Skating Rink Opens Halfway Up the Eiffel Tower

Music, lights, a great view of Paris and a strange whiff of vanilla await those bold enough to take advantage of the capital's latest draw: a 200 square metre ice rink suspended 57m (190ft) beneath the Eiffel Tower.

"It's absolutely and perfectly safe," a spokeswoman for the SNTE, which runs France's most famous monument, said yesterday as the rink opened to the public.

"It's a fabulously different experience and a fine way to admire the city. I promise."

The €150,000 (£100,000) structure, which will stay until January 23, was hoisted into place by crane last week. Its 15cm-thick ice base, lit from beneath by 100 low-temperature LED lights and perfumed with a subtle blend of vanilla and pine, was then created by pouring 30 tonnes of water onto 5,000 metres of refrigerated pipes.

Free to everyone who has bought a standard €4 ticket for the tower, the rink will stay open until 11 pm and can hold 80 skaters at a time. Jean-Bernard Bros, head of the SNTE, said the project was aimed at drawing more Parisians to the tower. At present, Parisians make up only 10% of visitors, he said.