Tours Travel

The most famous places in France – The Eiffel Tower

Everyone has a mental image of the Eiffel Tower. It is one of the most photographed and revered monuments in the world. Visiting it is on the wish list of many people. The enduring popularity of this century-old tower, built as a gateway in 1889 world FairIt may have come as a shock to Parisians who were alive when it was being built. Artists and intellectuals of the time called the Tower “monstrous” and led a vigorous public protest against it, issuing a manifesto, with 300 signatures, voicing their objections in the name of “French taste, art and history under threat”.

Standing 984 feet tall, this intricate set of tower constructions far exceeded the height of the world’s tallest structure up to that time, the 555-foot Washington Monument. Building a structure of this height was considered an engineering feat at the time, with the greatest challenge being the possibility of the wind blowing it down. The Eiffel Tower remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for the next 41 years, when it was topped by the 1,046-foot Chrysler Building in New York City.

The original plan was to dismantle the Eiffel Tower after 20 years. But before that deadline, it had proven useful as a communications tower during World War I to detect enemy zeppelins, and again during World War II to intercept messages broadcast by the Nazis. So the decision was made to allow her to stay. Today, the Eiffel Tower is one of the most well-known structures in the world and is considered an architectural masterpiece and an icon of Paris.

Then, of course, one day you must visit the Eiffel Tower yourself. When you do, enjoy the full experience. This means making plans to see him in each of his five incomparable guises, none of them to be missed. View the Tower from a boat on the Seine, where you can see its full form and stature. Stand under him, surrounded by his four mighty feet. Mount it to the middle of the top, to go around its circumference and look down through the transparent floor. Take the elevator to the top, to sip champagne while you gaze at the river and the city, like a toy under your feet.

After you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower from all these angles, you’re not done yet. Saving the best for last, return at night to see it sparkle in golden lights, lit from within to show off its structure, with a five-minute sparkle show every hour, every hour, and sometimes a full moon in the background. .

Here’s how to achieve each of these five essential ways to experience the Eiffel Tower, while enjoying it to the fullest and skipping the frustrations of waiting in overwhelming lines.

see it from the river
Plan to have your first view of the Eiffel Tower from the Seine River. This will allow you to fully assimilate it, which you can only do from a distance. The best way to accomplish this is to take the batobus (Boat Bus) to the tower instead of the Metro, and get off at the dock at its base.

If you buy a two-day pass on the Batobus, you will have access to a wonderful way to travel around the city, hopping on and off as you please, and seeing along the way all the spectacular buildings and monuments on the banks of the river, as well as the impressive bridges that cross it. The river is the main artery of the city and provides a better sense of direction as well as better views than the Metro. The Batobus starts at the Hotel de Ville and makes a complete loop of the river, with stops at the Louvre, Champs-Elysées, Eiffel Tower, Orsay, the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, and Jardin des Plantes. Using the river for transportation, the get there it will be as memorable as the being there.

As you approach the Eiffel Tower on the Batobus, you will pass under the Alexander III Bridge (named for Tsar Alexander III), with its cherubs and nymphs, and its lavishly gilded figures and winged horses (representing the mythological “Fames” – Art, Science, Commerce and Industry). This will be your best opportunity to take a photo of the entire tower in daylight. You’ll come back later to see it glow gold with light after dark.

When your ship crosses the Seine to dock in front of the tower, beware of the small-scale version of the Statue of Liberty passing by the small island. This is one of the three models of the Statue of Liberty that stand in Paris, all created by the same sculptor who built the full-size version that France gifted to the newly formed United States.

Look at it from under her legs
After disembarking, climb up and under the huge legs of the Eiffel Tower. This will put you where visitors to the 1889 Paris World’s Fair stood in awe as they entered the fairgrounds. The Universal Exposition in Paris was held to celebrate the centenary of the day the Bastille fell, which started the French Revolution. To commemorate this historic date, Paris wanted to create a structure that would shock the world as “a monument to French genius, the inexhaustible spirit of the French people, and proof that France was still, as ever, at the forefront of the progress of the world of engineering wonders. Over 100 artists were invited to submit ideas. The winning design was by Gustave Eiffel, who was also the engineer who completed the Statue of Liberty. He will see the office that Gustave built for himself at the top of the tower when he visits the summit.

