Here’s Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About the Eiffel Tower

Catarina Belova/Shutterstock: Eiffel Tower – an iconic landmark of Paris

Nothing is more quintessentially Parisian than the iconic Eiffel Tower! Designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1889, this 300-meter wrought-iron tower has since become a distinctive symbol of France. With almost 7 million annual visitors, it’s clear that the world is fascinated by this masterpiece. So, what exactly makes the ‘Iron Lady’ so special? Read on to find out:

The History

In 1889, Paris held a World Fair to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the French Revolution. Before this, they put out a contest in the newspaper, looking for an engineer who could build an iron tower, 300m high and 125m wide on the Champ-de-Mars.

The winning design was the one submitted by Gustave Eiffel along with his team. It was a revolutionary idea at the time, that would need 5300 sketches, 50 engineers and design artists, and 250 builders to complete.

The entire project took two years and was initially met with great disapproval from the artists of the time. Many people even suggested that the ‘monstrosity’ should be demolished.

Feel good studio/Shutterstock: Tourists visiting the Eiffel tower

Thankfully, visitors were quickly charmed by the unique iron structure, and as we can see, it still stands tall today.

Eiffel went on to install both a laboratory and a radio transmitter at the top, which is used even now for television and radio signals. It used to be the world’s tallest building for nearly half a century after it was built but was eventually overtaken by the Empire State Building.

Parts of the Eiffel Tower

The Parvis or ground floor doesn’t have much going on, considering it’s just a concrete slab. You can, however, see the first floor attractions from here. The only other thing you will see is a lot of street vendors!

There’s also a golden bust of Gustave Eiffel at the foot of the northern pillar, placed on a pedestal.

 bellena/Shutterstock: Eiffel Tower’s Cafe platform

The first floor is very modern and has a circular gallery that offers gorgeous 360° views of Paris. If you’re hungry, grab a bite at Restaurant 58. It’s not exactly pocket friendly, but the panoramic views are worth every penny!

The second floor is even better for pictures and views of the city. There’s also a glass floor that will make you dizzy with delight. If you’re feeling fancy, grab a glass of wine at the Michelin-star Le Jules Verne restaurant.

The third floor is where Gustave set up his lab and conducted experiments. All the information about the tower can also be found here.

No visit to Paris is complete without going up the Eiffel Tower. Although you can walk up the 1665 steps, we recommend spending a little more on the elevator tickets. The best time to enjoy everything this tower has to offer is early morning or at dusk.