7.10.09

Tour Montparnasse


I have to leave you again for some ten days, back to Sweden.

In the meantime, you can have a general look of Paris. Anne in Oxfordshire recently made a post about the Tour Montparnasse, which reminded me that after 35 years in Paris I had never gone to the top of it (had made some professional visits on lower floors), so I thought that I just had to do it also.

Tour Montparnasse is the only (and last) real skyscraper we have in the centre of Paris, 210 m (= 689 ft), finished in 1972. The Eiffel Tower is of course higher, 324 m (=1063 ft) including antennas, but your visit ends at 309 m (=1014 ft). On the other hand Tour Montparnasse is on some 30 or 40 m (some 115 ft) higher ground and you have the impression to be on a similar altitude. The queues are much shorter than for the Eiffel Tower, but... of course, this is not the Eiffel Tower.

The “French Spiderman” (Alain Robert), climbed the Tower three times, without any equipment... I took the lift (Europe’s fastest).

You can thus visit the roof (level 59). The weather looked promising, but once up, I noticed that it was a bit too misty for the nice and clear photos I wished. Anyhow, here you have a 360° view (actually maybe 400°; the Eiffel Tower is back a second time).

I could not help making some zooming. I’m sure you will recognise most of the zoomed places.
Take care during my absence!

47 comments:

Thérèse said...

Even with the mist we can recognize everything... and I think the views are nicer than the ones seen from La Défense or from La Tour Eiffel.
Have a safe stay in Sweden Peter.

Shionge said...

Thanks for the photo tour Peter and you take care too while in Sweden.

Virginia said...

Peter,
Well I'm the lucky one to be the first to bid you a bon voyage vers la suède! Best wishes Peter.

Now you show us Tour Montparnasse. As someone called it, "the box la tour Eiffel came in"! I agree. It is NOT something I ever expected from Paris. From the U.S.? Mais oui! :) The view is quite nice. Maybe I'm convinced to see it on my next visit. The lift seems in order, but you knew that already!

Look forward to your return.

V

PS Forgive my français if it's not quite correct. Sigh!

krystyna said...

I can imagine how fantastic views is from Montparnasse Tower.

I watched how Alain Robert was climbing to Montparnasse Tower.
Wooow!
It is not good for me nerves.... I have to take a deep breath.
But thanks for this link to his site.

krystyna said...

Enjoy your time in Sweden!
See you soon.

James said...

This is a place that I always plan to go, but never get there. The views are stunning.

La Belette Rouge said...

Say hello to Sweden for me. I was only there a year but I do think of it often and have some good memories of my time there.
As per usual, gorgeous photos!!!

Anne said...

They say it's the best view in Paris, in part because you cannot see the Tour itself when you are standing on top of it. It's also the setting for part of that last lovely segment of the movie Paris Je T'Aime.

claude said...

Ah, Piteur, comme dit Delph, tu fais mon bonheur ce matin.
Voir Paris me met en joie.
Un petit peu de Paris dans mon coeur tous les matins me donne du tonus pour la journée.

Olivier said...

superbe toutes ces vues de Paris, de quoi avoir le vertige ;o)

SusuPetal said...

Oh, I close these views into my heart!

Take care, see you.

Adam said...

Hope all goes well in Sweden.

That's a great zoom you have on your camera, and the 400° panoramic view is excellent!

hpy said...

Je me rappelle quand elle n'était qu'un trou!
Bon voyage en Suède.

Karen said...

What a lot of work you put into these posts with such success. Now another place I will want to see. I love the zoom shots and I knew almost all of them.
Have a safe and productive time in Sweden.

Mona said...

wow! those are some great bird's eye views!

Anonymous said...

Just found Peter's Paris recently, so looking forward to much more of your Parisian views when you get back.
Have a wonderful trip!

Anne in Oxfordshire said...

Thank you so much for the link Peter..I am so happy that some good came out of my trip, and that you enjoyed it. I am sure you did by the looks of your fabulous photos. I love them.

Hope all goes well in Sweden, take care .

Cezar and Léia said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cezar and Léia said...

Take care you too dear friend!
Magnificent post!
Léia

Starman said...

This was supposed to be the trip when we finally made it to the top of Tour Montparnasse. Ah well, the best laid plans, eh?

Marie-Noyale said...

Many things to see while you are away.
Have a safe trip.

Maya said...

I think I'd rather go up the Eiffel Tower just for nostalgia's sake, but this affords great views too. Perhaps I'll have to do both on my return trip someday! Bon Voyage and we look forward to your return to bloggerville.

Mo said...

Look forward to your return. Enjoy your voyage. Are you going to do mid month subway this month?

Cergie said...

