Eiffel Tower at night. Eiffel Tower at night. Construction of the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower- a graceful and majestic symbol of France, Paris - the pearl of the country. Interestingly, many Parisians are far from enthusiastic about it. Many of them had to come to terms with its existence. This surprised me somewhat, because she is truly unique and arouses great admiration. At night, the structure lights up with many bright and mesmerizing lights.

Best pictures happen at night

Features of the main attraction of Paris

The Eiffel Tower consists of three levels. Entrance to the main attraction of Paris is paid. The amount of payment depends on which level you would like to get to. By the way, the ticket seller was a Russian woman.

You can reach the first and second levels either on foot or using the elevator. But tourists are delivered to the third level only using an elevator. I can say that the third level is the most impressive! You can see photos that only confirm this.

Third level

I'll start, perhaps, from the very last level Eiffel Tower. On the third platform located Observation deck, as well as many restaurants and cafes. Its height is 274 meters.

Of special and great interest to me composed a famous restaurant called "Jules Verne" or "Jules Verne", located in a glass gallery. I note that if you plan to have dinner here, you should reserve a table in advance, since the number of tourists wanting to admire the beauties of Paris is too large. Overall, this gastronomic restaurant seats 120 people.

Second and first levels

You can reach these levels on your own without using the elevator. To do this you will have to overcome quite a large number of steps. The first and second levels include many restaurants, souvenir shops and cafes.

There is a ticket office on the ground floor, information stand with various useful information and four souvenir shops. There is also a buffet here and if you join excursion group, then you can see the departments where the hydraulic machines that raised the elevator to the very top of the Eiffel Tower are located.

The second level offers a beautiful panorama of Paris. From the second level you can see many pictures, which are small, but convey a feeling of delight.

Cost to climb the tower: 15 euros (You will need to stand in a huge line)

Many people have a question about when the Eiffel Tower lights up; local time it happens at 21.00, when it starts to get dark. In Paris this happens between 20:00 and 21:00. But it's better to arrive by 19.00

Night charm

From photos and videos, which I offer you to view in the menu on the right, you can see all the charm of the Paris landmark. You can also see the diagram of the world famous tower. Of course, a photo does not convey beauty as well as a video, but it gives you the opportunity to look at everything in detail.

Without harm to the structure, it can accommodate 10 thousand and 400 people at one time. There are a lot of tourists here who want to enjoy the night view of Paris, as well as admire the main attractions of the city from a bird's eye view. Therefore, be prepared to stand in line for more than one hour.

Lots of color time Eiffel Tower changed from red-brown shades to yellow tones. However, over the past few decades, a color called “Eiffel Brown” has been officially developed and then patented. Night illumination has been in operation since 1990. The last change occurred in 2003, and since then the Eiffel Tower has been shrouded in 40 thousand wires and about 20 thousand light bulbs. Look at the pictures on the right and you will see why people visit Paris great amount tourists annually.

Taking photographs of the Eiffel Tower at night is actually illegal. And that's why…
Ah, evening Paris. Your stomach is full of good bread, good cheese and good wine. Now you look at the Eiffel Tower: its lights twinkle and dance in the night sky. But if you're thinking of clicking the camera, think again. Snopes, an online fact-checking site, has just confirmed that using photos of the Eiffel Tower taken at night is illegal. (There are other mind-blowing facts)

Under current French law, it is entirely possible to photograph the Eiffel Tower's evening light display. However, sharing this photo via Facebook or Instagram could land you in legal trouble.

But happy tourists, as a rule, know nothing about this. But breathe easier. You can legally take photos during the day because the Eiffel Tower is a public space. But the evening light display installed on the tower in 1985 by Pierre Bidault belongs to the artist and is protected by copyright.

