Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Foucault's pendulum swings gracefully at the end of a 220-foot cable suspended from
the towering dome. It was here in 1851 that the scientist Léon Foucault first demonstrated
the rotation of the earth. Stand a few minutes and watch the pendulum's arc (appear to) shift
as you and the earth rotate beneath it.
Stairs in the back lead down to the crypt, where a pantheon of greats is buried. Rousseau
is along the right wall as you enter, Voltaire faces him across the hall. Also buried here are
scientist Marie Curie, Victor Hugo
(Les Misérables
,
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame)
, Alex-
andre Dumas
(The Three Musketeers
,
The Count of Monte Cristo)
, and Louis Braille, who
invented the script for the blind.
Dome Climb:
For fine views, climb 206 steps to the dome gallery. Visits are by escort
only and leave every hour until 17:30 from the bookshop near the entry—see schedule as
you go in. Note that dome access may be closed for renovation during your visit.
Thissadlyout-of-place59-storysuperscraperhasonevirtue:Itssensationalviewsarecheap-
er and far easier to access than the Eiffel Tower's. Come early in the day for clearest skies
and be treated to views from a comfortable interior and from up on the rooftop. (Some say
it'stheverybestviewinParis,asyoucanseetheEiffelTowerclearly...andyoucan'tseethe
Montparnasse Tower at all.)
Exit the elevator at the 56th floor, passing the eager photographer (they'll superimpose
your group's image with the view) to views of
tout Paris
. Here you can have a drink or a
light lunch (OK prices), peruse the gift shop, or use the good WCs. Take time to explore
every corner of the floor. Dioramas identify highlights of the star-studded vista. From here
it's easy to admire Georges-Eugène Haussmann's grand-boulevard scheme. Notice the lush
courtyards hiding behind grand street fronts. The exhibits change often, but you'll likely see
historic photos and enjoy a plush little theater playing a continuous video.
For more views, climb to the open terrace on the 59th floor to enjoy the surreal scene of
a lonely man in a box and a helipad surrounded by the window-cleaner track. Here, 690 feet
above Paris, you can scan the city with the wind in your hair.
Cost and Hours:
€13, not covered by Museum Pass; April-Sept daily 9:30-23:30; Oct-
March Sun-Thu 9:30-22:30, Fri-Sat 9:30-23:00; last entry 30 minutes before closing, sun-
set is great, but views are disappointing after dark, entrance on Rue de l'Arrivée, Mo:
Montparnasse-Bienvenüe—from the Métro stay inside the station and follow the signs for
La Tour
; tel. 01 45 38 52 56,
www.tourmontparnasse56.com
.
▲
Catacombs
Descend 60 feet below the street and walk a one-mile (one-hour) route through tunnels con-
taining the anonymous bones of six million permanent Parisians.
