When you are visiting a city for the first time – or even if you have been there many times before – there is nothing that surpasses the view from above. The idea is to find one of the high points of the city so you can look down on it and see more than you would from street level.

We are rather spoilt for choice when it comes to Paris. There is the rather obvious prospect of the Eiffel Tower of course, but there is also the Tour Monparnasse to consider.

This is a skyscraper and while it may not be as tall as the famous Eiffel Tower, it still offers a superb view across Paris. Situated in the 14th arrondissement of the city, construction started in the late Sixties and was completed in 1972.

We should make it clear that opinions on the Tour Montparnasse have not exactly been divided over the years. While there are no doubt some people who have liked the building, there has been a definite lack of excitement and enthusiasm for it. In fact some people have said it is well worth going to the top because you cannot see the building from there!

We beg to differ in this respect. We think the journey is worth it because of the view you are allowed over the rest of Paris. See if you can spot the famous sights from the safety of the 56th floor, a floor that has been set aside for visitors. This enables you to see around all the sides of the building, giving a true 360 degree view.

The Tour Montparnasse may have been deemed ugly enough to ban all other similar skyscrapers from going up, but this has actually been a good thing. It has given us a superb view all around Paris without having lots of other skyscrapers in the way. We could still get a good view from the Eiffel Tower of course, but where else can you go up this high in the city and still see the Eiffel Tower itself?

It seems we have a lot to thank the Tour Montparnasse for after all.