The company de la Tour Eiffel, which owns and operates the tower, confirms: “The rights to publish photographs of the illuminated Eiffel Tower must be obtained from the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel.” Using a photo of the illuminated Eiffel Tower without French permission could be a potential target for lawyers. Betting that you didn't know doesn't work. (These are amazing international laws that travelers don't know about).

TOM EVERSLEY/SHUTTERSTOCK

Your Facebook photos are probably safe as long as you only use them for personal use. But it's a waste of time to illuminate the Eiffel Tower every time if tourists can't click the photo, right?

When traveling to any country, it is always important for photographers to be aware of the specifics of the current copyright law. For example, most people are aware that it is necessary to obtain the consent of the photographed individuals if you plan to publish their images for commercial or editorial purposes. What about the use of famous monuments that are located on the streets in public space?

Everything is complicated here. Video channel Half as Interesting published a video summarizing information about the public domain, copyright, and what you can safely photograph, using the Eiffel Tower as an example. Does this mean we won't be able to photograph the famous landmark in the center of Paris? Not really. It all depends on the time of day chosen for filming.

In the European Union, a work of art - a song, painting, photo, video or building - is subject to copyright law for the life of its creator and for another 70 years after his death. But what if an object protected by copyright stands in the middle beautiful landscape? In most countries, “freedom of panorama” is enshrined in law. This means that photography is permitted as long as the copyrighted object is not the center of the image.

Panorama freedom around the world for images used for commercial purposes. Image: Wikimedia Commons.

However, in some EU countries the freedom of panorama is significantly limited by law. Unfortunately, France is one of these countries. And in Italy, shooting panoramas is completely prohibited, that is, Renzo Piano’s Auditorium and other modern buildings cannot be included in the shots.

In the case of the Eiffel Tower, whose creator died in 1923, the object was no longer subject to copyright law in 1993. Therefore, in front of the Paris Las Vegas hotel, which opened in 1999, they were able to build a copy of the tower. But things are completely different with photographs of Gustave Eiffel's tower illuminated at night.

Legal replica of the Eiffel Tower in Las Vegas, USA. Photo: Jürgen Matern.

The twinkling lights on the romantic symbol of Paris were installed in 1985. Illumination is considered a separate work of art with its own rights. This means that there will be a long wait before you can freely photograph the Eiffel Tower at night, in accordance with copyright law. Taking pictures for personal use is acceptable, but it is prohibited to even share pictures on in social networks. Although the copyright owner does not make claims for non-commercial use, technically, any night image of the Eiffel Tower must obtain permission from the copyright holder - the company La Société d'exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE).

What other world landmarks might pose a problem when photographing? The Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, Radio City Theater and Concert Hall in New York, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome - this is just a small list of the list of famous places that are subject to the law copyright notice, and restrictions apply for commercial and/or editorial use of images.

Getty Images" Intellectual Property Wiki – useful resource to stay informed about the state of intellectual property around the world. And it’s time to remember the ban on the use of drones. In 2016, several tourists were hit with heavy fines for flying drones over the Colosseum in Rome. Similar restrictions apply in other cities. Be sure to ask about them before visiting new countries.

The most grandiose, famous, shocking building in Paris is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. Since its appearance in 1889 as an arch for the World Exhibition dedicated to the storming of the Bastille, it has been the center of attention to this day. It was also recognized as an important link in the French economy and a valuable asset of Europe.

The history of the tower!

Although the engineer Gustave Eiffel proposed dismantling the tower after the twenty-year period of its construction, as we see, it continues to rise majestically on the Champs de Mars to this day.

Book a table at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower

The most interesting thing is that the idea of the design did not belong to Eiffel, but to Maurice Koechlin, his colleague in the engineering bureau. It was in Maurice's old drawings that the leading engineer found the sketch of the tower that interested him.

Together with other employees, Eiffel refines the idea, files a joint patent, sends the drawings to the competition, and wins. Subsequently, he buys the ownership rights and becomes their sole owner.

