When you go to
Paris, you'd typically want to see the Eiffel Tower, the Seine River, Notre Dame, perhaps Place de la Concorde, and the Grand Palais, among many others. They're some of the city's crowning jewels, the grand spots that define the French capital's historic majesty. It'd be a shame not to see them, right? Well, you'll have no choice if you go there around the same time as the Paris 2024 Olympics. Some of these beloved landmarks will be closed during the global sports event. Some will host the games while others will remain closed to help accommodate the crowds visiting the city.
Eiffel Tower
Yes, you read that right! You'll find it hard, borderline impossible to visit the Eiffel Tower during the Paris 2024 Olympics. You might find it surprising that the city's most iconic monument will be closed during the most important event the French capital will host in years. But that's because the Eiffel Tower will be one of
many famous Paris spots to host the Olympic games. As of this writing, the city is already setting up an open-air arena for beach volleyball matches. And while it may be possible to still visit the tower, you're better off going somewhere else instead.
Trocadéro
Trocadéro, more specifically Palais de Chaillot, will also be closed or rather impossible to visit this coming Paris 2024 Olympics. The famous
palace in Paris, famous for being the perfect spot to get the best view of the Eiffel Tower, will serve as the venue for the athletics and cycling road games of the Olympics. Not only will the roads leading up to Palais de Chaillot be inaccessible, but the audience will also take up a lot of space too. Naturally, you won't be able to go here even on its free days.
Grand Palais
Speaking of palaces, the Grand Palais in the
8th arrondissement will also be part of the 2024 Summer Olympics. Hence, locals and tourists alike won't be able to visit it during the event. This man-made architectural marvel, famous these days for the venue of Chanel's extravagant fashion shows, is one of the city's many grand halls. It's a convention center, exhibition space, and more, often serving as the center of the Parisian art world. With its extensive legacy, it's no surprise that the Paris 2024 organizers decided to use it for the global sports event. The Grand Palais will host the fencing and taekwondo matches.
Esplanade des Invalides
The historic Les Invalides will also take part in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. Specifically, the beautiful Esplanade des Invalides in front of the grand palaces. Normally, this lush, expansive lawn makes for another of the city's beautiful parks. It's a great place to hang out, play sports, and even enjoy a nice
picnic in Paris. But come July 2024, however, the park will host archery, athletics, and cycling races of the Summer Olympics. It'll be quite the amazing sight to witness such world-class sportsmanship in front of one of the city's most breathtaking palaces. It’s just a shame you can’t see it in person this summer.
Pont Alexandre III
The gilded Pont Alexandre III that leads up to Les Invalides will unfortunately be closed this July for the Paris 2024 Olympics. It's arguably the most beautiful bridge in the city, so much so that it has long been used for fashion shoots, film settings, and the like. For the upcoming global sports event, the bridge be part of the cycling, triathlon, and marathon swimming races. Some of these are the most famous and highly anticipated sports every Summer Olympics so the the bridge and its surrounding area will definitely be too crowded for anyone to visit.
Notre Dame
Perhaps one of the saddest things about Paris 2024 is that Notre Dame would still be closed. The reconstruction of the iconic gothic church following the 2019 fire won't be enough for it to open in time for the Summer Olympics this July. Instead, the city expects to open Notre Dame by December 2024, right in time for the holiday season. And even then, it'll only be the main church. Other reconstruction jobs will continue in various parts of the cathedral, so the vibe won't be the same as if you saw it before the fire happened.
Paris Plages
Parisians likely expected that the
Paris Plages won't open this summer. The Seine River will also play a huge part in Paris 2024, after all, so it's only natural that the city can't set up its yearly make-shift beaches. Its usual area will be too busy hosting the swimming races and even taking part in the opening ceremony on July 26, 2024. So if you've
moved to Paris and often look forward to these resort-like attractions near the Seine, you're better off traveling to another part of the country to stay cool this summer. Perhaps the
French Riviera?
Do note that many iconic spots will be closed for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. Many of them will host the games themselves while others will accommodate the influx of crowds that will descend on the city.
