Eiffel Tower (Paris) - detailed description with photos, opening hours and ticket prices, location on the map.
Eiffel Tower (Paris)
The Eiffel Tower is the main attraction of Paris, a real symbol of the capital of France. This huge metal structure, over 320 meters high (exact height 324 meters), was built in 2 years and 2 months in 1889. Named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel who built it. Eiffel himself simply called it a “three hundred meter tower.” Interestingly, the Eiffel Tower was built as a temporary structure for the World Exhibition held in Paris. But not only was it not dismantled, but it also turned into a real symbol of Paris and the most visited paid attraction in the world.
When darkness falls, the Eiffel Tower turns on with beautiful lighting.
Story
For the World Exhibition of 1889, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, the city authorities wanted to build architectural structure, which would become the pride of France. For this purpose, a competition was established among engineering bureaus. An offer was made to Eiffel to take part in it. Gustave himself had no ideas. He rummaged through old sketches and dug up a design for a high-rise steel tower made by his employee, Maurice Keshlin. The project was finalized and sent to the competition.
From 107 diverse projects, 4 winners were selected. Among them, of course, was the Eiffel project. After changes were made to the project to improve its architectural appeal, it was declared the winner. In January 1887, an agreement was concluded between the Eiffel Bureau and the municipal authorities of Paris for the construction of the tower. At the same time, Eiffel was provided not only with a cash payment, but also with a lease of the tower for 25 years. The agreement provided for the tower to be dismantled after 20 years, but it became so popular that it was decided to preserve it.
- More than 5 million people visit the Eiffel Tower every year. Over the entire period of its existence, the tower was visited by more than 250 million people. A colossal number!
- The construction cost amounted to 7.5 million francs and paid for itself during the exhibition period.
- More than 18 thousand metal parts and 2.5 million rivets were used to build the tower.
- The weight of the structure is more than 10 thousand tons.
- The creative people of Paris reacted negatively to this building, believing that it did not fit into the architecture of the city. They have repeatedly sent petitions to the mayor's office calling for the construction to be stopped or dismantled. For example, one of her famous opponents, Guy de Maupassant, often dined at a restaurant located in the tower. When asked why he eats here so often? He replied that this is the only place in Paris where it (the tower) is not visible.
Eiffel Tower opening hours
The Eiffel Tower's operating hours are as follows:
- From 9.00 to 12.00 from June to September.
- From 9.00 to 23.00 in other months.
Ticket prices
To the 2nd floor by elevator
- Adults - 11 euros.
- Youth from 12 to 24 years old - 8.5 euros
- Children under 12 years old - 4 euros
To the 2nd floor via stairs
- Adults - 7 euros.
- Youth from 12 to 24 years old - 5 euros
- Children under 12 years old - 3 euros
To the top by elevator
- Adults - 17 euros.
- Youth from 12 to 24 years old - 14.5 euros
- Children under 12 years old - 8 euros
How to get there
- RER - line C, Champ de Mars - tour Eiffel
- Metro - line 6, Bir-hakeim, line 9, Trocadero.
- Bus - 82, 87, 42, 69, tour Eiffel or Champ de Mars
The most grandiose, famous, shocking building in Paris is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. Since its appearance in 1889 as an arch for the World Exhibition dedicated to the storming of the Bastille, it has been the center of attention to this day. She was also recognized an important link French economy and a valuable asset of Europe.
The history of the tower! Although the engineer Gustave Eiffel proposed dismantling the tower after the twenty-year period of its construction, as we see, it continues to rise majestically on the Champs de Mars to this day.
Book a table at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower
The most interesting thing is that the idea of the design did not belong to Eiffel, but to Maurice Koechlin, his colleague in the engineering bureau. It was in Maurice's old drawings that the leading engineer found the sketch of the tower that interested him.
Together with other employees, Eiffel refines the idea, files a joint patent, sends the drawings to the competition, and wins. Subsequently, he buys the ownership rights and becomes their sole owner.
The amazing fact is that while working on the construction scheme, the research of Hermann von Mayer, a Swiss professor of paleontology of the 19th century, was taken as a basis. He studied the structure femur, namely its head at the point of bending and joining the joint at an angle.
He concluded that thanks to the many small processes of strict geometric shape with which it is covered, the weight of the body is distributed evenly, preventing fractures.
It was these studies by Mayer that, 20 years later, inspired the designers of the famous tower to give it such a stable shape. Even with a strong wind, the top deviates by only 12 cm, and if it is hot in the sun - by 18 cm due to the expansion of the metal.
Working on the image
The original appearance of the steel lady was purely an example of the technological progress of its time, and looked too conservative. To win the competition, it was necessary to improve the structure decorative elements, make it more sophisticated.
Gustave made a proposal to decorate the tower supports with stone, to make the arches a connecting link between the supports and ground floor, and also turn them into the main entrance to the exhibition. The levels also had to be transformed and become functional thanks to the glazed halls, and the top had to take on a rounded shape along with other decorations.