The amazing fact is that while working on the construction scheme, the research of Hermann von Mayer, a Swiss professor of paleontology, was taken as a basis. XIX century. He studied the structure of the femur, namely its head at the point of bending and joining the joint at an angle.

He concluded that thanks to the many small processes of strict geometric shape with which it is covered, the weight of the body is distributed evenly, preventing fractures.

It was these studies by Mayer that inspired the designers 20 years later famous tower to give it such a stable form. Even with a strong wind, the top deviates by only 12 cm, and if it is hot in the sun - by 18 cm due to the expansion of the metal.

Working on the image

The original appearance of the steel lady was purely an example of the technological progress of its time, and looked too conservative. To win the competition, it was necessary to refine the design with decorative elements and make it more refined.

Gustave made a proposal to decorate the tower supports with stone, make the arches a connecting link between the supports and the lower floor, and also turn them into the main entrance to the exhibition. The levels also had to be transformed and become functional thanks to the glazed halls, and the top had to take on a rounded shape along with other decorations.

When the scheme acquired all these innovations, the jury approved Eiffel's plan, and he received the green light for construction. Feeling a surge of enthusiasm after his first victory, he exclaimed that France would now become the only owner in the world of a 300-meter flagpole.

To be or not to be - the opinion of bohemians

The delight, however, was not shared by the creative elite, who considered the future structure offensive to the eye. The city's mayor's office has repeatedly received letters demanding that they not allow the construction of such a monstrous structure, arguing that the Eiffel Tower in Paris would be a huge mistake, a repulsive stain hanging over the city, and not compatible with other architecture.

About three hundred painters, architects, musicians and writers drew up a protest, sending it to the city authorities, where in colorful expressions they convinced the commission to come to their senses: “For 20 years we will be forced to look at the disgusting shadow of the hated column of iron and screws, stretching over the city like an ink blot".

The petition was signed by Charles Gounod, Dumas fils, and the famous short story writer Guy de Maupassant. However, Maupassant subsequently visited the restaurant, which is now called Jules Verne, several times. When the novelist was asked why he came there if he disliked the Eiffel Tower so much, he said that there was no longer a place in Paris from which this damn thing could not be seen.

However, not everyone was so ardently opposed to her. It made a completely different impression on Thomas Edison, and in the guest book he wrote a greeting to its creator.

Construction details: numbers and facts

It all started in 1887 on January 28, and the last day to complete construction was December 31, 1889. For such a colossal project, this was a record time, considering that the height of the Eiffel Tower was 300 meters.

Tower construction!

There was no technology capable of lifting parts weighing up to 3 tons to this height, and therefore Eiffel had to additionally invent special mobile cranes. Also, to speed up the work, most of the elements were made in advance, and holes were drilled in them, into which connecting rivets were installed.

Eiffel demonstrated unique precision in drawing up drawings. There were 1,700 general ones and 3,629 detailed ones, and their accuracy was 0.1 mm (3D printers print with such precision today). This is comparable to jewelry work or magic, worthy of admiration, especially in our age of high technology.

Inner world

Once in Paris, it is difficult to avoid the temptation to look at the city of love from the height of the most famous Parisian woman. On the initial two platforms, which are located at the peaks of 57.63 and 115.73 m; you can visit restaurants, drink a glass of sparkling wine or order lunch.

On the third level, located at 276.13 m, visitors will find a bar and an astronomical and meteorological observatory. The tower is crowned by a lighthouse with a dome, the light of which reaches 10 km.

Rising to the 3rd level

There are 1,792 steps leading up to the top, but you are unlikely to want to make such a serious climb, especially since back in 1899 two Fives-Lill elevators were built for this purpose, and passengers, having risen to the 175 m mark, moved to another cabin .

Elevator to the 2nd floor

The first machines ran on hydraulic pumps, but since their use was impossible in winter, Otis electric motors replaced them in 1983, and the hydraulics are shown as an exhibit to tourists.

