17 Gorgeous Photos of the Eiffel Tower at Night

Millions of people visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris each year, making the iconic 19th-century monument something of an unofficial mascot for the City of Light.

First built for the World Fair in 1889, many Parisians initially slammed the creation. Author Guy de Maupassant famously calling it "useless and monstruous."

Yet the 250 million people who have visited since its debut might beg to differ. Tourists seem particularly fond of the structure at night, when the tower glows with sparkling lights and illuminates the Champ de Mars. (Even though photographing the nighttime display is technically illegal.)

The Eiffel Tower is open to visitors until 12:45 a.m. in the summer, and until 11:45 p.m. the rest of the year. Those mesmerizing, twinkling lights glow for five minutes every night on the hour until 2 a.m. in the summer, and until 1 a.m. during the rest of the year, according to a Paris tourism website.

Visitors to the Eiffel Tower at night can often enjoy smaller crowds, particularly in Paris' off season of late autumn and early winter (excluding Christmastime).

One of the best places to eat dinner near the Eiffel Tower is the tasteful Jules Verne restaurant, located within the tower itself, and highly rated on both TripAdvisor as well as Yelp. For the best views of the Eiffel Tower at night, however, order a glass of Champagne at the nearby Le Gatsby, or check out Les Ombres, on Quai Branly.