When the scheme acquired all these innovations, the jury approved Eiffel's plan, and he received the green light for construction. Feeling a surge of enthusiasm after the first victory, he exclaimed that France would now become the only owner in the world of a 300-meter flagpole.
To be or not to be - the opinion of bohemians
The delight, however, was not shared by the creative elite, who considered the future structure offensive to the eye. The city's mayor's office has repeatedly received letters demanding that they not allow the construction of such a monstrous structure, arguing that the Eiffel Tower in Paris would be a huge mistake, a repulsive stain hanging over the city, and not compatible with other architecture.
About three hundred painters, architects, musicians and writers drew up a protest, sending it to the city authorities, where in colorful expressions they convinced the commission to come to their senses: “For 20 years we will be forced to look at the disgusting shadow of the hated column of iron and screws, stretching over the city like an ink blot".
The petition was signed by Charles Gounod, Dumas fils, and the famous short story writer Guy de Maupassant. However, Maupassant subsequently visited the restaurant, which is now called Jules Verne, several times. When the novelist was asked why he came there if he disliked the Eiffel Tower so much, he said that there was no longer a place in Paris from which this damn thing could not be seen.
However, not everyone was so ardently opposed to her. It made a completely different impression on Thomas Edison, and in the guest book he wrote a greeting to its creator.
Construction details: numbers and facts
It all started in 1887 on January 28, and the last day to complete construction was December 31, 1889. For such a colossal project, this was a record time, considering that the height of the Eiffel Tower was 300 meters.
Tower construction! There was no technology capable of lifting parts weighing up to 3 tons to this height, and therefore Eiffel had to additionally invent special mobile cranes. Also, to speed up the work, most of the elements were made in advance, and holes were drilled in them, into which connecting rivets were installed.
Eiffel demonstrated unique precision in drawing up drawings. There were 1,700 general ones and 3,629 detailed ones, and their accuracy was 0.1 mm (3D printers print with such precision today). This is comparable to jewelry work or magic, worthy of admiration, especially in our age of high technology.
Inner world
Once in Paris, it is difficult to avoid the temptation to look at the city of love from the heights of the most famous Parisian woman. On the initial two platforms, which are located at the peaks of 57.63 and 115.73 m; you can visit restaurants, have a glass sparkling wine or order lunch.
On the third level, located at 276.13 m, visitors will find a bar and an astronomical and meteorological observatory. The tower is crowned by a lighthouse with a dome, the light of which reaches 10 km.
Rising to the 3rd level
There are 1,792 steps leading up to the top, but you are unlikely to want to make such a serious climb, especially since back in 1899 two Fives-Lill elevators were built for this purpose, and passengers, having risen to the 175 m mark, moved to another cabin .
Elevator to the 2nd floor The first machines ran on hydraulic pumps, but since their use was impossible in winter, Otis electric motors replaced them in 1983, and the hydraulics are shown as an exhibit to tourists.
Gustave Eiffel Apartment
At the very top there is another room - an apartment that was built especially for Eiffel. Although the square is quite spacious, it is furnished simply, but with the taste of a man of the 19th century. It has separate rooms, furniture, carpets, and even a piano - compulsory subject elite of the time.
When the apartment became known in the city, there were people who wanted to buy it or at least spend the night there, offering substantial sums, but Eiffel always refused such offers.
While in Paris, the engineer often arranged meetings with the rich and famous people. Edison also visited, and for ten hours the pair of inventors, over cognac and cigars, found many fascinating topics for discussion, including the phonograph, the latest invention of the famous American.
In captivity, but with his head held high
Eiffel Tower, 1940 – the lift mechanism suddenly breaks down. This trouble happened just before the arrival of Adolf Hitler. Since the war was going on, there was nowhere to get new parts for it, and the Fuhrer could only trample at the feet of the obstinate Parisian woman. On this occasion, the poets did not miss the opportunity to say: “Hitler conquered France, but could not conquer the Eiffel Tower.”
Hitler planned to transmit radio signals from the lighthouse to his military units and broadcast propaganda in Paris, but he was especially excited by the idea that the flag flying on the spire of the top would be clearly visible in all corners of the city.
At the end of the summer of 1944, Hitler, annoyed that he was unable to climb to the top, gives Colonel General Dietrich von Choltitz the order to destroy the unsubdued proud mountain along with the rest of the sights of Paris.
However, the order was never carried out, and when the occupiers left the city, the elevators, which had stopped for several years, started working again after a couple of hours, and the news about this was broadcast by radio from the tower.
The height of the Eiffel Tower!
For 40 years, the Eiffel Tower had no competitors in height in the whole world, and only in 1930 it lost the palm to the Chrysler Building in New York. Today its height reaches 324 m due to the antenna installed in 2010.
Height In reality and in the photo, the tower looks slender, sophisticated, and charmingly beautiful. Like a true Frenchwoman, she loves to radically change her image from time to time, and has already tried on several outfits. She was painted in different colors, which ranged from yellow to reddish brown.
Now a unique “brown-Eiffel” tone, closest to a bronze hue, has been specially developed and patented for it. Every 7 years it is repainted to protect the metal from corrosion, and old parts are also replaced with new ones made of a lighter but more durable alloy.