Gustave Eiffel Apartment

At the very top there is another room - an apartment that was built especially for Eiffel. Although the square is quite spacious, it is furnished simply, but with the taste of a man of the 19th century. It has separate rooms, furniture, carpets, and even a piano - a must-have item for the elite of that time.

When the apartment became known in the city, there were people who wanted to buy it or at least spend the night there, offering substantial sums, but Eiffel always refused such offers.

While in Paris, the engineer often arranged meetings with the rich and famous people. Edison also visited, and for ten hours the pair of inventors, over cognac and cigars, found many fascinating topics for discussion, including the phonograph, the latest invention of the famous American.

In captivity, but with his head held high

Eiffel Tower, 1940 – the lift mechanism suddenly breaks down. This trouble happened just before the arrival of Adolf Hitler. Since the war was going on, there was nowhere to get new parts for it, and the Fuhrer could only trample at the feet of the obstinate Parisian woman. On this occasion, the poets did not miss the opportunity to say: “Hitler conquered France, but could not conquer the Eiffel Tower.”

Hitler planned to transmit radio signals from the lighthouse to his military units and broadcast propaganda in Paris, but he was especially excited by the idea that the flag flying on the spire of the top would be clearly visible in all corners of the city.

At the end of the summer of 1944, Hitler, annoyed that he was unable to climb to the top, gives Colonel General Dietrich von Choltitz the order to destroy the unsubdued proud mountain along with the rest of the sights of Paris.

However, the order was never carried out, and when the occupiers left the city, the elevators, which had stopped for several years, started working again after a couple of hours, and the news about this was broadcast by radio from the tower.

The height of the Eiffel Tower!

For 40 years, the Eiffel Tower had no competitors in height in the whole world, and only in 1930 it lost the palm to the Chrysler Building in New York. Today its height reaches 324 m due to the antenna installed in 2010.

Height

In reality and in the photo, the tower looks slender, sophisticated, and charmingly beautiful. Like a true Frenchwoman, she loves to radically change her image from time to time, and has already tried on several outfits. It was painted in different colors, which ranged from yellow to reddish brown.

Now a unique “brown-Eiffel” tone, closest to a bronze hue, has been developed and patented especially for it. Every 7 years it is repainted to protect the metal from corrosion, and old parts are also replaced with new ones made of a lighter but more durable alloy.

Night beauty

The Iron Lady also loves to shine, and at the time of her premiere in 1889 she sparkled with tens of thousands of gas lamps, a pair of searchlights and a lighthouse, the rays of which were the colors of three shades of the national flag. Just a year later, electric lights sparkled on it, and in 1925 it became the most ambitious advertising platform for Andre Citroen.

The advertisement was called: “The Tower is on Fire,” and thanks to 125 new light bulbs, the silhouette first lit up, then it was replaced by a shower of stars, which smoothly turned into the flight of comets and zodiac symbols, followed by the year of birth of the tower, the current year, and finally the surname appeared Citroen. Advertising ran until 1934.

The Parisian fashionista received her golden dress on the last day of 1985, and in 2003, silver lights were added to this noble shine. This required 4.6 million €, 20 thousand light bulbs, 40 km of wires, 30 people and several months of work. The tower wore another memorable outfit from the beginning of July to the end of December 2008, which looked like the flag of Europe - a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background.

The brainchild of Gustave Eiffel remains a beautiful wonder of the world today. A copy of the Eiffel Tower stands in many cities: Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Varna, Chinese city Guangzhou and Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Exact copy in Las Vegas

In the first 12 months of its existence, it fully recouped its construction costs thanks to visitors, and remains the most popular, most visited attraction. Millions of people come to her for dates every year, and by 2002 this number exceeded 200 million.

Observation deck

City of dreams and champagne bubbles

To maximize your time in the company of the Eiffel Tower, tour and restaurant tickets can be booked in advance. Several buffets, a bar and a couple of cozy restaurants will allow you to enjoy delicious dishes, drinks and views of Paris.

