France

The Eiffel Tower, or la Tour Eiffel, is a 330 metre wrought iron lattice structure designed by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution. Built as a temporary installation meant to stand for 20 years, it was saved from dismantling because of its usefulness as a radio antenna. Today the Paris tower is the defining symbol of Paris and one of the top things to do in Paris. There are three public levels: the first at 57 metres and the second at 116 metres, both accessible by stairs or lift, and the summit at 276 metres reached by a separate lift from the second floor. Every hour after dark, the tower sparkles for five minutes with 20,000 flashing bulbs, a display introduced for the year 2000 celebrations and kept as a nightly ritual loved by Paris people and visitors discovering where is Paris in Europe along the Seine.

The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum, welcoming around 9 million visitors each year, and the largest of its kind with 73,000 square metres of exhibition space and 35,000 works displayed from a collection of 480,000. Located in the heart of Paris, for those asking where is Paris in Europe, it sits along the Seine in northern France. The complex began as a fortress in 1190, became a royal palace between the 16th and 18th centuries, and opened as a public museum in 1793 after the French Revolution. The 1989 glass pyramid designed by I. M. Pei serves as its iconic entrance. The collection is organised into eight departments, though many visitors come specifically for three masterpieces: the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and the Winged Victory of Samothrace, making it one of the essential things to do in Paris alongside seeing the Paris tower. Allow at least half a day, while serious art lovers may need two or three visits. Paris people often return multiple times to explore it fully.