Tour Montparnasse

The tower is 209 metres (690 feet) high. The restaurant and observation deck on top offer excellent views over Paris. Larger version

Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower) is a skyscraper at 23, avenue du Maine, in the Montparnasse area of Paris, France, the only skyscraper office building in Paris proper.

Built on top of the Paris Metro station "Montparnasse Bienvenüe", the 58 floors of the tower are mainly occupied by offices, while two floors are open to the public for viewing the city; the 56th floor with a restaurant, and the terrace on the top floor. On a clear day, the view covers a radius of 40 kilometers; you can see the aeroplanes taking off from Orly Airport. Designed as a safety measure for visitors, the guard-rail can be removed in only 120 seconds to allow helicopters to land.

At the time of construction, it was the highest building in Europe. The construction of La Grande Arche at La Défense places the tower in a second line of perspective across Paris: see Axe historique.

To see the view across Paris from the observation deck of the tower, click here.
To see the tower viewed from the top level of the Eiffel Tower, click here.