North — Montmartre, Sacré-Cœur, Saint-Denis
The north face shows the most familiar silhouette of Paris: Montmartre and the dome of the Sacré-Cœur, with the plain of Saint-Denis beyond. On a clear day the basilica of Saint-Denis is visible as a sharp outline a little above and to the left of Montmartre. This is usually the busiest side of the deck and the one with the best signage. If you have five minutes, start here.
East — centre of Paris and Marais
The east face looks straight down the Champ-de-Mars towards the Trocadéro gardens and then over the heart of Paris. On a middling-visibility day the east face usually gives the sharpest view because the near objects (central Paris) are inside the aerosol curtain while the far objects (horizon) are not needed to make the picture. Good for a middling morning.
South — Montparnasse, Fontainebleau
The south face shows the Tour Montparnasse close in, then the plain of Bièvre, then the forest of Fontainebleau on the far horizon on a very clear day. This is the direction where the summit's 60-km geometric horizon reaches an identifiable feature, which makes it the best test of a clear day. If you can see the top of the Fontainebleau tree-line on the horizon, the air is excellent.
West — La Défense, Boulogne, Saint-Germain
The west face looks towards La Défense and the Bois de Boulogne. The modern skyline of La Défense is close enough to carry colour even on hazy days, which makes this face the best for photographs at golden hour — the warm light hits the glass of the towers at an angle and the reflection reaches the summit. On a winter afternoon, after sunset, the west face also catches the last of the pink alpenglow.
Timing by direction
- Morning (before 10:00) — north face catches the first sun on Montmartre's limestone.
- Noon (12:00 – 14:00) — all four sides give a flat, uninteresting light. If you have to go up at this time, favour the east face.
- Late afternoon (16:00 – 18:00 in summer, 14:00 – 16:00 in winter) — west face.
- Blue hour (shortly after sunset) — east face catches the lights of central Paris as they turn on.