Oh La Tour Eiffel, an instant reminder that you are in Paris. It’s probably one of the most photographed monuments in the world, and anyone who has been to Paris has a picture of it on their Instagram to prove it. And while there is nothing like a picture of the Tower from a distance either from the Champ de Mars or Trocadero side, some of my favorite views of the Tower create views and pictures from a different angle.

1. Crossing on the Line 6 metro between Bir-Hakeim and Passy station

One of my favorite metro lines for this particular view. It’s one of the few lines that’s aboveground, offering a unique perspective of the city. This line is on my commute to school and home, so I’m lucky enough to see the Tower everyday. Also, if you look beyond you can see the Sacré-Cœur and Montmartre in the distance on a nice day. Once I was lucky enough for the metro to stop on the tracks just as the Eiffel Tower started sparkling, oh, and there was a guy playing La Vie en Rose on the accordion… True story.

2. Courtyard between Musée d’Art Moderne and Palais de Tokyo 

Now this might seem like just another view of the Eiffel Tower from the distance, but think again. You have the Seine in the foreground and the Tower standing tall over the buildings in the background. It says, “Yes, you’re in Paris and your life is wonderful” without having that annoying guy in the background trying to make it look like he’s pushing the Tower.

3. From the first floor of the Eiffel Tower 

I must say one of the most magnificent views of La Tour Eiffel is from it’s first floor. It gives you an up close look at the architecture and an amazing angle for a picture. It also has the advantage of not having any people in your shot and being a little more artsy (if you’re into that sort of thing). I went at night, so it was lit up and was (again) lucky enough to see it sparkle.