( CNN ) -- It 's known as the City of Light , but Paris has taken a dizzying step toward being the City of Fright after the Eiffel Tower unveiled a new glass floor . Offering dramatic views of the 57-meter ( 187-foot ) drop from the 125-year-old landmark 's first level , the transparent walkway has proved a hit with visitors lining up -- and lying down -- to take selfies . Paris 's mayor , Anne Hidalgo , opened the new attraction , saying it would help bring back some magic to a city that 's been criticized for disappointing foreign visitors . `` I hear that Paris has lost its shine and attractiveness , '' she said . `` It 's not true . '' The new floor , she added , proved Parisians could reinvent their city `` without ruining our history . '' It 's the latest in a series of glass floored walkways to open in prominent destinations around the world . These include Chicago 's Willis Tower Skydeck and the Grand Canyon Skywalk . Paris admits it needs to be friendlier . Hidalgo celebrated the opening with a series of multilingual tweets inviting tourists to `` enjoy this breathtakingly high experience . '' The glass floor is part of a $ 38.4 million renovation of the tower 's first floor that also includes shops , restaurants and a museum . New outward-curving safety barriers also allow better views over the city . Until now , the tower 's somewhat gloomy `` premier etage '' has been one of its least-visited areas , with most of its 7 million annual visitors heading straight to higher levels . Built by Gustave Eiffel , the Tower was completed in 1889 as part of a `` Universal Exposition '' celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution . At 312 meters , it was the tallest building in the world until New York 's Chrysler building overtook it in 1930 . It was originally designed as a temporary attraction , but the decision was made to keep it as a permanent attraction -- and the Tower has never looked back . Thanks to the glass floor though , it can now look down . Eiffel Tower , Champ de Mars , 5 Avenue Anatole France , Paris ; +33 892 70 12 39 .
New glass floor offers views of the 57-meter drop from the Tower 's first floor . Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo says glass floor shows the city can still amaze its visitors . Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos:World's tallest building to open in 2017