Gustave Eiffel designed and built his tower in 1889 as an entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair.
He probably had no idea that it would become the enduring symbol of the city of Paris, La Ville-Lumière, the City of Light.
Once the tallest man-made structure on earth, the Eiffel Tower stands over a thousand feet high.
The tower literally drew us in like a magnet.
We knew there was no use in denying the pull, so we made a beeline to her as soon as humanly possible.
The lines were long — even in the off-season on a foggy, mist-spitting day.
But rather than wait behind the hundreds of eager tower visitors (see how we pulled that off here), we walked right on to the elevator and rode up to the first observation level to take advantage of our lunch reservations.
The restaurant, le 58 Tour Eiffel, provides attentive table service fifty-eight meters high on the most recognizable landmark in Paris.
More memorably, it’s a seriously cool way to hang out high above the city.
After our meal we hit the stairway and climbed to the second observation level, just over a third of the way up.
From this vantage point the panoramic view of Paris was spectacular, and since the top was hidden in the clouds we didn’t see any reason to go any higher.
| Fun Eiffel Tower facts:
– Gustave Eiffel’s birth name was Gustave Bönickhausen – Bönickhausen Tower sounds a lot less catchy to us. – For nine years, the tower had a huge, Times Square-esque advertisement attached to it – Mr. Eiffel also designed the inner structure of the Statue of Liberty. – The tower has been painted in many different colors. Originally red, it has had turns in brown, yellow, and now sports a special “Eiffel Tower Brown” – which is actually three progressive shades of bronze so the color looks uniform from top to bottom. |
See more of our tour of Paris!
After the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe may be the most recognizable monument in Paris and we were most excited to climb to the top of the arch for the ultimate view of the city.
A few hundred steps later and a full 360 degree panorama of Paris spread out before us just as darkness was falling.
The vantage point is unbeatable for photographing Gustave Eiffel’s handiwork.
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For a final treat before we descended the Arc, the moon peeked out of the clouds just as the twinkling lights came to life on the incredible tower. Magnifique! <–10 Second video: Click the pic – and be dazzled!
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David & Veronica, GypsyNester.com
DELVE DEEPER:
See where we stayed in Paris
Want to see our full collection of odd art at the Louvre?
Head deep inside the Catacombes de Paris
Take a peek inside the Arc de Triomphe
Check out more about Notre Dame Cathedral
Follow us to Versailles – there’s so much over-the-top royal stuff to share!
Want more Paris? Click here!
Check out all of our adventures in France!
YOUR TURN: Is Paris at the top of your must-see list? Or have you already checked it off? What would be YOUR first stop in Paris?