On the ground floor you can visit the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant, eat a sandwich, fries, croissant, drink juice or coffee, paying only 18 € for lunch. In the evening there are several main courses and desserts to choose from, but the price also increases to 82 € per person.
At the same level there are also regular buffets, where a glass of juice and a slice of pizza will not exceed 7-8 €.

Restaurant "Jules Verne"

But, if you find yourself in the very romantic place on earth, you do not intend to skimp on pleasures, then visit the luxurious restaurant “Le Jules Verne” on the second level. Lunch here will cost at least 85 € per person, and dinner with lobster – at least 200 €.

View from the tower at night

Paris at night from the observation deck

Eiffel Tower on the map

However, you can have fun without visiting such expensive establishments. Having risen to the third level, in the Champagne Bar, take a glass of champagne, take a bird's eye view of Paris, and feel the exclusivity of this moment.

Video

The exact address: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris

Working hours: From 9:30 to 23:00, in summer from 9:00 to 00:00

Tickets

Entrance to the lift (up to 2nd floor): adults - 11€, 12-14 years old - 8.5€, children and disabled people - 4€.

To the top: adults - 17 €, 12-14 years old - 14.5 €, children and disabled people - 8 €.

By stairs to the 2nd floor: adults - 7 €, 12-14 years old - 5 €, children and disabled people - 3 €.

Photo

Photo gallery Eiffel Tower!

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Eiffel Tower at night photo

Eiffel Tower photo

The most recognizable landmark of Paris, a symbol of France, named after its creator Gustav Eiffel. It is a place of real pilgrimage for tourists. The designer himself simply called it a 300-meter tower.

Eiffel Tower (Paris) - symbol of France

The Eiffel Tower ([` aɪfəl taʊər] EYE-fəl TOWR; French: Tour Eiffel) is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris (France).

In 2006, the tower was visited by 6,719,200 people, and over its entire history - over 250 million people, making the tower the most visited attraction in the world. Eiffel Tower (Paris) was conceived as a temporary structure - it served as the entrance arch of the Paris World Exhibition of 1889. The tower was saved from the planned demolition 20 years after the exhibition by radio antennas installed at the very top - this was the era of the introduction of radio.

Where is the Eiffel Tower

If we talk about where is the Eiffel Tower specifically, it stands on the Champ de Mars opposite the Jena Bridge over the Seine River.

In addition to the Eiffel, there are several more interesting and unusual towers: the leaning tower, the leaning tower and the legendary one.

The question of how to get to the Eiffel Tower is also very simple: you need to navigate to the Bir-Hakeim station on line 6 of the Paris Metro. Another option is Trocadero station on line 9. Bus routes, on which you can get to the Eiffel Tower: 42, 69, 72, 82 and 87.

If you wish, you can see in real time what is happening around the main attraction of Paris and see others. Webcams of the Eiffel Tower and Paris are not as popular and developed as in New York, so they offer only a limited view of the tower.

Height of the Eiffel Tower

Height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 meters (2000).

For more than 40 years, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world, almost 2 times taller than the tallest tall buildings world of that time - (137 m), (156 m) and Ulm Cathedral (161 m) - until in 1930 it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building in New York.

Throughout its history, the tower has repeatedly changed its paint color - from yellow to red-brown. In recent decades, the Eiffel Tower has been invariably painted in “Eiffel Brown” - an officially patented color close to the natural shade of bronze, which is barely visible in night photos of the Eiffel Tower.

If you want to go to Paris, then it's time to book a tour of the Eiffel Tower in advance:

Eiffel Tower in Paris: history

Eiffel Tower in Paris was created specifically for the World Exhibition of 1889, which was organized by the authorities for the centenary of the French Revolution.

