Attraction: Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, who developed and designed the tower.

Often referred to as “the Iron Lady,” it was built between 1887 and 1889 to serve as the main entrance to the World’s Fair that took place in Paris in the year of 1889. Some of France’s most prominent artists and intellectuals disliked the building’s design, but it is now a global cultural icon and a well-known landmark all over the world. It is estimated that approximately 6.91 million people climbed the Eiffel Tower in 2015, making it the most-visited paid monument in the world.

Tower is 324 meters (1,063 feet) tall, nearly as tall as an 81-story building, and the tallest structure in Paris. It is approximately a square base, with a base measurement of 125 meters (410 feet) on each side. Erected during construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world for a period of 41 years, from the construction of the Chrysler Building in New York City until being surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. The world’s first building to surpass both the 200-meter and 300-meter mark in height was built here. Taller than the Chrysler Building by 5.2 meters, the broadcasting aerial was added to the top of the tower in 1957, hence this tower is now taller than the Chrysler Building (17 ft). The Eiffel Tower is the second tallest structure in France that is not held up by transmission towers, behind the Millau Viaduct.

For visitors, the tower has three levels: the first with restaurants, and the second and third with additional restaurants. The top level’s upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above ground – the highest observation deck accessible to the public in the European Union. Ticket holders may choose to purchase either a ticket to ascend by stairs or lift to the first and second levels. It takes over 300 steps to go from ground level to the first level, and it takes another 300 steps to go from the first level to the second. There is a staircase to the top level, but lifts are generally the only way to access the top floor.

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