France’s culture minister has proposed introducing an entrance fee to visit Notre Dame cathedral in Paris when it reopens in December, aiming to generate funds for the preservation of the country’s religious heritage.

France should charge visitors a small fee to see the Notre-Dame cathedral to help the country keep its world-famous churches and cathedrals in shape, the culture minister said.

The French Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, wants to levy an entrance fee of five euros for tourists in order to fund restoration work of religious buildings. View on euronews

French ministers have raised the idea of charging tourists to enter Paris' world-famous Notre-Dame cathedral when it opens in December after a five-year restoration, a proposal that drew a rebuke from the city's diocese on Thursday.

She believes this initiative could serve as a model for similar preservation efforts across the country. “Across Europe, visitors pay to access the most remarkable religious sites

Before the 2019 fire shattered the 850-year-old state-owned cathedral it attracted millions of visitors a year

France's culture minister, Rachida Dati, has proposed introducing an entrance fee to visit Notre Dame cathedral when it reopens in December, aiming to raise funds for the preservation of the