Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel in French, is one of the most recognised icon of Paris, France and French culture. It is built of iron, and is located at the Champ de Mars (Field of Mars, the Greek god), beside the River Seine, in Paris, France. Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is still the tallest structure in Paris. It is the world's most visited monument, with over 200 million people having been recorded as visited it, and close to 7 million in the year 2006 alone.
Eiffel Tower is 324m (1063ft) tall, including a 24m (79ft) antenna. This is equivalent to the height of a 81-storey building. Upon its completion in 1889, it became the tallest building in the world at a height of 300m, pushing the Washington Monument in Washington DC to second place. It held this title till 1930, when the Chrysler Building in New York surpassed it, at 319m. Today the Eiffel Tower is the fifth tallest structure in France.
Made of iron, the Eiffel Tower was originally intended for the 1888 Universal Exposition in Barcelona, but they rejected it. It ended up being built for the Paris Expo, the Exposition Universelle which marked the centennial of the French Revolution. It was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and was opened to the public on 6 May. At the time it was built, it met with much criticism -- Parisians were shocked to find such a massive tower being placed in their city - novelist Guy de Maupassant ridiculed it by having lunch at its restaurant every day; asked why, he claimed it was the only place in Paris where he couldn't see the tower. The people also accused Eiffel of creating a structure that is artistic - or inartistic - without regard to engineering.
How to go to the Eiffel TowerBy Metro, you can disembark at the following stations:
• Bir-Hakeim (Ligne 6) - for direct access, two minute walk from here
• École Militaire (Ligne 8) - to enjoy a nice walk up the Champ de Mars towards the tower
• Trocadéro (Ligne 6 or 9) - for the best views and photo opportunities of the tower
Admission Details
Entrance fees up the Eiffel Tower is 11.50 euros for adults, by elevator to the top. For more details, check out the Eiffel Tower website (see external links below). The tower is opened from 9:30am to 11:45pm every day, with extended hours from 9:00am to 12:45am.