Night beauty
Shine The Iron Lady loves it too, and at the time of its premiere in 1889, it sparkled with tens of thousands of gas lamps, a pair of searchlights and a lighthouse, the rays of which were the colors of the three shades of the national flag. Just a year later, electric lights sparkled on it, and in 1925 it became the most grandiose advertising platform for Andre Citroen.
The advertisement was called: “The Tower is on Fire,” and thanks to 125 new light bulbs, the silhouette first lit up, then it was replaced by a shower of stars, which smoothly turned into the flight of comets and zodiac symbols, followed by the year of birth of the tower, the current year, and finally the surname appeared Citroen. Advertising ran until 1934.
The Parisian fashionista received her golden dress on the last day of 1985, and in 2003, silver lights were added to this noble shine. This required 4.6 million €, 20 thousand light bulbs, 40 km of wires, 30 people and several months of work. The tower wore another memorable outfit from the beginning of July to the end of December 2008, which looked like the flag of Europe - a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background.
The brainchild of Gustave Eiffel remains a beautiful wonder of the world today. A copy of the Eiffel Tower stands in many cities: Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Varna, Chinese city Guangzhou and Aktau in Kazakhstan.
Exact copy in Las Vegas In the first 12 months of its existence, it fully recouped its construction costs thanks to visitors, and remains the most popular, most visited attraction. Millions of people come on dates with her every year, and by 2002 this number exceeded 200 million.
Observation deck
City of dreams and champagne bubbles
To maximize your time in the company of the Eiffel Tower, tour and restaurant tickets can be booked in advance. Several buffets, a bar and a couple of cozy restaurants will allow you to enjoy delicious dishes, drinks and views of Paris.
On the ground floor you can visit the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant, eat a sandwich, fries, croissant, drink juice or coffee, paying only 18 € for lunch. In the evening there are several main courses and desserts to choose from, but the price rises to 82 € per person.
At the same level there are also regular buffets, where a glass of juice and a slice of pizza will not exceed 7-8 €.
Restaurant "Jules Verne" But, if, once you find yourself in the most romantic place on earth, you do not intend to skimp on pleasures, then visit the luxurious restaurant “Le Jules Verne” on the second level. Lunch here will cost at least 85 € per person, and dinner with lobster – at least 200 €.
View from the tower at night
Paris at night from the observation deck Eiffel Tower on the map
However, you can have fun without visiting such expensive establishments. Having risen to the third level, in the Champagne Bar, take a glass of champagne, take a bird's eye view of Paris, and feel the exclusivity of this moment.
Video
The exact address: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris
Working hours: From 9:30 to 23:00, in summer from 9:00 to 00:00
Tickets
Entrance to the lift (up to 2nd floor): adults - 11€, 12-14 years old - 8.5€, children and disabled people - 4€.
To the top: adults - 17 €, 12-14 years old - 14.5 €, children and disabled people - 8 €.
By stairs to the 2nd floor: adults - 7 €, 12-14 years old - 5 €, children and disabled people - 3 €.
Photo
Photo gallery Eiffel Tower!
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Holidays in November
Eiffel Tower at night photo
Eiffel Tower photo
Whether you're lucky enough to have visited Paris, or you're just dreaming of getting there, chances are you know about the most beloved attraction French capital- Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower (La Tour Eiffel in French) was the main exhibit of the Paris and World Exhibition in 1889. It was built in honor of the centenary of the French Revolution, and was intended to demonstrate the industrial prowess of France throughout the world.
The French engineer Gustave Eiffel is usually credited with designing the tower, which bears his name. Actually it's two less famous person– Maurice Koechlin and Emil Nougir, who came up with the original drawings for the monument.
They were chief engineers for the Compagnie de Etablissements Eiffel, Gustave Eiffel's engineering firm. Together with Gustave and the French architect Stephen Sauvestry, the engineers submitted their plan to a competition that was to be the centerpiece of the 1889 fair in Paris.
The Eiffel company won the design, and construction of the tower began in July 1887. But not everyone was happy with the idea of a giant metal monument that would stand in the city center. When construction of the tower began on , a group of three hundred artists, sculptors, writers and architects sent an appeal to the head of the Paris Exhibition, begging him to interrupt the construction of an “unnecessary tower” that would “stand over Paris” like a “black big smokestack.” But the protests of the Paris community fell on deaf ears. Construction of the tower was completed in just two years, on March 31, 1889.
Eiffel Tower construction process
Each of the 18,000 parts used to build the tower was designed specifically for the project and prepared at the Eiffel factory on the outskirts of Paris. The structure consists of four huge wrought iron arches set on stone piers.
The construction of the tower required 2.5 million assembled rivets and 7,500 tons of cast iron. To protect the tower from the elements, workers painted every inch, a feat that required 65 tons of paint. Since then, the tower has been repainted 18 times.
Facts you didn't know about the Eiffel Tower:
– Gustave Eiffel used wrought iron latticework to build the tower. To demonstrate that metal can be as strong as stone, but lighter.
