Eiffel Tower reopens, ending 104-day coronavirus shutdown

Marking another milestone in France’s recovery from coronavirus lockdown, the Eiffel Tower reopens to visitors after its longest-ever closure in peace time: 104 days.

Tourists trickling back to Paris are delighted to find the landmark open, though some other attractions in the French capital remain closed. The Louvre Museum isn’t reopening until July 6.

People queue up prior to visiting the Eiffel Tower, in Paris, June 25, 2020. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

“It’s very special, very special because it’s only the Paris people,” says Annelies Bouwhuis, a 43-year-old visitor from the Netherlands. “We’ve seen a lot Paris people enjoying their city, enjoying their parks without all the tourists.”

Lifts that usually whisk visitors up the 324-meter (1,063-feet) tall wrought-iron Eiffel Tower remain closed, so for now people have to take the stairs.

Of the tower’s three decks, only the first two have reopened.

The tower has lost 27 million euros ($30 million) from the lockdown that started in March, according to its director general, Patrick Branco Ruivo.

— AP

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