TOUR EIFFEL

Hours: Sept-May daily 9:30am-11pm; June-Aug daily 9am-midnight. Fall and winter, stairs open only to 6:30pm
Location: Champ de Mars, 7e
Transportation Métro: Trocadéro, Ecole Militaire, or Bir-Hakeim. RER: Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel
Phone: 01-44-11-23-23
Web site: www.tour-eiffel.fr
Prices: Admission to 1st landing 3.65€, 2nd landing 6.90€, 3rd landing 9.90€. Stairs to 2nd floor 3.30€  

Eiffel tower, the jewel of France, was built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel. It stands a staggering 300m tall. At the time it was built, it was the tallest building in the world. The Eiffel Tower suffered a lot of criticism and there were talks about pulling it down. But, to date, it surprisingly stands the test of time. The first and second floors are accessible through flights of stairs and elevators serve visitors to the top (Yahoo Travel!).

The tower is a must see place for any tourist in France. "Eiffel Tower  is without doubt the most recognizable structure in the world. Weighing 7,000 tons but exerting about the same pressure on the ground as an average-size person sitting in a chair, the wrought-iron tower wasn't meant to be permanent. Gustave-Alexandre Eiffel, the French engineer whose fame rested mainly on his iron bridges, built it for the 1889 Universal Exhibition. (Eiffel also designed the framework for the Statue of Liberty.) Praised by some and denounced by others (some called it a "giraffe," the "world's greatest lamppost," or the "iron monster"), the tower created as much controversy in the 1880s as I. M. Pei's glass pyramid at the Louvre did in the 1980s. What saved it from demolition was the advent of radio -- as the tallest structure in Europe, it made a perfect spot to place a radio antenna (now a TV antenna)." (Frommer's Paris 2004)
 

The over 300m tall tower can be seen from as far as 64km (40 miles) away, weather permitting. "An open-framework construction, the tower unlocked the almost unlimited possibilities of steel construction, paving the way for skyscrapers. For years it remained the tallest man-made structure on earth, until skyscrapers like the Empire State Building surpassed it." (Frommer's Paris 2004).

The first two floors of Tour Eiffel are easily reached. That way you avoid the long lines waiting for the elevator. There are not very long queues unlike going to see the top. The elevator that provides transportation to the visitors all the way to the top of the tower is really hard to get to. It is always very busy and there is hardly any time all year round when you can easily get to it. It should not come as a surprise since millions of people visit this one-of-a-kind architecture. Here's a cunning hint for those of you who really want to visit the top of the Eiffel Tower fast: "If you dine at the tower's own Altitude 95 (tel. 01-45-55-20-04), an Eiffel restaurant on the first floor, management allows patrons to cut to the head of the line." (Frommer's Paris 2004).

"We could fill an entire page with tower statistics. (Its plans spanned 6,000 square yards of paper, and it contains 2.5 million rivets.) But forget the numbers. Just stand beneath the tower and look straight up. It's like a rocket of steel lacework shooting into the sky." (Frommer's Paris 2004).

The best time to see the Eiffel Tower as many visitors who have been to the tower claim is about an hour before sunset. It is a dynamic view at the time. If it's your first time to Tour Eiffel, enjoy the view starting from as far as 60km and progressively closing up the gap.

To get to the tower, you can always take the Métro to the Trocadéro stop and then briskly walk your way from the Palais de Chaillot to the Seine to get to the surroundings; "then cross the pont d'Iéna and head for the base, where you'll find elevators in two of the pillars -- expect long lines." (Frommer's Paris 2004). The tower being an open structure, provides the natural eye with a good glimpse of the lift machinery used in 1889 through the steel walls of the Eastern and Western Pillars.  Visit the tower in three stages: "The first landing provides a view over the rooftops as well as a cinema museum showing films, restaurants, and a bar. The second landing offers a panoramic look at the city. The third landing gives the most spectacular view; Eiffel's office has been re-created on this level, with wax figures depicting the engineer receiving Thomas Edison." (Frommer's Paris 2004).

Some Important Guidelines:

Sources:

1. Yahoo Travel!, Tour Eiffel; "http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2775958-tour_eiffel_paris-i"

2. Frommer's Paris 2004,  "http://www.frommers.com/destinations/moreattract.cfm?a_id=25288&destID=62&directory=paris&p_id=25288&tn=attraction&leftnav=0062010029"

Picture Sources (In Order of Appearance):

1. Yahoo Travel!, Tour Eiffel; "http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2775958-tour_eiffel_paris-i"

2. Yahoo Travel!, Tour Eiffel; "http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2775958-tour_eiffel_paris-i"

3. Europe for Visitors, Paris, France; "http://www.europeforvisitors.com/europe/galleries/france/blg-f_paris_eiffel_tower_fountains_102000.htm"

4. Friel Foto Gallery; "http://www.frielfoto.com/FrielfotoGalleryfrance.html"

More Pictures of Eiffel Tower

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