Famous landmarks slash visiting hours as deadly heat wave threatens tourists

Some of Europe’s astir visited landmarks are cutting their hours arsenic a brutal vigor question strains cities built for crowds, not 104-degree Fahrenheit. 

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Under its accustomed schedule, the Louvre opens astatine 9 a.m. and closes astatine 6 p.m. connected astir days, with a precocious closing astatine 9 p.m. connected Wednesdays and Fridays. The depository says it received 9 cardinal visitors successful 2025, astir 25,000 per time connected average.

Tourists inactive lined up extracurricular the iconic museum, arsenic visitors shielded themselves with parasols and umbrellas. Far less guests lingered extracurricular to respect the Louvre’s solid pyramid, with galore hurrying past the sun-baked plaza.

People chill disconnected successful the Trocadero Fountain adjacent to the Eiffel Tower arsenic temperatures emergence during a heatwave affecting overmuch of France successful Paris connected June 22, 2026. (Abdul Saboor/Reuters)

The Eiffel Tower’s reduced hours chopped into a summertime docket that usually runs good into the night. During highest season, the monument is typically unfastened from 9 a.m. until 12:45 a.m., but it closed to visitors astatine 4 p.m. connected Tuesday, with past entries astatine 12:15 p.m., Reuters reported. 

The determination affected 1 of the world’s busiest paid landmarks. The tower’s relation said much than 6.75 cardinal radical visited its precocious levels successful 2025.

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Swimmers sought refuge successful the Trocadéro fountain, which sits crossed the Seine from the Eiffel Tower and is simply a fashionable viewing spot.

The disruption besides deed schools, with France closing 845 of them connected Monday and allowing students astatine astir 1,800 others to permission early, AFP reported via Euronews.

A tourer dips his hands into the fountain successful beforehand of the historical Pantheon Basilica successful Rome. (Claudia Chieppa/Anadolu)

"Remember to support yourself from the prima and enactment hydrated," the Eiffel Tower website says. "Water fountains are disposable successful the walkways starring to the plaza."

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Travel was besides disrupted successful different parts of Europe.

London's Changing of the Guard ceremonial was scaled backmost due to the fact that of the utmost temperatures, portion Florence's Uffizi Gallery temporarily halted summons income aft an air-conditioning malfunction, Reuters reported. 

Some radical take to bushed the vigor successful a paddle vessel connected a water successful Hyde Park, London. (Brook Mitchell/AFP)

Additionally, bid operators reduced service. About 1 successful 10 trains successful the Paris portion were canceled implicit infrastructure risks, Euronews reported.

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Sports were disrupted arsenic well. AP reported that French authorities canceled immoderate outdoor sporting events, portion Spain’s Basque portion suspended outdoor competitions.

In immoderate cases, the vigor question has go deadly. At slightest 48 radical successful France person drowned portion attempting to chill disconnected since the vigor question began. In Spain, 2 aged radical died from heat-related illnesses, according to Reuters.

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Meteorologists accidental the prolonged vigor is being driven by an "Omega block," a upwind signifier that traps blistery aerial implicit the aforesaid portion for respective days, allowing temperatures to proceed climbing.

As temperatures climbed to grounds highs, locals and tourists person been wading successful forbidden fountains. (Alain Apaydin/ABACAPRESS.COM)

Paris sweltered done record-setting vigor this week, with temperatures climbing supra 104 degrees Fahrenheit, AP reported.

Southern England logged its warmest June time since records began. Italy has placed 16 cities nether its highest vigor alert arsenic forecasters pass the vigor could proceed done the week, Reuters said.

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Officials proceed to counsel travelers to portion plentifulness of water, debar strenuous outdoor activities during the hottest parts of the day, and question air-conditioned spaces whenever possible.

Reuters contributed to this report.