Sunrise at the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower has stood on the Champ de Mars since 1889, built for the World’s Fair and meant to last twenty years. It stayed, and it became the shape most people draw when they think of Paris. At 330 metres it catches the first light long before the streets below.

Sunrise reaches the top of the tower first, turning the iron a warm copper while the Seine is still grey. In the evening the light runs the other way: the sun goes down behind the western neighbourhoods, and the tower’s lights come on at dusk and sparkle for five minutes at the start of every hour.

A sunrise dedicated over the Eiffel Tower is calculated for the tower itself, in Paris time. It is one of the most romantic places on Earth to give, and one of the easiest to imagine from anywhere.

The best season

Late spring and early autumn give the softest light and the clearest mornings; in June the sun rises before six and sets after half past nine. Winter sunrises come late, after eight, and are often misty over the river — beautiful in photographs, and kind to people who like to sleep.

Where to watch

For sunrise, stand on the Trocadéro terrace with the tower in front of you and the sun rising to its left. For sunset, the Pont de Bir-Hakeim and the riverbanks to the east catch the tower against the evening sky.