– Gustave Eiffel also created the internal frame for the Statue of Liberty.
– The total cost of the construction of the Eiffel Tower was 7,799,502.41 French gold francs in 1889.
– The Eiffel Tower is 1,063 feet (324 meters) tall, including the antennas at the top. Without antenna it is 984 feet (300 m).
– At that time, it was the tallest structure until the Chrysler Building was built in New York in 1930.
– The tower sways slightly in the wind, but the sun affects the tower more. As which side of the tower heats up in the sun, the top moves can vary by 7 inches (18 centimeters).
– The weight of the tower is about 10,000 tons.
– There are about 5 billion lights on the Eiffel Tower.
– The French came up with a nickname for their tower – La Dame de Fer (The Iron Lady).
– One tower elevator travels a total distance of 64,001 miles (103,000 km) per year.
Using the tower
When the Compagnie Des Etablissements Eiffel won the tender to begin construction of the tower on the Champ de Mars, it was understood that the structure was temporary and would be removed after 20 years. But Gustave Eiffel was not interested in seeing his beloved project dismantled after a couple of decades, and so he set about making the tower an indispensable tool for society.
Just a few days after its opening, Eiffel installed a meteorological laboratory on the third floor of the tower. He offered to use the laboratory to scientists for their research on the entire gravity of electricity. Ultimately, it was the enormous tower, not the laboratory, that saved it from extinction.
In 1910, Paris accepted the Eiffel concession, due to the self-interest of this structure, as a wireless telegraph transmission. The French military used the tower to maintain communications in the Atlantic Ocean and intercept enemy data during the First World War. Today the tower includes more than 120 antennas for both radio and television signals throughout the capital and beyond.
Tower today
The Eiffel Tower is still a major element of the city's urban landscape. More than 8 million tourists visit this iconic building every year. Since its opening in 1889, 260 million citizens from all over the world have come to see this architectural marvel when in Paris.
She has something to offer you. Three platforms near the tower are home to: two restaurants, several buffets, banquet hall, a champagne bar and many souvenir shops. Guided tours are available for children and tourist groups.
The tower is open to the public all year round. From June to September – the tower remains open even after midnight. Prices vary, but visitors can expect to pay between $14 (11 euros) and $20 (15.5 euros) per person. The ticket includes access to the tower's three public elevators and 704 stairs. Tickets, including discounted ones, can be ordered online or at the ticket office near the tower.
Practical information
Location: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris, France.
Working hours: Sunday – Thursday from 9:30 to 23:00. Friday, Saturday from 9:30 to 00-00.
Directions:
By metro, stops Bir-Hakeim (3 minutes, line 6), Trocadero (5 minutes, line 9), École militaire (5 minutes, line 8);
RER trains: Champs de mars stop (1 minute walk);
By car: If you want to come to the Eiffel Tower by car, we recommend that you park in any of the underground car parks closest to the Eiffel Tower. Good choice is the Quai Branly car park, located less than 300 meters from the tower!
A few days before Hitler was due to visit occupied Paris, the elevator in the Eiffel Tower broke down. The breakdown turned out to be so serious that the engineers were unable to repair the lift during the war. The Fuhrer was not able to visit the top of the largest building in France. The elevator started working only when Paris was liberated from the Nazi invaders - literally a few hours later. That is why the French say that although Hitler managed to conquer France, he still could not capture the Eiffel Tower.
If you look closely at the map of Paris, the capital of France, in order to find out where the Eiffel Tower is located, you will see that it is located in the western part of the city, on the Champs de Mars, on the left bank of the Seine, not far from the Jena Bridge, which connects the Quai Branly with the opposite shore. Find out exactly where the Eiffel Tower is located on geographical map world, you can use the following coordinates: 48° 51′ 29″ N. la., 2° 17′ 40″ e. d.
Now the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris, but once upon a time, from the first days of its existence, it caused a mixed reaction among both the French and guests of the city. While tourists admired its weight, size and unusual design, many Parisians were categorically against its presence in the capital and repeatedly demanded that the authorities dismantle this grandiose structure.
The Eiffel Tower was saved from the planned demolition (the weight of the iron structure attracted more than one company in the field of metallurgy) only because the era of radio frequency waves had arrived - and it was this structure that was best suited for installing radio antennas.
The idea of creating a tower
The history of the Eiffel Tower began when the French decided to organize a world exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution, which occurred in 1789. To this end, a competition was announced throughout the country, the purpose of which was to select the best engineering and architectural projects that could be presented at the planned event and that could demonstrate technical advances France over the last decade.
Among competition works Most of the proposals were similar to each other and were a variation of the Eiffel Tower, which the judges decided to choose. Interesting fact: although Gustave Eiffel is considered to be the author of the project, in reality the idea was submitted by his collaborators - Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlen. Their version had to be modified somewhat, since the Parisians, who preferred more refined architecture, found it too “dry”.
It was decided to cover the lower part of the structure with stone, and on the ground floor to connect the supports and the platform of the tower with arches, which would also serve as the entrance to the exhibition. He came up with the idea of arranging glazed halls on all three tiers of the structure, and giving the top of the structure a rounded shape and decorating it with various decorative elements.
