Workers walked out in protest at a new access policy that has seen separate lifts allocated to visitors with pre-booked tickets and those who buy them on site.
Workers walked out in protest at a new access policy that has seen separate lifts allocated to visitors with pre-booked tickets and those who buy them on site.
At the same time, the tower now sets aside half of daily tickets for internet customers, up from just 20 percent previously. Workers said the changes resulted in lopsided queues that could extend to three hours for those waiting to pay for tickets, and up to an hour for internet customers who are supposed to have reserved time slots. But late Thursday, management and unions said that the tower would reopen on Friday.
Earlier workers had demanded more flexibility in managing the thousands hoping to reach the top of the "Iron Lady" each day during the peak summer tourist season. The tower's operator said, however, that queues were no worse than before, even as visitor numbers have risen, with more than 6.2 million tickets sold last year.
Many tourists arriving on Thursday morning had no idea what the strike was about, with signs saying only that the monument was closed. "I'm annoyed, I'm not going to lie," said Robin Frye of Birmingham, England, who was visiting Paris for the first time. "It's going to throw off our whole trip if I'm honest," she said.
Earlier Thursday workers held a general assembly to discuss a proposal offered by the site's operator SETE, which is majority owned by the city of Paris. "The SETE is well aware of the disappointment for visitors because of the monument's closure, and its negative impact on the image of both the city and country," the company said in a statement. "It offers its apologies to everyone - Parisians and French as well as foreign tourists."
The tower, which welcomed more than six million visitors last year, has been hit by repeated strikes by its 300-strong staff in recent years over issues ranging from pick-pocketing to maintenance work.
The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited sites in the French capital.
at/ks (AFP, France 24)
Stroll through the French capital and see just enough sights to leave yourself time to enjoy the French way of life: 10 suggestions for a journey of discovery through the city on the Seine.
Image: picture-alliance/robertharding/N. ClarkParis should really be explored on foot. Only then can you really appreciate the city's unique character. Where cars once sped along the Seine, pedestrians can finally stroll in peace on a total of seven kilometers between the Place de la Bastille and the Eiffel Tower. You almost automatically walk past the most important sights.
At 210 meters (689 ft), the Tour Montparnasse is the tallest building in Paris. The tower's public observation deck at offers a panoramic view of the city and its main landmark, the Eiffel Tower. Behind the Eiffel Tower you can recognize the high-rises in La Défense, the largest purpose-built business district in Europe.
But the Eiffel Tower is the city's tallest structure, at 324 meters (1063 ft). It's one of the world's most-visited tourist sights. A lift takes you to the top for 25.5 euros (28 USD). But watch out! There's also a charge to climb the stairs. All that's free is the view from the top. The view on this postcard is from the Palais de Chaillot. The Trocadéro gardens are in the foreground.
The Sacré Coeur Basilica sits atop Montmartre, the city's highest hill, at an elevation of 130 meters (427 ft). The neo-Byzantine pilgrimage church is one of the most romantic spots in Paris. If you want to avoid the crowds, it's best to come early in the morning or in the evening. The terrace below the main portal is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset above the city of love.
Most visitors to Paris see the Louvre as a must. It's one of the largest museums in the world. The biggest draw is unquestionably Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Once you get into the museum, you need patience. There's no way anyone can see 35,000 exhibits in one day. It's better to select what you want to see before you go — and simply go again.
Museums are certainly no rarity in Paris, and in 2014 another museum was added to their ranks. The Fondation Louis Vuitton in the Bois de Boulogne presents temporary exhibitions of contemporary art. Celebrated architect Frank Gehry designed the spectacular structure that houses it. Galleries and observation decks encourage visitors to explore that building as if it were an installation.
Another new arrival: since April 2016, this structure has covered the area where Paris's once beloved central market used to stand, and later the Forum des Halles shopping mall led a miserable existence. The complex is called la Canopée, the Canopy. The immense structure unites an urban transit hub, a shopping center, restaurants and a variety of arts venues under its spectacular roof.
When it comes to presenting consumer goods in style, 19th-century Paris was already at the forefront. The Grands Magasins were an entirely new kind of department store. The Galeries Lafayette epitomize elegant shopping. Like balconies in an opera house, the galleries around the central space spiral upwards, crowned by a glass dome 42 meters (138 ft) above the floor — sublime retail design.
Sit down and relax for an hour or so! That's best done in one of the many parks — for instance, here in the Jardin des Tuileries near the Louvre. The green metal chairs in the parks are icons of industrial design from 1923. They share a name with the famous Jardin du Luxembourg, where they were first set up: Luxembourg chairs. By the way, until 1974 people had to pay for a seat.
You don't have to pay a lot to get delicious food in expensive Paris. You're in good hands in the Marais, the city's most famous Jewish quarter. On the Rue des Rosiers there's the best falafel in town. It's a joy to stroll through this quiet district with its boutiques, bookshops and bistros. It has largely escaped modern development and its residents are determined to keep it that way.
