Paris, France: sunrise over the Eiffel Tower

Paris, France: Eiffel Tower before sunrise, viewed from Pont Bir-Hakeim

When you ask people who are not French what comes to their minds when they think about France, most of the time, you will get answers such as “baguette”, “camembert”, “Paris”, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. While the iconic monument was not enthusiastically welcomed by every Parisian when it was built, and still has its detractors, the Eiffel Tower has become the mandatory landmark to visit for anyone coming to France.

Built in only two years between 1887 and 1889 for both the World Exposition and the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower used to be the tallest building in the world and remained so for 40 years, until the Chrysler Building was finally built in New York. It embodies the pride and know-how of the late 19th century French industry. However, even before its construction started, some criticisms arose about its excessive height and its lack of architectural taste. Despite its success at the 1889 World Exposition, its fate remained undecided until the reconstruction era after World War 2.

Today, one could not think of Paris without its famous Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most visited monuments in France, with the Louvre Museum and the Château de Versailles. And yet, it is one of those places in Paris, Parisians try to avoid. While the place looks spectacular, it is overcrowded with tourists taking selfies (or wedding photos), scammers trying to extort money from naive tourists, and any restaurant or bar near the Eiffel Tower is almost certainly very expensive and at best average. All in all, I must confess this is not a place I like to go to in Paris.

However, in the early morning, when most people are still asleep, or preparing their day, and “bateaux-mouches” haven’t started their rotation on the Seine river yet, the Eiffel Tower regains all its magic. And this is when even one of its most virulent detractors, which I am, gets to confess that indeed, Paris wouldn’t be Paris without the Eiffel Tower.

Paris, France: sunrise over the Eiffel Tower

The best time of the year to enjoy such sunrises is in Spring, around March/April. At that time of the year, the sun rises between 6:30 AM and 7:30 AM, which is early, yet not so early as to be tired all day long after. The Seine river is also at a low level at this time of the year, which makes it still enough to create reflections. Generally, you will only meet some locals walking their dogs/running, and some brave photographers who have wakened up early to enjoy the sunrise.

The place where I like taking photos of the Eiffel Tower the most is Pont Bir-Hakeim. This is one of the most iconic bridges in Paris, as the Line 6 subway crosses the Seine river on the top of the bridge.

Paris, France: Pont Bir-Hakeim at sunrise

I particularly love taking pictures of the bridge also, and not focusing exclusively on the Eiffel Tower. Indeed, Passy district and Pont Bir-Hakeim are really typical of the Haussmannian architecture.

Paris, France: Pont Bir-Hakeim at sunrise

On the other side, towards Issy-les-Moulineaux and Boulogne-Billancourt, one can also have a view on Beaugrenelle district, which is more modern, and, a bit like the Eiffel Tower in its time, has many detractors. I must confess once again, I’m not a huge fan of the architecture of the district, but at sunrise, everything becomes photogenic.

Paris, France: Beaugrenelle at sunrise

All in all, if you ever visit Paris, I strongly advise you to wake up early in the morning, and go to Bir-Hakeim bridge to enjoy the sunrise on the Eiffel Tower. While you may need to sacrifice some sleep, you will create memories you won’t forget, and, if like me, you like photography, photos you will be happy to share.