Construction
Interesting fact: half of the money for the construction of the Eiffel Tower was allocated by Gustave Eiffel himself (the rest of the amount was contributed by three French banks). For this, an agreement was signed with him, according to which the future structure was leased to the engineer for a quarter of a century, and compensation was also provided, which was supposed to cover 25% of his expenses.
The tower paid for itself even before the exhibition closed (during the six months of its operation, more than 2 million people came to see the structure, unprecedented at that time), so its further operation brought Eiffel a lot of money.
The creation of the Eiffel Tower took very little time: two years, two months and five days. Interesting fact: only three hundred workers were involved in the construction, and not a single death was recorded, which at that time was a kind of achievement.
Such a rapid pace of construction is primarily explained by high-quality drawings, which indicated the absolutely accurate dimensions of all metal parts (and their number exceeded 18 thousand). When assembling the tower, completely finished parts were used with holes made, two thirds of which had pre-installed rivets.
An important role was played by the fact that the weight of the parts did not exceed three tons - this greatly facilitated their lifting to the top.
The construction involved cranes, which, after the tower had significantly exceeded their height, lifted the parts to their maximum level, from where they fell into mobile cranes that moved upward along rails that were laid for elevators.
Just two years after the start of construction work, the Eiffel Tower was built and its chief engineer, on March 31, 1989, hoisted the French flag over the structure - and the opening of the Eiffel Tower took place. That same evening, it shone with multi-colored lights: a lighthouse was installed on top of the structure, glowing in the colors of the French flag, two searchlights and about 10 thousand gas lamps (they were later replaced by 125 thousand electric light bulbs).
Nowadays, the Eiffel Tower is “dressed” at night in a golden robe, which sometimes changes its color depending on the events taking place.
What does the symbol of France look like?
The size of the Eiffel Tower amazed Parisians even before the completion of construction work - no one in the world had ever seen such a structure. What a grandiose structure appeared in front of them is evidenced by the following facts: it was much taller than all existing structures at that time: the Cheops pyramid had a height of 146 meters, Cologne and Ulm Cathedrals - 156 and 161 meters, respectively (a building of higher dimensions was erected only in 1930 - it was the New York Chrysler Building with a height of 319 m).
Immediately after completion of construction, the height of the Eiffel Tower was about three hundred meters (in our time, thanks to the antenna installed on its top, the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 m). You can climb the tower to the second floor by steps - there are 1,792 of them in total - or by elevator. From the second to the third - only on the lift. Anyone who decides to climb so high will definitely not regret it: the view from the Eiffel Tower is magnificent - all of Paris is at your fingertips.
The Eiffel Tower in Paris shocked contemporaries with its unusual shape for the capital, and therefore the project was repeatedly subjected to merciless criticism.
The designer claimed that this particular configuration is the best option in order to successfully withstand the force of the wind (as time has shown, he was right: even the strongest hurricane, which swept through the capital at a speed of 180 km/h, deflected the top of the tower by only 12 cm). There is no doubt that in appearance the Eiffel Tower somewhat resembles an elongated pyramid, the weight of which is many tons.
Below, at the same distance from each other, there are four square columns, the length of each side of such a column is 129.3 meters and they all go up at a slight angle with an inclination towards each other. These columns, at a level of 57 m, connect a vault decorated with arches, on which the first tier measuring 65 by 65 m is installed (a restaurant is located here). It is interesting that under this floor, on all sides, the names of seventy-two of the most famous French designers and scientists are stamped, as well as everyone who took a significant part in the construction of the tower.
From the first platform, at a slight angle, four more columns rise towards each other, which come together at a height of 115 m, and the size of the second floor is half as large - 35 by 35 meters (there is a restaurant here, and previously there were also tanks with intended for elevator with machine oil). The four columns located on the second tier also go up at an angle, coming closer until, at a height of 190 m, they converge into one column, on which, at a level of 276 m, a third floor of 16.5 by 16.5 meters is installed (an astronomical and meteorological observatory and physics room).
A lighthouse was installed above the third floor, the light from which can be seen at a distance of 10 km, which is why the Eiffel Tower looks indescribably beautiful at night, as it shines with blue, white and red light - the colors of the national flag of France. Three hundred meters from the ground above the lighthouse, a very small platform was installed - 1.4 by 1.4 meters, on which there is now a twenty-meter spire.
As for the mass of the structure, its weight is 7.3 thousand tons (the weight of the total mass of the structure is 10.1 thousand tons). An interesting fact: over all the years of its existence, the Eiffel Tower was sold by particularly successful entrepreneurs about two dozen times (the weight of the metal of the world-famous structure attracted more than one buyer). For example, in 1925, the Eiffel Tower was sold twice for scrap metal by the swindler Victor Lusting.
The same thing was done thirty-five years later by the Englishman David Sams; the interesting fact is that he was able to documentably prove to a reputable Dutch company that the Parisian authorities had instructed him to do the dismantling. As a result, he was arrested and put in prison, but the money did not return to the company.
