Paris is where I grew up, but like most Parisians, I never really visited anything there, until I had to make other people visit it.
This is when I really realized it was a great romantic city. I know of only very few people who didn't enjoy their stay there. I believe if you go with the right person, and have a clue what to do there, you will simply have the time of your life. It's simply beautiful, and there's so much to do!
Last June, I took my boyfriend there with me for the second time. Having seen all the main tourist attractions the year before, I worked really hard to make sure the trip would be at least as good as the previous one.
And I guess my hard work paid off: we had the loveliest time. And our most memorable night happened to be on the top of the Tour Montparnasse.
**Montparnasse- Moche-Parnasse**
To summarize, Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower) is the one ugly building in the middle of Paris. Its construction took place from 1969 to 1972. Its 58 floors are mainly occupied by offices. It is 210 meters high, which makes it France's tallest skyscraper. And in my opinion (and most people's I am sure), it is also the ugliest. So if it is that awful to look at, you might be wondering what is so good about visiting it. Here's my theory.
**Tour Montparnasse Vs Tour Eiffel**
The Eiffel Tower looks great and magnificent. When visiting Paris for the first time, you must absolutely go to the top and admire the splendid view of Paris. There's only one downside to it, I would say. From there, you can see everything... to the exception of the Eiffel Tower itself. Isn't it a waste, after all? You've made it to the top and are taking pictures of Paris that won't even feature its most famous monument!
On the other hand, on top of the Tour Montparnasse, you can get the greatest view of the Eiffel Tower, and what's more, that ugly nondescript skyscraper is nowhere to be seen... as you are standing on top of it. Simply amazing!
**How to get there, when to go, how much does it cost**
Getting there couldn't be easier. By metro, get off at Montparnasse Bienvenue, or any station around it (Edgar Quinet, St Placide, Notre Dame des Champs). Once outside, just look around you, and head towards the tall and ugly building.
Tour Montparnasse is open every day of the year!
From April to the end of September, from 9.30 to 23.30 and From October to the end of March, from 9.30 to 22.30 - 23.00 on week ends.
It will cost you 9 Euros to get to the top, 6 Euros 50 if you are a student or under 20. Don't hesitate to lie, they do not seem to check for IDs. Under 6 go free and children pay 4 Euros.
**Our Experience**
We did not know whether to go by day or by night, so I chose to try at sunset, and that turned out to be a great idea. It was summer, and sunset was around 10.
We made our way to the skyscraper, joined the tiny queue. We waited no longer than 2 minutes. How often would this happen at the Eiffel Tower? Haha, never.
We entered the elevator, and when the doors closed, we were propelled to the 56th floor. The 38-second lift was really impressive. It is the fastest in Europe, and it went so fast the doors were shaking!
As we got off, we entered a large room, with panoramic windows all around. This is floor 56. From there, you can walk around and look on the boards for the different monuments. There are interactive exhibitions and films about the Tower to be seen. You can also get a drink, or even have a meal in "Le Ciel de Paris": Europe's highest restaurant. It is meant to be quite good, and not too pricey (Set menus for lunch start at 30 Euros).
However, we were so eager to get to the outside terrace that we did not spend much time there and climbed the few steps to the very top.
It was quite windy outside, but what we saw made us forget about it straight away. The view was AMAZING. The Eiffel Tower was sparkling for the first time of the night (every hour, on the hour: A must-see!). Dusk was settling in and slowly, all the famous building started to light up. We took millions of pictures and watched silently.
This was one of my most romantic moments in Paris. There is no word to really describe it.
The best part was that, on that night, France was playing Brazil in the world cup. And as France won, we heard like a massive cheer, from all around. It just seemed that we could hear the whole country expressing their happiness. Cars started going again and fireworks started everywhere. I couldn't believe how lucky we were to have been there just in that moment. Then, in the middle of all that ecstasy, the Eiffel Tower started sparkling again. Truly amazing, really.
We were asked to leave at 11.20, and so we did, reluctantly. If the weather is good and not too chilly, plan to be spend a long time there, it is worth it. Go to the Eiffel at day and save this one for the night. Get there at sunset and stay there until you have seen every building light up, and the Eiffel Tower sparkle at least once or twice. Go there on special occasions, maybe on the 14th of July, to have a good glance at the fireworks, or any day you think the view will be even better than usual.
**My conclusion**
Just GO! Don't wait. Prices are not too bad, the lift is impressive, there's no crowd as not many people know about how good it is, and trust me, I have now been on top of nearly every single main building in Paris, and this is by far the best. The view is wonderful, you won't get squished and you'll be able to watch the Eiffel Tower in all its splendour. That's just priceless.
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