Europe’s most popular city today is not focused on tourism at all but preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games. This fact disappoints and infuriates travelers who flocked en masse to the most romantic capital of the world after the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to this, many famous attractions in Paris can not be approached by tourists – the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral are covered with scaffolding, fences, and billboards, which spoil the view. Monuments, including the Louvre and the Grand Palais, are also covered with scaffolding, wooden fences, or billboards as the French capital prepares for a sporting event that is disappointing for tourists looking for the perfect picture, AFP reported. “It is a pity that this area is under construction because it is also a symbolic part of Paris,” – complained in an interview with the publication, a Spanish tourist walking along the Trocadero esplanade overlooking the Seine.
Every year, millions of tourists go to Trocadero Square, as it offers a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower, which is used as a backdrop countless times by celebrities and models. But lengthy repairs, accompanied by fences, make it difficult to find the perfect photo for social media.
Images of tourists
“Finally, after Covid, we were able to come here… I don’t know if it’s a temporary construction or something, but I’m worried about it,” added the tourist, who came on vacation from Israel.
It is noted that not all tourists go without a memorable picture. Some dare to take a desperate step and climb the barricades to take a quality photo. “I think it’s dangerous to climb (on the wall) because we can fall, and that will ruin the trip,” said Caro, who climbed up to take a picture with her heart folded around the Iron Lady.
“It simply came to our notice then. It’s a shame! You need to be much further to take a picture. It’s a waste of time! “- She complained to the publication.
On the other bank of the Seine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, scaffolding around the monument amid reconstruction forced tourists to look for non-standard solutions for photos. For example, some photographed an architectural monument and a business card of the city from the bottom up so that construction work would not be included in the frame.
What else can’t be seen in Paris now?
A similar story unfolds in front of Notre Dame Cathedral, which is undergoing extensive repairs after a powerful fire in 2019, which nearly burned the Gothic monument to pieces.
Specialists used various methods not to fence the Parisian monuments. For example, the Madeleine Church is covered with a billboard depicting Mont Saint-Michel, while the National Assembly – Parliament – has decided to recreate its facade.
At the foot of the obelisk in Place de la Concorde, Thierry Collegium said he was facing questions about large-scale construction work. “I mostly tell them it’s because of the 2024 Olympics. There are so many sights in Paris that you can admire that if some of them are under construction, it is not so important, “said the tour expert.
Tour flow statistics
The number of tourists visiting Paris tends to be indicative. According to the mayor’s office, in the period from January to May 2022, the capital was visited by about 12.1 million people, which is only three million less than in the same period in 2019.