Eiffel Tower & Champ de Mars

The Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) is the most visited paid monument in the world — and despite all clichés, still breathtaking. Gustave Eiffel designed the 330-meter-high iron tower for the 1889 World's Fair, and although it was originally supposed to be dismantled after 20 years, it still stands as the undisputed symbol of Paris.

The tower has three levels. The first floor (57 m) offers a glass floor through which you can look down, as well as restaurants and an exhibition on the tower's history. The second floor (115 m) provides the best panoramic view — close enough to see details, high enough for the expanse. The top (276 m) is the ultimate experience: In clear weather, the view extends 70 km. In the evening, the tower sparkles every full hour for five minutes in a sea of 20,000 light bulbs — best seen from the Trocadéro.

The Champ de Mars, the expansive park at the foot of the tower, is the perfect place for a picnic. Baguette, cheese, and a bottle of wine from the nearest supermarket — that's how Parisians do it. On summer evenings, hundreds sit on the lawn waiting for the light show.