Leave it to Paris to turn the science of air quality into an extravaganza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Located in Parc Andr\u00e9 Citro\u00ebn on the west end of Paris’ section of the Seine<\/a>, the Ballon de Paris Generali is essentially a hot air balloon that has flexible solar panels to collect solar energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All told, it collects enough to power 6,400 LED lights. That’s a lot of shine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This ballon (that’s “balloon” in French) is not only a floating, lighted sphere, it’s also a laboratory that measures Paris’ air quality, from ground level to nearly 1,000 feet up, seven days a week. It’s large and white when tethered, with the title, “Observatoire Atmosph\u00e9rique Generali,” emblazoned on the front. Below, a tagline in French roughly translates to: “Together, we assure ourselves of the air quality.” It sounds better in French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To measure the air quality, the balloon actually changes colors every two hours when it’s in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this balloon pulls double duty as a tourist attraction, too. Watch the video above to see it in action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But of course! The balloon is open daily, from 9 a.m. to sunset, subject to weather conditions. Admission is fairly affordable at \u20ac15 for adults and \u20ac8 for children under 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About 50,000 people take flight in the Ballon Generali every year. The flight takes you up nearly 500 feet above the city for some incredible panoramas of Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s convenient to other attractions to. The hot air balloon is close to the promenade that runs along the Seine and from there, just a walk down to the Trocadero Gardens, the Bir-Hakeim bridge, and even the Eiffel Tower<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the balloon can’t do flights some days due to weather, they created a virtual reality experience that’s the next-best thing. It lasts just six minutes and costs only \u20ac3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You get to enjoy footage of what you would see if you had been able to take a flight while wearing a virtual reality headset to complete the experience. A high-tech VR ride at Universal Studios<\/a> it isn’t, but it’s a nice way to get a taste of the experience if you’re unable to fly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paris is all about great views. You can climb the Eiffel Tower or peer across the city from the top of the Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann<\/a>. Even the famous Arc de Triomphe<\/a> has a viewing platform, though it’s not very high up.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is the Ballon Generali?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Is the Ballon de Paris open to visitors?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Virtual Reality at Paris’ Hot Air Balloon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Visiting the Atmospheric Observatory of Paris<\/h2>\n\n\n\n