Paris in Winter: The Eiffel Tower at Sunset

I am a huge fan of visiting places in their “off season.” This past January, I had the pleasure of taking a long weekend to visit Paris, France! I had found super cheap flights  and knew that it was too good to pass up on – so Paris in January it was!

I knew right away that it was going to be cold, probably rainy, but WAY less crowded than in normal tourist season, which is reason enough for me to visit somewhere. I’ve often heard mixed reviews about Paris, with the more negative ones voicing opinions about the city being too dirty, too crowded, too smelly, and too scam-artist-y.  My own experience was quite the opposite, however, and I do truly attribute that to going in the dead middle of the “off season.” I found the city to be breathtakingly beautiful, not at ALL crowded, and very charming!

Because I only had three days in the city, I knew I needed to make the most of my time there – so I planned ahead in a very Type-A fashion. I booked tickets to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre ahead of time and mapped a route to take each day in order to maximize efficiency of seeing “the big things.” I like to read lots of blogs about the places I’m going to in order to gain the best “grasp” on what to do while there.  I found a number of blogs on Paris talk about waiting times for the Eiffel Tower.  I also read up on how beautiful the city is at night from up on the tower – so I devised a plan! My plane was due to land in the early afternoon at CDG. I researched ahead of time the route I needed to take by train to get to my hotel (which was fortunately quite near a station entrance), just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower. Arriving a bit too early to check in, I walked down the Seine and across the bridge connecting the Tower and the Trocadero to take in some sights.  After checking in (and loving on the adorable hotel cat that resided there), it was time to head over to the Tower!

I booked tickets for entry about an hour before sunset, knowing that it might take awhile to head up into the Tower (lots of websites said it could take up to an hour!). Because I booked a time slot ahead time, though, I was able to get right into line and was actually the first one in my time group to step into the little elevator that takes you up.  There are also stairs, if you’re willing to dare the climb, but I figured I would take the stairs on the way down for the experience. The view from the elevator was INCREDIBLE! The sun had started to get low in the sky, turning the cityscape a gorgeous shade of pinkish-purple with an orange-tinged sky.  Honestly, it was breathtaking. The very top of the tower was closed for renovations, but that was perfectly fine since the midway point is truly ideal for sightseeing. The midway point also has shops and some eateries, so it was a good place to watch the sunset from!

Upon reaching the midway point (which was as high as you could go at the time since the top was closed), I stepped out onto the tower and was blown away by 1) how high up we actually were and 2) the views that stretched as far as the eye could see in literally every direction. And, each minute, as the sun set lower and lower, the colors of the city changed.  It was mind-boggling just how beautiful it was – and I’m not just saying that! To make the most of the experience, I paid for the SUPER overpriced champagne and Eiffel Tower macaron (when in Paris, I guess?) and sipped my champagne like a glorious queen surveying her kingdom while I watched the sun set.  It was exhilarating being that high up above the city and taking in the sights.

Soon, dusk settled in and the city came to glowing life.  At this point, it was positively freezing.  I wore a styled wool coat, wool scarf, earmuffs, and boots and was still very cold (I mean, it IS windy up there!).  So, after finishing my champagne, I headed back inside for some hot mulled wine (because, Paris) and then waited outside on the deck for the Tower to begin lighting up.

The Tower lights up on the hour and, since I knew I’d inevitably see it lit up from afar, I KNEW I wanted to see it all lit up and sparking while actually ON it.  This is also why going up the Tower for sunset is a wonderful idea! At 6:00pm, the Tower lit up and the lights begin twinkling – SO MAGICAL! Honestly, it was such an incredible experience.

After getting my fill of the Tower all lit up, soaking in the views, and buying enough over-priced beverages and food, I began my ascent downward to the ground.  I had taken the lift up but decided to take the stairs down.  The stairs are actually pretty cool! You get some really unique views OF the tower from the stairs and there’s just something fulfilling, almost, about seeing the city get closer and closer as you head downward step by step.

Paris in winter is alive and magical and fairly tourist-free.  Sure, I certainly encountered a lot of people in, around, and on the Tower, but it was nowhere near as crowded as I’ve heard about and seen in the summertime.  There’s something to be said about bundling up, heading up the Tower at sunset, and enjoying a glass of champagne while looking out across the winter sky.  If you get the chance, DO IT!

 

Wanderlust Wednesday: The Catacombs of Paris

When people imagine Paris, it’s often the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, or a romantic cafe that comes to mind. For me?  The not-quite-so-romantic catacombs that lie right under the city that happen to be home to the remains of around six million people. Yep, it’s definitely on my list of places I’d like to visit!

Just what are the catacombs, you ask?  They’re an underground system of burial locations that have been used for centuries as “graves” for the dead.  Originally, when the area of what is now modern-day Paris belonged to the Romans, the cemeteries were above ground, much in the manner of what “traditional” cemeteries look like today.  As time progressed and the city developed, changed hands, was built and rebuilt, land became filled in to make more room to build upon, so the graves became buried.  A city as large as Paris still needed a place to bury its dead, though, so bodies continued to be added to the cemeteries that existed.  Overcrowding in these cemeteries led to weakened ground structure and support, so there was a need to either do something about the overcrowded cemeteries affecting the city or relocate the human remains.  The solution?  The use of renovated subterranean mine passages.

In about two years, the human remains in Paris’ cemeteries all found new homes in the underground passages.  The remains were arranged into designs, which is why visitors can identify patterns in the placements of the bones.  The catacombs were designed to be viewed by people, even though it took many years of on-and-off-again laws and restrictions to truly allow the catacombs to open up to full public access.

As someone who loves exploring, the idea of wandering around such a large and creative catacomb is so intriguing! A little macabre, as well, though? Perhaps.  With all the history surrounding the city of Paris itself and the undertaking of the catacombs, I definitely think it’s a place worth checking out at least once in my life!