One of France’s most popular tourist attractions, Strasbourg’s Gothic cathedral, is getting a face-lift — but not in a calm environment.

The challenge is strong winds and three million visitors a year. The cathedral remains France’s second most visited church, after Notre Dame in Paris.

The most serious damage since the last renovation in 1930 has been caused by pollution and now pieces of stone are falling from the octagonal spire.

The cathedral’s single tower rises to 142m. Regional conservation chief Simon Piechaud said tourists have a negative effect on the renovation work: “When you’re that high up and faced with such pressure from tourists, you don’t work as well as you would with a chapel in the countryside.” All work stops when winds reach 40 miles per hour.

The project, which is expected to be finished by the end of 2004, will require as many as 120 conservators and will cost 4.4m euros – the bulk of the funding coming from the Oeuvre de Notre Dame Foundation.