The Tower of Montparnasse: one of the main attractions of Paris

The map of Paris with sights is an additional confirmation of how unique this city is. On it you can see a huge number of significant places and monuments of architecture, each of which is worth a visit. All of them together with cozy ancient streets form here an amazing atmosphere, which any traveler dreams of at least once in his life. One of the most interesting and popular places here is the tower, called Montparnasse, which is located in the heart of the French capital. It will be discussed in more detail later.

general description

The main feature of the building is its 209-meter height (the Montparnasse tower is the only skyscraper in the city). It consists of 56 floors, as well as 6 underground levels. Many skeptics note the banality of its architecture, but this does not diminish the significance of the structure, because it boasts the highest observation viewing platform in Paris. And it's true, only from here you can see the Eiffel Tower from a bird's eye view. It is no wonder that for more than thirty years the Montparnasse tower is on the list of the main sights of the French capital.

As already noted above, the outer height of the skyscraper is 209 meters. At the same time, it goes underground to a depth of 70 meters. The area of each of the floors is 2000 square meters. As for the total weight, it is approximately 120 thousand tons. At the foot of the building is a large commercial and social complex with an international textile center and a swimming pool.

Brief history of appearance

The history of the skyscraper originates in 1956. Then at the present place of its location was the eponymous railway station. The city of Paris gradually grew, so in time it simply stopped coping with the significantly increased volumes of freight and passenger traffic. In the period from 1969 to 1972 the station was moved underground, and a business center appeared on top. The design of the tower itself was developed by a group of architects consisting of Dubuisson, Baudouin, de Oime, Arrecha and Lopez. According to their idea, the building is an oval-shaped cigar.

Inside the tower

The Montparnasse Tower is like a separate small town with its structure and sights. Moving between the floors is due to 25 elevators. Of particular interest to tourists are only a few of them. In this case, we are talking about lifts, plying between 1 and 56 floors. In order to get to the last level, they need only 38 seconds of time. Each of the elevators is accompanied by a steward. All the space located under the viewing platform is occupied by offices, shops, restaurants, representations of the world's leading companies and banks. In all these institutions, a total of more than five thousand people work.

Upper observation deck

In order to get to the highest observation platform of the French capital, you need to walk up another three floors. In itself, the upper level is a classical helicopter pad, which is drawn under the landing strip, has side lights and is enclosed by a high grid. From here you can see a unique view of the city of Paris, its surroundings and the River Seine. Visibility on sunny days from here reaches 40 kilometers. As evidenced by the numerous reviews of travelers who have visited here, this place should be a must for any tourist, as the time spent at the top is simply impossible to forget.

Visit

The Montparnasse Tower in Paris is located at 33 Avenue, du Maine, in the same district of the city. You can get here almost on any kind of public transport. Depending on the season, the mode of operation of the attractions may vary. You can just go inside for free. Together with this and the ascent to the highest point is very affordable in terms of pleasure. In particular, for an adult ticket you need to pay 13 euros, for students and youth up to 20 years old - 9.5 euros, and for children under 15 years - 7.5 euros.

In comparison with the Eiffel Tower

Even despite the large number of advantages that the Montparnasse tower can boast, comparing it with the main symbol of the French capital is not entirely advisable. Each of these two attractions is distinguished for its own, unique purpose. If tourists can watch the city from the Eiffel Tower, then Montparnasse also allows you to purchase souvenirs with clothes. Whatever it was, the architecture of the skyscraper is very banal and mundane. That's why, probably, the Paris business card - the Eiffel Tower - remains the main attraction of the city. To the advantages of Montparnasse it can be attributed only a relatively small queue and the opportunity to see the world-famous creation of the Eiffel from a bird's-eye view.

Results

Although the Montparnasse tower does not pretend to be the symbol of Paris, it has long ceased to be an ordinary skyscraper with office buildings. On the other hand, demonstrations continue to take place periodically in the French capital, the main requirement of which is the demolition of the building. Many Parisians are sure that it spoils the romantic look of their city. Whatever it was, it is noteworthy that the Eiffel Tower was also heavily criticized during the first few decades after its erection. Paris and its residents are gradually getting used to the presence of Montparnasse, and the most chic lookout area of the city continues to attract more and more visitors from all over the world from year to year.