Note the color of the Tower, repainted once every seven years to protect against rust. Its color started out as “Venetian red” before assembly, changing to a fainter reddish brown and then a yellow ochre. Since 1968, “Eiffel Tower Brown” has been painted, applied in three progressively lighter shades, from bottom to top, to increase its visual impact against the sky.

Admire the intricate geometry of the tower’s angles and braces, a total of 18,038 pieces, held together by 2.5 million rivets. He took at least a dozen photos, from various angles, to capture the cobweb weaving of this phenomenal iron latticework structure. Note the orientation of the tower by the north, south, east, and west designations of the four solid feet, with supports that are anchored to concrete foundations buried deep in the ground.

See it from Midway Up and from the restaurants
Now it’s time to go up the Tower, using the tickets for the second level that you will have purchased online, well in advance of your trip, on the official Eiffel Tower website. Holding tickets before arrival is essential. This will make the fundamental difference between having a glorious experience or a nightmare.

Pre-booked ticket options give you priority access to the first and second floors, or access to all three levels, including the summit. Once inside, you can spend as long as you want, wherever you want, in the Tower. The last ascent from the top is at 11 pm

Tickets are published on the official Eiffel Tower website 90 days in advance and sell out quickly. So book your tickets early. And avoid ticket scalpers, or you’ll pay a lot more for essentially the same thing. Lift tickets are for a specific time. Be very careful to arrive on time. If you arrive more than 30 minutes late, your tickets may be voided and you will not be allowed entry.

From the second level, you will join another line for the elevator to the top. Even if you can’t buy advance tickets that allow access that includes the summit, you can reserve tickets for the second level and then buy tickets for the summit once you’re there.

Even better than buying pre-booked lift tickets is reserving a table for lunch or dinner at 58 Eiffel Tower or the even more expensive Jules Verne Restaurant. Your elevator tickets to the second level will be complimentary if you have lunch or dinner reservations, and you’ll be able to use a special fast track elevator line at the base of the tower. Enjoying the view from one of the restaurants, during the day, at sunset or after dark, while being served a phenomenal meal, is an unforgettable experience, even if it is a bit expensive. Consider this a waste, and just do it. You can always balance things out by having picnics instead of restaurant meals tomorrow.

After the elevator takes you to the first and second levels, take time to walk around the circumference and look in all directions, and also to see the many exhibits on the history of the Eiffel Tower. Walk on the transparent glass floor on the first level, if you dare. This is your chance to experience walking on air.

Look at it from its beak
And now the grand finale of your visit to the Eiffel Tower. Take the elevator to the top. Yes, there will be a line. And yes, the area at the top is smaller, so it can get busier. But consider this a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you decide not to bother, you’ll probably always wonder if you should have made the effort.

A good strategy is to start watching the elevation line towards the summit as soon as you reach the second level. When the line is at its shortest point, stop whatever you’re doing and get on it. You can always go back to the second level later and pick up where you left off.

Once you reach the top, as you look out over all of Paris below you, celebrate the moment with a glass of champagne from the champagne bar hidden in the structure. Don’t be intimidated by the price or the line. The line will move quickly. And the memory of this culminating experience will last a lifetime. This will be a story you will repeat often after you return home from your trip.

see it at night
At least once during your stay in Paris, enjoy the magical splendor of a boat ride on the Seine at night. Book a ticket with parisian boats for a one-hour cruise, starting at the pier in front of Notre Dame and gliding under brilliantly lit bridges to the Eiffel Tower and back.

Again, it will be a good idea to buy your tickets in advance to ensure your choice of time and date. Choose an open-air seat at the front of the boat on the left side for the best view of the Eiffel Tower as it approaches, spectacularly lit against the night sky.

The view of the Eiffel Tower at night is truly spectacular. You will certainly be tempted to take pictures. But keep in mind that the tower’s night light display is currently considered copyrighted as a work of art. So if you want to post pictures on social media, you need to get permission from the social media first. Eiffel Tower Operating Company (operating company of the Eiffel Tower), or risk paying a fine.

Once you have had the full experience of visiting the Eiffel Tower and seeing it from every aspect and point of view, you will have no difficulty finding a representation of it to take home. Select the right poster, watercolor, pencil drawing or scarf… or even a keyring. So every time you look at this souvenir, you will be transported back to the time you were there, experiencing the Eiffel Tower for yourself.

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