Macron wasn't the only Emmanuel in the building - the two bells in the towers are named Emmanuel and Marie.

Visitors are able to see the inside of the belfry, which is the part of the tower where the bells are housed.

President Macron got to have the first tour of the restored gothic-inspired building

European Heritage Days have been taking place in some form for 40 years.

They happen each year and have a different theme, and during them many museums and historic sites open their doors to the public for free.

The European Heritage Days in Paris are taking place on 20 and 21 September.

Writing on social media, President Macron said: "The cathedral is regaining all its splendour and once again offers its spectacular views of Paris."