French Highliner Stops Parisians’ Hearts Crossing Seine 200 Feet Up

The breathtaking performance at the center of Paris was intended to celebrate European Heritage Days in France. One end of the cable was anchored at a height of 70 metres (200 feet) on the Eiffel Tower’s first floor and the other end on the roof of the Chaillot Theatre.

While Parisians enjoyed beautiful Saturday weather, French tightrope walker Nathan Paulin crossed a 670-metre (2,198-feet) rope stretched over the River Seine, from the Eiffel Tower to the Chaillot Theater.

The 27-year-old highliner, who intends to repeat the performance on 19 September, was masterfully balancing at a height of 70 meters (200 feet). The tightrope walker worked with a belay, walking the tightrope barefoot. Halfway through, he rocked, sitting on a rope, and even hung, holding on to the cable with one hand.

Talking to reporters afterwards, Paulin admitted that "the ride turned out to be much more difficult technically" than he expected.

“It wasn't easy walking 600 metres, concentrating, with everything around, the pressure... but it was still beautiful,” he said.

Paulin noted that he wanted “to do something beautiful and to share it and also to bring a new perspective on heritage, it is to make heritage come alive.”

Awestruck passers-by captured the thrilling crossing, with many tweeting photos and video.

#NathanPaulin pic.twitter.com/r8EUMg9cr0

— David Cvach (@david_cvach) September 19, 2021

French slackliner Nathan Paulin walked across a rope suspended 70 meters above the ground from the Eiffel Tower on Saturday. Paulin - who was attached to a safety line - finished the 600-metre course in 30 minutes as part of a live performance festival. pic.twitter.com/DFAhFFdfpr

— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 18, 2021

Photos: #French Slackliner Walks Across Rope 70 Metres Above Ground in #Paris https://t.co/TAqOYLd7td#NathanPaulin #EiffelTower pic.twitter.com/7mISB3gSiL

— MTV English News (@MTVEnglishNews) September 19, 2021

The tightrope walk over the Seine is the third for Paulin, the first taking place in 2017, setting a record for the longest tightrope walk in an urban area. The sportsman has reportedly broken a dozen world records, with the longest of his rope walks recorded in the mountains of the Massif Central in France, crossing 1,662 metres (5,453 feet) at an altitude of 300 metres (984 feet).