The famous engineer Gustave Eiffel submitted to the Paris administration his project for a 300-meter iron tower, which he was not actually involved in. On September 18, 1884, Gustav Eiffel received a joint patent for the project with his employees, and subsequently bought the exclusive right from them.

On May 1, 1886, a nationwide competition for architectural and engineering projects for the future World Exhibition opened, in which 107 applicants took part. Various extravagant ideas were considered, including, for example, a giant guillotine, which was supposed to be reminiscent of the French Revolution of 1789.

Eiffel's project becomes one of the 4 winners and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative option.

In the end, the committee settled on Eiffel's plan, although the idea of the tower itself did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel used special construction methods. This explains the decision of the exhibition committee in favor of this project.

In order for the tower to better meet the aesthetic tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stéphane Sauvestre proposed covering the base supports of the tower with stone, connecting its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, and placing spacious glazed halls, give the top of the tower a rounded shape and use a variety of decorative elements to decorate it.

In January 1887, Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement according to which Eiffel was provided with an operating lease of the tower for his personal use for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, amounting to 25% of all expenses for construction of a tower. On December 31, 1888, in order to attract the missing funds, a joint-stock company was created with an authorized capital of 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds contributed by three banks, the other half is the personal funds of Eiffel himself.

The final construction budget was 7.8 million francs. The tower paid for itself during the exhibition period, and its subsequent operation turned out to be a very profitable business.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower

Construction work was carried out by 300 workers for just over two years - from January 28, 1887 to March 31, 1889. The record-breaking construction time was greatly facilitated by the drawings. High Quality indicating the exact dimensions of more than 12,000 metal parts, for the assembly of which 2.5 million rivets were used.

To finish construction of the Eiffel Tower at the appointed time, Eiffel used, for the most part, pre-fabricated parts. At first, high cranes were used. When the structure outgrew their height, mobile cranes specially designed by Eiffel were used. They moved along rails laid for future elevators.

The first tower elevators were powered by hydraulic pumps. Two historic Fives-Lill elevators, installed in 1899 in the eastern and western pillars of the tower, are still in use to this day. Since 1983, their operation has been ensured by an electric motor, while the hydraulic pumps have been preserved and are available for inspection.

The second and third floors of the tower were connected by a vertical elevator, created by engineer Edu (Eiffel’s classmate at the Central Higher Technical School) and consisting of two mutually leveling cabins. Halfway to the landing, at an altitude of 175 m from the ground, passengers had to transfer to another elevator. Water tanks installed on the floors provided the necessary hydraulic pressure.

In 1983, this lift, which could not work in winter time, was replaced by an Otis brand electric elevator. It consisted of four cabins and provided direct message between two floors. The construction of the Eiffel Tower required special attention to the safety of continuous work. This became Eiffel's greatest concern. During the construction work there was not a single death, which was a significant achievement for that time.

The work progressed slowly but continuously. It aroused surprise and admiration among Parisians who saw the tower growing into the sky. On March 31, 1889, less than 26 months after the excavation began, Eiffel was able to invite several more or less physically strong officials to the first ascent of 1,710 steps.

Eiffel Tower (France): public reaction

The structure was a stunning and immediate success. During the six months of the exhibition, more than 2 million visitors came to see the “iron lady”. By the end of the year, three quarters of all construction costs were recovered.

In October 1898, Eugene Ducretet conducted the first telegraph communication between the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon. In 1903, General Ferrier, a pioneer in the field of wireless telegraphy, used it for his experiments. It so happened that the tower was left at first for military purposes.

Since 1906, a radio station has been permanently located on the tower. January 1, 1910 Eiffel extends the lease of the tower for a period of seventy years. In 1921, the first direct radio transmission from the Eiffel Tower took place. A wide radio broadcast was broadcast, made possible by the installation of special antennas on the tower. Since 1922, a radio program began to be published regularly, which was called “Eiffel Tower”.

