Paris’s Eiffel Tower Reopens but With Major Restrictions

The last time the Eiffel Tower was closed for more than 100 days, Paris was under Nazi occupation. Now, France believes it has done enough to tame COVID-19 that it can safely reopen the country’s most iconic landmark—albeit with some important restrictions in place.

On June 25th, visitors ascended the steps to the  première and  deuxième étage s of the Eiffel Tower to take in sweeping views of Paris from high above the 7th Arrondissement for the first time in 104 days. That’s far and away the longest peacetime closure of the 1,063-foot tower, which held the distinction of being the world’s tallest structure from 1889 to 1930.

The reopening of the tower to tourists comes just under three weeks after Jean-François Delfraissy, head of the French government’s scientific advisory council, declared COVID-19 “under control.” The country’s most recent public health data suggests that France’s positive test rate now stands at about 1.5 percent. In total, France has reported 161,348 confirmed cases and 29,731 deaths, according to data cited by NPR. 

Though France has reason to believe it’s been able to handle the worst of the virus, visitors to the Eiffel Tower will have to contend with some changed policies and enhanced precautions. According to the tower’s website, elevator service up the tower (and the access it grants to the third, and highest, observation deck) is currently unavailable but may return with reduced occupancy limits later this summer. Instead, tourists can climb the 674 stairs up to the tower’s second observation deck. In an effort to ensure physical distancing, the stairs will be a one-way street: Visitors must climb up the east pillar’s stairway and descend from the west.

Beyond restrictions unique to the tower itself, other more standard COVID-19 precautions are also in place. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid waiting to climb the tower, as only a limited number of visitors will be allowed on each esplanade and each observation deck at a time. Furthermore, signage and ground markings will encourage guests to maintain enough distance between one another, and masks are mandatory for any visitor over the age of 10.

The Eiffel Tower isn’t the first major Parisian landmark to welcome back visitors this month. Versailles reopened its grounds on June 6th, though the Associated Press reports that only 4,500 people can visit over the course of a given day. Meanwhile, the Louvre is slated to reopen on July 6th. Nevertheless, while France has eased border restrictions for travel from within the European Union, it’s hard to predict what sort of appetite the international public will have for international tourism at a time like this. 

Feature image: Unsplash

This article was originally published on Architectural Digest