Photos: The Summer Olympics Is Remaking Paris

The Olympic rings hang from the Eiffel Tower, monuments are emblazed with imagery of the Games and security gates are blocking easy access to some of the top landmarks in the City of Love. Tightened security ahead of the opening ceremony Friday along the Seine river means both locals and the visitors who have descended on the city must navigate snaking metal barriers requiring a QR code attained in advance to pass through. It’s challenging the Paris Olympics slogan of “Games wide open.” While tough security measures have sealed off kilometers (miles) of the Seine for the opening ceremony, it’s not stopping those intent on enjoying some of the iconic sights of the French capital. Tourists are still snapping photos in front of the Louvre museum’s iconic pyramid, people parade past the hilltop Sacre Coeur basilica and Arc de Triomphe, and there’s even been a proposal or two in front of the Eiffel Tower. The sun sets against the Hotel des Invalides as a spectator walks on the Alexander III bridge over the Seine River, Friday, July 19, 2024, in Paris, ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics.