Eiffel Tower Ascension Alternatives

Eutelsat BalloonEutelsat Balloon

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

This mini hot air balloon in the André Citroën park will take you up 150 meters for a view that is equal parts awe-inspiring and stomach testing, with Paris and the suburbs stretched out before you. Plus, it provides great photo ops of the nearby Eiffel Tower. Be warned that if the weather looks particularly nasty, the balloon is grounded (check their site for the day's prognostic).

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

La Grande ArcheLa Grande Arche

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Inaugurated in 1989 with ridiculous pomp (a huge military parade!) as a modern Arc de Triomphe, La Grande Arche isn't even really an arch and is seriously starting to show its age. If the new skyscrapers in the La Défense business district didn't make it look shabby enough, the broken marble steps and crumbling façade certainly do. It does however command an interesting if somewhat distant view of the Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, and Louvre. A spectacular glass lift whisks you up, under and into the arch, although any sense of wonder and marvel is short-lived; you arrive in a tawdry exhibition space, grim café, and stuttering VHS presentation of the arch's "magnificent" history. Up some more steps to the roof and you'll most likely be met by barriers and warning tape that prevent you from going round half the deteriorated terrace. Proof that modern gets old very fast.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Parc de BellevilleParc de Bellev

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Back 150 years ago, this area was an entirely separate commune, and some people would balk at coming out "so far," yet Belleville is only 10 minutes away from the center (Châtelet) on Métro line 11. The Parc de Belleville has a panoramic view that puts Montmartre to shame. Less than 10 years old, the park is perched on an 108-meter-high hill. Apart from its sinuous, leafy paths and a waterfall that runs over 100 meters long, the view is worth the steep climb alone and offers a real sense of the size of the city. Plus, Belleville and nearby Menilmontant are some of the least gentrified parts of Paris, worth exploring for old-school bars and restaurants.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Institut du Monde ArabeInstitut

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

The Institut du Monde Arabe was designed by starchitect Jean Nouvel back in 1987. Although the building's glass lifts may be bad for your vertigo, Paris' most easterly viewpoint has free access and spectacular views of nearby Notre Dame, the Seine, and Ile St. Louis. The south façade is also worth a look, with complex Moor-inspired shutters that supposedly open and close every hour to jaw-dropping effect -- but you have to watch closely.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

The PantheonThe Pantheon

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

In 1744, a sick Louis XV decided to build the Pantheon if he should survive his serious illness. Obviously he did, and at over 200 years old, it is the most venerable of all Parisian viewpoints. Imposing, impressive, sullen ... and pretty damn high, the building sits on the Sainte-Geneviève hill and is visible from most everywhere in the city, meaning exceptional views. Getting up the hundreds of steps (there's no lift) is worth it, first for the view of the interior of the cupola, then for the view of Paris spread out before you. An architectural masterpiece, whether just visiting it or going up it; it's guaranteed to take your breath away.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

PrintempsPrintemps

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Access to the 9th floor roof of the Printemps Beauté et Maison store is free, and with the Opéra Garnier just across the street, great views are guaranteed. You'll also be able to scrutinize the Printemps building's intriguing architecture, somewhere between a Disney castle and a Russian palace. Further cheap entertainment is to had heckling the tourists at the overpriced rooftop café.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Tour MontparnasseTour Montparnas

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:39:15 +0200

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm

Currently Paris' second highest tower at 210 meters (about two thirds the height of that other tower we won't mention) and detested by Parisians as a 1970s eyesore, the old joke goes that at least once you're up it, you can't see it. What you can see is all of Paris and way beyond, thanks to the tower's great central position. The recently renovated 56th floor has a panoramic bar, and shorter queues make this a very viable alternative for those too impatient or tired to brave the inevitable wait at the Eiffel Tower.

Aug 24th, 2007 @ 2pm