Paris, France

Paris, the capital of the French Republic, stretches across this photograph captured by ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot during her long-duration εpsilon mission aboard the International Space Station. 

From the Château de Versailles (bottom left) to Le Bourget Airport (top right), home of the Paris Air Show, the image encompasses many of the French capital’s most iconic landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral and even the cauldron of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, visible in the Tuileries Garden. 

Sophie shares this photograph on the occasion of the 2026 European Heritage Days, during which ESA’s historic headquarters located on rue Mario Nikis in Paris open their doors to the public. Each year, this open-house weekend offers a unique opportunity to discover a landmark centre of European space cooperation, where numerous missions and programmes are prepared and coordinated. 

“For the European Heritage Days, Paris opens its doors... and so does ESA! The French capital is celebrating its history, culture and iconic landmarks. Have fun spotting them in this photo!” says Sophie. 

This photograph was taken on 11 August 2026 from the International Space Station using a Nikon Z9 camera with a focal length of 400 mm. 
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