In 1925, the first attempts were made to relay a television signal from the tower. The transmission of regular television programs began in 1935. Since 1957, a television tower has been located on the tower, increasing the height of the steel structure to 320.75 m. In addition to it, several dozen linear and parabolic antennas are installed on the tower. They provide retransmission of various radio and television programs.

During the German occupation of 1940, the French damaged the elevator drive just before Adolf Hitler arrived, so the Fuhrer never climbed it.

In August 1944, as the Allies approached Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Koltitz, the military governor of Paris, to destroy the tower along with the rest of the city's landmarks. But Von Koltitz disobeyed the order. Surprisingly, a few hours after the liberation of Paris, the elevator drive started working again.

Eiffel Tower: interesting facts

The weight of the metal structure is 7,300 tons (total weight 10,100 tons). Today, three towers could be built from this metal at once. The foundation is made of concrete masses. The vibrations of the tower during storms do not exceed 15 cm.
The lower floor is a pyramid (129.2 m each side at the base), formed by 4 columns connected at a height of 57.63 m by an arched vault; on the vault is the first platform of the Eiffel Tower. The platform is a square (65 m across).
On this platform rises a second pyramid-tower, also formed by 4 columns connected by a vault, on which there is (at a height of 115.73 m) a second platform (a square 30 m in diameter).
Four columns rising on the second platform, pyramidally approaching and gradually intertwining, form a colossal pyramidal column (190 m), carrying a third platform (at a height of 276.13 m), also square in shape (16.5 m in diameter); there is a lighthouse with a dome on it, above which at an altitude of 300 m there is a platform (1.4 m in diameter).
There are stairs (1792 steps) and elevators leading to the tower.

Restaurant halls were erected on the first platform; on the second platform there were tanks with machine oil for the hydraulic lifting machine (elevator) and a restaurant in a glass gallery. The third platform housed the astronomical and meteorological observatories and the physics room. The light of the lighthouse was visible at a distance of 10 km.

The erected tower was stunning with its bold design. Eiffel was severely criticized for the project and simultaneously accused of trying to create something artistic and non-artistic.

Together with his engineers - specialists in bridge construction, Eiffel worked on calculating the strength of the wind, well aware that if they were building the tallest structure in the world, they must first of all make sure that it was resistant to wind loads.

The original agreement with Eiffel was for the tower to be dismantled 20 years after construction. As you might guess, it was never implemented, and the story of the Eiffel Tower continued.

Under the first balcony, on all four sides of the parapet, the names of 72 outstanding French scientists and engineers, as well as those who made a special contribution to the creation of Gustav Eiffel, are engraved. These inscriptions appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and were restored in 1986-1987 by the Société Nouvelle d’exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, hired by the mayor’s office to operate the Eiffel Tower. The tower itself is the property of the city of Paris.

Eiffel Tower lighting

The lights on the Eiffel Tower were first turned on on its opening day in 1889. Then it consisted of 10 thousand gas lamps, two searchlights and a lighthouse installed on the top, the light of which was colored blue, white and red - the colors of the national flag of France. In 1900, electric lamps appeared on the Iron Lady's designs. The current golden lighting was first turned on on December 31, 1985, and can be seen in many photographs of the Eiffel Tower taken in recent years.

In 1925, Andre Citroen placed an advertisement on the tower that he called “Eiffel Tower on Fire.” About 125 thousand electric light bulbs were installed on the tower. One after another, ten images flashed on the tower: the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower, star rain, the flight of comets, the signs of the Zodiac, the year the tower was created, the current year and, finally, the name Citroen. This promotion lasted until 1934, and the tower was the tallest advertising location in the world.

In the summer of 2003, the tower was “dressed” in a new lighting robe. Over the course of several months, a team of thirty climbers entangled the tower structures with 40 kilometers of wires and installed 20 thousand light bulbs, manufactured to a special order from one of the French companies. The new illumination, which cost 4.6 million euros, was reminiscent of the one that first turned on on the tower on the night of New Year 2000, when the tower, usually illuminated by golden-yellow lanterns, in a matter of seconds was dressed in a fairy-tale glow, winking with silver lights.

