Eiffel tower, Louvre, Versailles still working on reopening plans

LE PECQ, France — Hold that smile, Mona Lisa. The Eiffel Tower and the Palace of Versailles will remain off-limits for the immediate future, too.

None of France’s three most iconic tourist sites will reopen when the country lifts most of its remaining coronavirus lockdown restrictions next week. Some of Europe’s other major cultural sites are also taking their time to reopen.

The Eiffel Tower likely won’t be able to reopen before the second half of June, according to Stephane Dieu, a labour representative for the monument’s staff. He said they still need to fine tune with the site’s management how to protect employees and visitors and to maintain social distancing.

When the tower does reopen, sightseers seeking breathtaking views of Paris might be in for a stair workout: the elevators that usually whisk visitors to the three different levels will likely remain closed, Dieu said.

At the Louvre Museum, managers have told workers they are aiming to reopen some time between the end of June and mid-July, said Andre Sacristin, a labour representative involved in the planning discussions.

Sacristin expects everyone, staff members and visitors, will have to wear face masks.

About 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the museum’s rooms might be closed, but “of course the Mona

Lisa will be open,” Sacristin said.

A date for reopening the Versailles Palace, former home of France’s kings, hasn’t been set.

In Madrid, the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums — the so-called “triangle of the arts” — are scheduled to jointly reopen on June 6, two weeks after they were officially allowed to welcome visitors again.