A visit to the Eiffel Tower is on the priority to-do list of every self-respecting tourist. For some it is enough to take a photo against its background, for others it is important to go up to the observation deck, while others rush here to dark time day to see hourly light show— illumination and take a few pictures when the contours of the tower are illuminated with illumination until 01:00.
How to get to the Eiffel Tower
- By metro: Bir-Hakeim (M6), Trocadéro (M9)
- By train RER C: Champs de Mars - Tour Eiffel
- By bus: Tour Eiffel: No. 82, 42; Champ de Mars: No. 82, 87, 69
Eiffel Tower Tickets
Ticket prices vary depending on how you go up: on foot or by elevator. If your plans do not include visiting the upper platform, then you can save money by climbing on foot. But if you want to visit the third level, you will have to pay for an elevator that will take you from the first to the third level and back.
Ticket prices up to the second level (115 meters):
- Walking adult: 10.20 euros
- Walking youth (12-24 years): 5.10 euros
- Walking children (4-11 years): 2.50 euros
- By elevator adult: 16.30 euros
- By youth elevator: 8.10 euros
- Child: 4.10 euros
Ticket prices up to the third level (276 meters):
- Adult: 25.50 euros
- Youth (12-24 years): 12.70 euros
- Child (4-11 years): 6.40 euros
Combination ticket to the third level (stairs + elevator)
- Adult: 19.40 euros
- Youth (12-24 years): 9.70 euros
- Child (4-11 years): 4.90 euros
Schedule
The rest of the year:
- 9:30 - 23:45 - elevator; last session at 22:30 - to the second level, at 23:00 - to the third level.
- 9:30 - 18:30 - stairs; last session at 18:00.
Eiffel Tower levels
The Eiffel Tower is divided into 4 levels: ground level and three floors with observation platforms.
- At the ground level there are ATMs, an information board, souvenir shops (in the supports of the tower), a buffet with snacks, hydraulic machines dating back to the foundation of the structure (which can only be seen during the tour), as well as a bust of G. Eiffel, which is located on the corner of the North Pillar .
- At an altitude of 57 meters, reconstruction recently took place. Now you can walk along the first floor and see the ground under your feet; the floors here are glass and transparent. Modern computerized information stands have also been added along the terrace. Here you can see the remnant (4.30 meters high) of the staircase that originally led to the very top, to the office of G. Eiffel. Children will be interested in watching the light show, which interesting form will tell you about the Eiffel Tower. All entertainment services located in the Ferrié pavilion. A buffet, a relaxation area, a souvenir shop, G. Eiffel's room, which is used for various events, as well as The 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant - all this is located on the first level of the tower.
- The second level of the tower, at an altitude of 115 meters, will be no less interesting. In addition to the observation deck, there is a souvenir shop, a buffet with organic snacks, information stands, as well as the Jules Verne restaurant.
- At an altitude of more than 276 meters there is an observation deck of the Eiffel Tower, which offers a gorgeous view of the capital. This is where advanced tourists strive to get, so that, impressed by what they see, they can drink a glass of champagne in the Champange bar (by the way, not a cheap pleasure!) In addition, here you can see the recreated office of Gustave Eiffel with wax figures, look at panoramic photographs taken from different observation platforms, and also get acquainted with the model of the original tower built in 1889 on a scale of 1:50.
Panoramic views from the Eiffel Tower
Separately, I would like to emphasize that you should dress practically here. Bring a windproof jacket as it is windy on the upper areas. Many who have visited the tower in windy weather (which occurs quite often here) claim that the tower sways slightly. Therefore, take care of comfortable clothes and go to conquer the Eiffel Tower.
Photo of the Eiffel Tower
- (price: 43.00 €, 2.5 hours)
- (price: 25.00 €, 3 hours)
- (price: 45.00 €, 3 hours)
Skip the line to the Eiffel Tower
Near the Eiffel Tower there is always a crowd of tourists and giant queues. Those who do not know how to avoid a three-hour standstill stand in the general queue at ticket office, and then they stand in line for the elevator, which takes them to all levels of the tower. The activity is tedious and brings little pleasure, isn’t it?
The way out of the situation is extremely simple - you need to buy a ticket in advance for a certain date and day. This can be done via the Internet. Since the method is known to many, it may happen that tickets for the day you need may be sold out. In rare cases it may work, but it is unlikely. Therefore, you need to look for tickets three months before your planned visit to Paris. Such tickets go on sale at 8:30 am local time and are sold out in the first hours. 
If the date is not important, then you can find a ticket a month before the visit. By printing your ticket, you will be able to enter the Eiffel Tower without queuing, as long as you are not more than 30 minutes late from the visiting time indicated on your ticket. Therefore, it is better to be in the tower lobby 10 minutes before the indicated time.
The second way is to buy a tour, the price of which includes a skip-the-line visit to the Eiffel Tower.
- (62.50 €)
- (43.00 €)
Panoramic restaurants
It is worth mentioning briefly the restaurants of the Eiffel Tower. Prices are very high, and they grow exponentially with each level.
