French environmentalists on Thursday slammed a decision to coat part of the Eiffel Tower with artificial snow for the festive season, saying it was a costly waste of water.
The first of the iron tower's three floors, 57 metres (125 feet) above ground, has been clad in 20 to 30 centimetres (eight to 12 inches) of snow, with free rackets on hand for tourists to trek across the Paris monument.
But the association Robin des Bois (Robin Hood) attacked the operation, part of a photo exhibition on the North and South Poles running until December 31, saying it would waste "thousands" of cubic metres of water.
It accused the Eiffel Tower of "exploiting global warming" for commercial gain, saying there were "more appropriate places in Paris to hold an exhibition on the polar caps."
The tower's managing company rejected the charge, saying the Christmas operation would use no more than 60 cubic metres of water.
With some 6.7 million visitors last year, the Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most visited landmarks.