From July 1 to December 31, 2008, during France's presidency of the EU, the tower was illuminated with blue stars (reminiscent of the European flag).

It consists of four levels: lower (ground), 1st floor (57 meters), 2nd floor (115 meters) and 3rd floor (276 meters). Each of them is remarkable in its own way.

On the lower level there are ticket offices where you can buy tickets to the Eiffel Tower, an information stand where you can grab useful brochures and booklets, as well as 4 souvenir shops - one in each column of the tower. In addition, there is a post office in the southern column, so you can send a postcard to your family and friends right from the foot of the famous building. Also, before starting to conquer the Eiffel Tower, you have the option of having a snack at the buffet located right there. From the lower level you can enter the offices where old hydraulic machines are installed, which in the past raised elevators to the top of the tower. They can only be admired as part of excursion groups.

The 1st floor, which can be reached on foot if desired, will delight tourists with another souvenir shop and the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant. However, in addition to this, there is a preserved fragment spiral staircase, which at one time led from the second floor to the third, and at the same time to Eiffel’s office.

You can learn a lot about the tower by going to the Cineiffel center, where animation dedicated to the history of the structure is shown. Children will certainly be interested in meeting Gus, the hand-drawn mascot of the Eiffel Tower and the character of a special children's guide book. Also on the 1st floor you can admire posters, photographs, and all kinds of illustrations from different times dedicated to the “Iron Lady.”

On the 2nd floor, the first thing that attracts attention is the general panorama of Paris, opening from a 115-meter height. Here you can replenish your supplies of souvenirs, find out a lot about the history of the tower at special stands, and at the same time order yourself a delicious lunch at the Jules Verne restaurant.

3rd floor is the main objective many tourists, in fact, the top of the tower, located at an altitude of 276 meters, where elevators with transparent glass lead, so that already on the way there there is a stunning view of the French capital. At the top you can treat yourself to a glass of champagne at the Champange bar. Climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris is an experience that will last a lifetime.

Eiffel Tower Restaurants

Having lunch or simply drinking a glass of wine in one of the restaurants located on the Eiffel Tower while admiring the view of Paris is the dream of many, so once you get to the top you should not deny yourself the pleasure of visiting a restaurant on the Eiffel Tower. In total, the tower houses two excellent restaurants, a bar and several buffets.

Opened recently on the 1st level of the Eiffel Tower, the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant offers its visitors both light lunches and classic dinners, which can be enjoyed in a cozy and friendly atmosphere of the restaurant, looking at Paris from a height of 57 meters. It's not a very fancy place, but it's a very nice place. You can book your two-course meal and lift ticket using the link below.

"Jules Verne"

The restaurant on the 2nd floor of the tower, named after the famous writer, is an excellent example of modern and refined French cuisine. A variety of delicacies and unique dishes combined with a designer interior and impeccable ambiance - all this turns an ordinary lunch at Jules Vernet into a real feast of taste.

The “Champagne Bar”, located at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and drinking a glass of sparkling drink there is a kind of logical conclusion to the climb to the main attraction of Paris. You can choose pink or white champagne, which cost between 10-15 euros per glass.

Eiffel Tower Tickets

As already stated above, ticket offices located on the lowest level of the tower. The cost of an adult ticket to the top of the tower is 13.40 euros, to the 2nd floor - 8.20 euros. You can find out about other tickets on this page in a separate section. In addition, tickets for the Eiffel Tower can be purchased online on the attraction's website.

In this case, they send an e-mail e-ticket, which you need to print and take with you on the day of your visit. Tickets can be purchased at least one day in advance of your visit. You can book tickets for the Eiffel Tower on the website, where all instructions are also indicated.

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