From the windows 58 Tour Eiffel(first level) offers a magnificent view of the Seine and the famous Trocadero. The cozy spacious rooms of the restaurant are ideal for both a romantic dinner and a gala reception (up to 200 guests).
Lunch, which costs around 50 euros, consists of three courses and a drink. The menu may include seafood, truffles, lamb and vegetables, salmon fillet with chestnut puree, dessert and a good wine list. Dinner provides a more interesting menu. For example, an appetizer of the client’s choice, a glass of champagne, a main course, an original dessert and coffee will cost about 140 euros per person. A table must be reserved in advance.
Having booked a table at Le Jules Verne(second level) the window offers a panoramic view of Paris from a 124-meter height. Luxurious interior furnished with antique furniture, and first-class service, pleasant music and an impressive collection of wines justify such an impressive price tag on the menu.
A lunch of onion soup and cold foie gras with fig jam plus pistachio cakes will cost 90 euros, and a lobster dinner will cost at least 200 euros.
Located on the top level Champagne Bar, where you can buy a glass of real French champagne. 100 ml of champagne will cost from 13 to 22 euros.
In a word, if you don’t go broke, you can reduce the thickness of your wallet by eating at the Eiffel Tower and drinking a glass of champagne. Decide, as they say, whether you need it or not.
History of the Eiffel Tower
In 1889, with the celebration of the centenary of the revolution, the government of the Third Republic planned to shock the public. The next world trade and industrial exhibition was timed to coincide with the anniversary of democracy. Innovations in production technologies and the emergence of new types of products required widespread advertising. The exposition was a symbol of industrialization and an open platform for demonstrating the achievements of industry. This type of presentation of products and technologies began to be carried out on an ongoing basis.
Architects, wanting to look into the future and capture the imagination of visitors, proposed various options appearance of the pavilions. One of the original structures was a 115-meter indoor gallery of machines.
Particular attention was paid to the design of the entrance portal. The organizers organized a special competition. More than a hundred projects were proposed for consideration. Among them was a structure in the form of a huge guillotine - a symbol french revolution. The main requirements were the following:
- originality of architectural appearance;
- economic efficiency;
- Possibility of dismantling after the end of the exhibition.
The proposal of the G. Eiffel company, which designed a steel tower 300 m high, could not have come at a better time. There were no precedents for this structure in the world. However engineering calculations based on significant construction experience railway bridges, the complexity and responsibility of the structures were not inferior to the planned tower. Well, the futuristic design was beyond competition.
These arguments persuaded the commission members in favor of Eiffel's proposal, and he was granted the privilege of the invention. Company engineers Maurice Koehlen and Emile Nugier took part in the creation of the project.
Parisians did not share the optimism of the exhibition organizers. The general public, fearing that the cyclopean structure would spoil the special architectural appearance of the capital, was seriously up in arms against both Eiffel himself and the organizing committee. Shortly after the publication of the results of the competition, the Parisian newspaper “Le Temps” (Time) published a protest by prominent art figures, including Guy de Moppasant, E. Zola, A. Dumas (the younger). Writers, artists, and sculptors expressed outrage over the construction of the useless and “terrible Eiffel Tower.” The church did not stand aside either.
Clerics, maintaining general hysteria, predicted the imminent fall of the tower and the subsequent end of the world. The inertia of the clergy, bordering on ignorance, is a very characteristic phenomenon when creating revolutionary projects. Eiffel’s brainchild was branded with all sorts of offensive labels: an iron monster, the skeleton of a bell tower, a sieve in the form of a candle.
But progress and common sense cannot be stopped. The exhibition organizing committee, having approved the construction, provided only less than a quarter of the necessary funds. Eiffel offered to finance the project from his own company if he was given the exclusive right to make a profit during the entire life of its operation. An agreement was reached and the author was given one and a half million francs in gold. The miracle tower was built. The costs were recouped in just a year.
After 20 years of operation, according to the agreement, the tower was to be dismantled. Only the intervention of a powerful lobbyist could save it from demolition. And one was found in the person of the military department. Back in 1898, a transmitter was installed on the upper platform and the first radio communication session was carried out. Eiffel proposed to the Ministry of Defense to use the tower as an antenna to transmit radio signals over long distances. Thus, he was not only a builder, but also a savior unique structure, which has become the most striking symbol of France.
The "Iron Lady", which glorified its creator, overshadowed his talent as a bridge builder and a brilliant engineer. Few people know that Gustav Eiffel designed the interior structure of the Statue of Liberty in 1885. The engineer himself said with humor that he should be jealous of the tower: the brainchild of a more famous creator.
The new building was not only the personification of creative enthusiasm, but also the embodiment technological breakthrough in metallurgy. The material for the tower was a special type of soft iron. It was produced through the puddling process, during which cast iron was converted into low-carbon iron. Strength characteristics allowed architects to realize the most daring plans. Thanks to its lightness and strength, it became possible to build large structures.
