This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On Thursday, the Eiffel Tower in Paris will reopen to visitors after a three-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a unique twist: only those who take the stairs will be able to admire the view of the French capital.
Visitors will not be able to take the lifts until July 1, as the monument's operator aims to ensure a safe distance between people to limit infection risk.
The top level of the iconic monument will remain off limits to the public for now, but the 10-tonne metal landmark is expected to emerge from its longest closure since World War II in time for the summer season.
According to the Eiffel Tower website, visitors will be allowed in from 10:00 am (0800 GMT), a symbolic moment as France begins to tentatively open up to tourism after the virus shutdown.
As part of the reopening plan, ground markings will be put in place to ensure people keep their distance from one another, with daily cleaning and disinfection of public spaces at the tower.
The monument, completed in 1889, receives about seven million visitors every year, around three-quarters of them from abroad, according to the tower website.
France is one of the world's most visited countries, and its tourism industry has taken a hard hit under a lockdown to halt the Covid-19 pandemic.
Other famous landmarks in the French capital, such as the Louvre museum and the Palace of Versailles, have also reopened in recent weeks.
France lifted restrictions at European borders as of June 15, and the tourism industry hopes that foreign visitors will start pouring in again as the summer season kicks off.
