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Ballon de ParisParc Andre Citroën Sightseeing Balloon
ABOVE: The Ballon de Paris sightseeing balloon is reflected in a glass building next to the Parc André Citroën. INSET BELOW: The tethered helium balloon carries passengers to an altitude of 150 meters or about 500 feet.
The balloon is at the Parc André Citroën in the 15th arrondissement, on the left bank of the Seine within leisurely walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. It's a tethered or captive gas balloon, making it a spiritual descendant of "l'Entreprenant" ("The Enterprising"), a hydrogen balloon that the French Army used as the world's first aerial military observation post in 1794.
In Paris alone, one ballon did 1564 ascents over Trocadero and carried 19,194 passengers over a 161-day period; later, in 1895. another of M. Godard's balloons operated for 110 days at the Champ de Mars (near what is now the site of the Eiffel Tower). The present-day tethered Parisian balloon began service in 1999, when an insurance company sponsored the balloon and offered free rides to Parisian children during pre-Millennium celebrations. The balloon then went into storage for several years until it acquired a sponsor. It was relaunched as the Eutelsat Balloon in 2004; more recently, it was renamed "Ballon de Paris" and is currently sponsored by Generali France. Things you should know:
Where and when to come:
The balloon normally offers 10-minute rides from 9 a.m. until 30 minutes before the park closes, but the schedule sometimes changes, and rides may be cancelled for a day or two at a time because of windy weather. (For aerodynamic reasons, the balloon's capacity drops as the wind increases, and rides are cancelled when anticipated winds or gusts exceed 35 km/h or about 20 mph.) For up-to-the-minute visitor information, check ballondeparis.com or call 01 44 26 20 00. You'll also find practical advice in the photo captions below. More photos of the Ballon de Paris:
The Ballon de Paris tethered balloon peeks over a waterfall in the Parc André Citroën.
Between 10-minute rides, the balloon's gondola or basket rests on a paved circle in the middle of the park.
The ring-shaped gondola has a maximum capacity of 30 adults or 60 children on a windless day. During our most recent visit on a weekday, fewer than a dozen people were on board.
The ticket office is a few steps from the launch area, facing the balloon. Go inside to buy tickets, view the exhibits, and browse the small gift shop. Looking for a bargain? For a euro or two, you can purchase a small bilingual book, Aerophile: The history and technology of the large tethered balloons, which is packed with color illustrations and technical data. The booklet was out of stock during our most recent visit, but maybe you'll get lucky.
After you've bought your ticket, you'll go to a waiting area near the balloon. When it's time to board, you'll step into the gondola, which is enclosed by nets to keep passengers from falling or jumping.
The balloon has a pilot. In this photo, he's getting ready to launch the balloon by using an electronic control panel.
The ascent is gentle and almost silent. It's also surprisingly quick: You'll see the ticket office and launch pad recede as the balloon climbs to its maximum altitude of 150 meters or nearly 500 feet.
As the balloon continues climbing, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Seine and the Port de Javel-bas, where river cruisers (such as the Viking Pride, shown above) depart for Normandy every week from through fall.
Here, you can see the rooftops of Paris and the skyscrapers of La Défense.
Take your eyes off the Eiffel Tower, and you'll see the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur atop the Butte of Montmartre on a clear day.
Take a moment to sample the view from the gondola's central opening, where you can look down on the Parc André Citroën.
In this photo, the balloon is reflected in a park pond.
The Ballon de Paris casts a large shadow, as you can see in this picture from ground level.
Toward the end of your 10-minute ride, a winch will haul the tethered balloon from 150 meters of altitude to ground level. About the author:
After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Paris for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post. For more information, see About our site, press clippings, and reader testimonials. |
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Captive sightseeing balloons have a long and
honorable tradition: From 1884 to 1899, the Frenchman Louis Godard operated
captive balloons around the world, from Paris to Chicago to Buenos Aires.
The 
The
Ballon de Paris is in the Parc André Citroën, a few blocks from the
Balard station on the 
If
you're coming from the Eiffel Tower, the Musée d'Orsay, St-Michel, or other
neighborhoods on the Seine, take 
Durant Imboden
