The Eiffel Tower reopened on Friday after an eight-month shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, its longest closure since World War Two.
As a countdown clock at the foot of the tower turned to zero, there were cheers and applause from visitors queuing to get in, a brass band started playing and people starting filing through the entrance.
Because of lingering concerns about the virus, masks remains compulsory for anyone over 11 years of age, and each elevator car will only carry half the normal number of visitors.
From July 21, visitors will need to show a French government "health pass" to demonstrate they are either vaccinated or have had a recent negative test for COVID-19.
The number of daily visitors to the tower will be limited to 10,000 a day instead of 25,000.
France has opened to international tourists this summer, but the rules vary widely depending on which country they are coming from. The number of visitors has been nowhere near normal levels given continued border restrictions and virus risks.
