Paris: la Tour Eiffel

When you are in Paris you cannot miss the Eiffel Tower.

Here is my travel tip for you:

If you want to see the tower during the day, take le métro to the station: Trocadéro. If you want to see it in the evening, take Ligne 8 and get off at the station École Militaire. Between the École Militaire and the Eiffel Tower there is a long park where people like to sit and wait for a light show. For about ten minutes on the hour, until 1 am, the Eiffel Tower sparkles and you can see a spotlight at the top that circles around.

So, here is the Eiffel Tower from la Place Trocadéro:

You can always expect some kind of entertainment:

Here are some facts about our famous Tour Eiffel:

1.Located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most well known structures in the world. It is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company was in charge of the project.

2. The Eiffel Tower was originally built as the entrance arch for the World’s Fair in 1889. Its construction took two years, two months and five days – 180 years fewer than Paris’s other great attraction, Notre Dame.

3. The Eiffel Tower is 320 metres (1050 feet) in height and was the tallest man made structure in the world for 41 years before being surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York.

4. The Eiffel Tower is made of iron and weighs around 10000 tonnes.

5. Around 50 tonnes of paint are added to the Eiffel Tower every 7 years to protect it from rust.

6. Despite its height, the Eiffel Tower was designed to be wind resistant, swaying only a few inches in the wind. It actually moves further when the iron on the sun facing side heats and expands, moving the top up to 18 centimetres away from the sun.

7. Temperature also alters the height of the Eiffel Tower by up to 15 centimetres.

8. Millions of people climb the Eiffel Tower every year. Visitors can climb up stairs to the first two levels or take a lift which also has access to the third and highest level. It is possible to climb to the top, but there are 1,665 steps. Most people take the lift.

9. Being so popular, the Eiffel Tower design has been recreated around the world, including the half scale replica at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel in Nevada, USA and the full scale Tokyo Tower in Japan.

10. Not everyone liked the Eiffel Tower when it was first built, with many criticizing its bold design. It was originally intended to stand for 20 years before being dismantled, but its use as a wireless telegraph transmitter meant it was allowed to stay.

The French name for the Eiffel Tower is La Tour Eiffel, it also has the nickname La dame de fer which means the iron lady.