Paris serait une vieille dame qui se teint les cheveux en bleu ou en mauve ? J'avoue que je ne l'ai jamais vue sous ce jour là n'étant jamais monté plus haut que la terrasse de l'I.du M.A ou le salon de thé du printemps pour cause de vertige.
Porte toi bien, Peter, à bientôt...

Starman said...

I envy your lifestyle. Bon voyage.

Starman said...

I envy your lifestyle. Bon voyage.

from cali said...

What a powerful lens! The panoramic shots are incredible.

Have a nice stay in Sweden.

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Breathtaking pictures - especially #1! Take care!

Wania said...

Wonderful post!!!!

Paris is always beautiful!!!!


Have a nice trip!
See you later,
Kisses

Catherine said...

Il ya un film culte chez nous ; La Tour Montparnasse Infernale. C'est très bête mais qu'est ce que c'est drôle. mes filles en connaissent par coeur les deux tiers des dialogues et hurlent de rire toutes les deux répliques.

Ash said...

Have a safe trip and be back soon!

alice said...

Je souhaite que tout se passe comme tu veux dans ton grand Nord. A bientôt!

Barbara said...

Bonjour Peter,

I'm one of Anne of Oxfordshire's friends. She has been saying such wonderful things about your blog so I had to stop over.

I enjoyed the Montparnasse experience. My first too, but I waited a teeny bit less before going up; just 19 years ! You beat me !
That's the total number of years that I've been a neighbor to Paris.

Greetings to you !

Claudia said...

The best views over Paris precisely because it's the only place where you don't see the Tour de Montparnasse!

lyliane six said...

Chers amis,
Je ne vous oublie pas, mais je suis débordée en ce moment, mon ordinateur débloque et je n'ai pas le temps de m'en occuper.
L'auxiliaire de vie de maman vient de perdre son mari (50 ans) une remplaçante se fait opérer, une autre est en vacances, je n'ai que 3/4 d'heures d'aide par jour pour sa toilette, ne sachant plus se déplacer seule, je suis obligée de rester constamment à côté d'elle. Quand elle dort je viens vous visiter des fois, mais ne peux laisser de message.
En plus j'ai mon petit chat Tirou qui est très malade et j'essaie de le sauver en le soignant aussi à domicile.
Je pense à vous et à bientôt j'espère.

Neva said...

I hope all is well with your mom. I have been helping with a friend who has been in Intensive Care for a few weeks. His family is wearing out.....hopefully he will recover from his ruptured appendix but has had every complication known to happen......I miss visiting but I have NOOOOO time as I have been traveling 30 miles a few times a week.

sonia a. mascaro said...

What a fantastic views from Montparnasse Tower.
I can evaluate your job here, with many photos on posts! Thanks for sharing.
Have a good trip.

le banc moussu said...

Have a nice trip to Sweden Peter, I'm so jealous!
christian

Parisbreakfasts said...

WOW & YIKES ! ! !
My jaw has fallen and it can't get up. You always have such knock-your-socks-off pictures Peter!
De trop!

rauf said...

Spectacular view Peter, i thought Paris is resisting sky scrapers.
This is the last you say, hope it stays that way. The design and location makes all the difference, in some places sky scrapers are eye sores and in some places they add beauty to the landscape. In a place like Bombay and my city of Chennai, the most unplanned cities, sky scrapers are indeed an eyesore and they are coming up as mushrooms, actually i don't know how mushrooms come up Peter, they come up too fast ?

Hope you stay warm and enjoy your holiday Peter.

Catherine said...

Bonsoir Peter, après avoir vécu toute ma vie à Paris, je n'y suis montée que fin août dernier en compagnie de Carole. Une fois, là haut, on regrette de ne pas y être monté plus tôt. C'est magnifique.

Nous t'attendrons sagement, Peter. Prends soin de toi.

Janney said...

Wow, I love Paris! Your photos are amazing. Thanks for sharing. By the way, I found a fantastic Paris adventure that might interest you too. Thanks and have a wonderful day!

GMG said...

Hi Peter! You never leave us empty hands! What a fabulous group of pictures; and it seems the weather was on your side, even if the camera caught some mist...
I was up there in 1979 for the first time and found it a great view; with the advantage of seeing the Eiffel Tower also... ;)
Take care and have a safe trip back!!

Anonymous said...

My wife and I can never seem to afford to go anywhere. Tickets, hotels, food, things like that. So we stay at home. You are gone more than the pope.

Nisha said...

Even with that mist, the photos do say a lot.

When are you coming back, Peter ?

Travel safe.

arabesque said...

hi peter! no, you're leaving again! ^-^
wish you well on your trip!
meanwhile, your birds eye view of Paris leave me dumbfounded!
still amazing!

PeterParis said...

Back in Paris, I thank you all, new and "old" commentators for your kind words!