How Much Do You REALLY Know About the Eiffel Tower?

Straight up from under the Eiffel Tower! GypsyNester.com
Looking straight up from the bottom of the Eiffel Tower.

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.

The best view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, looking across the Seine River from the Trocadéro Gardens
Often considered the best view of the Eiffel Tower in town, looking across the Seine River from the Trocadéro Gardens.

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 Eiffel Tower in Paris

The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France

Glass floor at the Eiffel Tour in Paris
Attempting to stand on the glass platform!

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 north elevator on the Eiffel Tour in Paris, France
The North Elevator
Elevator on the Eiffel Tour in Paris, France
Drivers no longer sit on the outside of the elevators, mannequins now demonstrate the old days.

Lunch at the Eiffel Tower, le 58 Tour Eiffel in Paris, France

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.

Lunch at the Eiffel Tower, le 58 Tour Eiffel in Paris, France

Lunch at the Eiffel Tower, le 58 Tour Eiffel in Paris, France

Lunch at the Eiffel Tower, le 58 Tour Eiffel in Paris, France

View of Paris from the Eiffel Tower

Stairs in the Eiffel Tower, Paris

Long lines at the Eiffel Tower - learn how we skipped the lines! GypsyNester.com
And, again, very grateful we got to skip the lines!

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.

The view of Paris from the Eiffel Tower!

Views from the second observation level of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Views from the second observation level of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

The Eiffel Tower from the top of the the Arc de Triomphe in Paris

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.

Fun poses with the Eiffel Tower! GypsyNester.com

 

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!

 

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?


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