Construction began on January 26, 1887 on the Champ de Mars with excavation work to construct a foundation pit. To prevent groundwater from penetrating into the recess, a system of caisson devices used during the construction of bridges was used, which created excess pressure in the working space and prevented the penetration of moisture.
At the same time, continuous production of metal frame parts was launched at the Eiffel plant in the Paris suburb of Lavallois-Parre. The total number of load-bearing and shaped elements reached 18 thousand; two and a half million rivets were made for their assembly. The designers, using the techniques of shipbuilding technologies, meticulously outlined the geometry of each type of segments and the attachment points of riveted and bolted connections down to the micron. Technological holes were drilled at the factory. Already manufactured parts for other structures were also put into use. Each set of metal elements was supplied detailed drawings and installation recommendations.
To improve the aesthetic appearance of the structure, architect Stefan Sauvestre proposed lining the metal supports of the first tier with decorative stone, as well as constructing arched structures to decorate the main entrance to the exhibition. If this solution had been implemented, the tower would have been deprived of a coherent architectural exterior.
To facilitate installation at high altitudes, the largest fragments of the structure weighed no more than three tons. When the height of the structure being built outgrew the stationary cranes, Eiffel designed original lifting mechanisms that moved along the rail guides of future elevators.
High production standards made it possible to achieve unprecedented rates of construction. During large-scale assembly on a construction site, the need to adjust individual elements was reduced to almost zero - defects in work were eliminated. Only about 300 engineers, craftsmen and installation workers were simultaneously involved in construction. Construction works were completed in two years, two months and five days. Eiffel paid Special attention safety precautions. During the construction period, accidents were avoided; only one person died. This tragic incident had nothing to do with the production process.
On March 31, 1889, Gustav Eiffel invited officials to climb the steps to the top of the tall building in the world.
The curvilinear shape of the tower caused a lot of criticism from specialists contemporary to the author of the project. However, Eiffel's daring decision was dictated by the need to withstand significant wind loads and linear expansion of the metal during the hot season. Life has confirmed that the engineer was right: in the entire history of observations, during the most severe hurricane (wind speed reached almost 200 km/h), the top of the tower deviated by only 12 cm.
The structure is an elongated pyramid formed by four inclined columns. The columns, each of which has a separate foundation, are connected at two points: at a height of 57.6 m and 115.7 m. The lower connection is arranged in the shape of an arch. The first platform rests on the vault - a square with a side of 65 m. There is a restaurant of the same name and a souvenir shop. On the second tier - the side of the platform is 35 m - there is also the Jules Verne restaurant and an extensive observation deck. Initially, reservoirs for the hydraulic system of elevator mechanisms were located here. The uppermost platform measures 16 by 16 m. A separate system of passenger elevators lifts visitors to each of the tiers. Two original elevators, installed back in 1899, have survived to this day. If anyone decides to climb to the highest platform on foot, they will have to overcome 1,710 steps.
The main parameters of the tower are as follows:
- total weight of the structure is 10,100 tons;
- metal frame weight 7,300 tons;
- the initial height of the structure is 300.6 m, after the construction of a new antenna in 2010 - 324 m;
- height observation deck 276 m;
- the longest side length of the base is 125 m.
If you melt all the metal used and pour it onto the base area, the height of the array will be only six meters. This indicates the exceptional ergonomics of the design. Every seven years all metal surfaces are painted. This work requires up to 60 tons of material. Tower in different eras painted in different colors. In recent decades, an original color scheme called “Eiffel brown” has been used.
The opening of the world exhibition was accompanied by the bright, for those times, illumination of the tower. 10 thousand acetylene lamps were used. The lighthouse installed on the top was illuminated with three colors of the French tricolor. At the beginning of the 20th century, they began to install electrical system lighting.
In the mid-20s, the famous automobile tycoon Henri Citroen turned the tower into the world's tallest advertisement. Using 125 thousand light bulbs along the entire height, he staged a light show that alternately depicted ten images: shooting stars, the silhouette of the structure, the date of construction and the name of the concern of the same name. This event lasted nine years until 1934. In 1985, Pierre Bidault came up with the idea of illuminating the tower structure from below with spotlights. More than three hundred custom-made lighting fixtures were installed at various levels. Sodium lamps at night they painted the metal giant golden.
Modern technologies in the lighting industry have made it possible to give the world-famous monument a new look. In 2003, the brigade industrial climbers of 30 people, in a few months, installed a forty-kilometer electrical wiring system, including 20 thousand light bulbs. The cost of this update was four and a half million euros.
In May 2006, in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the European Union, the tower was illuminated in blue for the first time. And in 2008, when France presided over the Council of Europe, for six months the building was distinguished by its original illumination: a blue background with gold stars. It should be noted that the lighting system of the main symbol of France is an original design and is protected by copyright law.
How to get there
Address: 5 Avenue Anatole France, Paris 75007Telephone: +33 892 70 12 39
Website: tour-eiffel.fr
Metro: Bir-Hakeim
RER train: Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel
Working hours: 9:00 - 23:00; 9:00 - 02:00 (summer)
Ticket price
- Adult: 17 €
- Reduced: 14.5 €
- Child: 10 €
