Bastille Day, France's national holiday on July 14, is marked in Paris by a large fireworks display launched from the Eiffel Tower each year, preceded by a military parade along the Champs-Élysées earlier in the day.
Where to watch
The Champ de Mars, the park directly beneath the tower, is the most popular viewing spot and gets extremely crowded well before the display starts — the Trocadéro gardens across the river offer a view of the tower itself and tend to fill up just as fast.
Arrive early
Security checkpoints and crowd size mean that arriving several hours ahead of the display is standard practice for a good spot, and some areas may have bag restrictions in place.
An alternative option
Many other points along the Seine and elevated spots across the city offer a more distant but far less crowded view of the fireworks for visitors who'd rather skip the crowds directly underneath the tower.
