Eiffel Tower, Paris' Must See

There are so many great things to do in Paris, where shall I begin? When most people think of Paris, they think of the Eiffel Tower. It is the world's largest tourist site attracting visitors from all over the world over 200 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower since its erection.

A good way is to start with a few facts about the tower, that might entice your idea of wanting to see the Eiffel Tower up close and personal. The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel along the River Seine in 1889 to commemorate the French Revolution. It took over 300 steel workers to build the tower and only one steel worker was killed during the process.
The massive hydraulic elevator designed by Eiffel is still in use since 1899 of course it has been restored and computerized. The Eiffel Tower stands 324 meters tall and material used is 9441 tons of high quality wrought iron (puddle iron) . The tower is painted every 7 years in three shades of brown.

In 1929, a monument of Gustave Eiffel was erected at the foot of the tower. There are a few souvenir shops around the base of the tower and a snack bar as well as the ticket office, where you can get your tickets to actually go to the very top of the tower.

Inside the tower on the first floor, you can enjoy the historical displays detailing the the lifespan of the Eiffel Tower. A larger circular gallery leads you through a tour of sites and monuments. There is also one section of the spiral staircase between the second and top floor that Eiffel once used to get to his office on the top floor this was dismantled in 1983. The remaining portion is 4 meters high.

There are 1665 stairs on the east side of the tower but visitors actually take the stairs on the ground level to the first and second floors. On the second floor you will find a shop that offers snacks and souvenirs from Paris and animated windows which act as a story teller about the construction of the tower.

From the second floor, take the elevator up the 180 meters to the top where there are two levels, one inside and one outside. It is a breath taking view. An exact replica of Gustave Eiffel's office, wax figures of Eiffel, his daughter and American inventor, Thomas Edison. Edison is represented giving Eiffel a gift of a phonograph. Rumor has it that the phonograph depicted is the actual phonograph given to Eiffel by Edison. The original construction plans for the tower are on display along with 360 degree panoramic photos of Paris.

The Tour Eiffel is open daily form 9:30am-11pm, located on Parc du Champs de Mars. The nearest metro stop is Bir Hakeim. The admission depends on which of three levels you choose. The Eiffel Tower has got restaurants on the first and second platforms.
The restaurant on the first platform is Altitude 95 and faces the river Seine. The restaurant on the second platform is Jules Verne (Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes there) for dinner reservations be prepared to book months in advance. For those on a budget, pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the nearby Jardin du Champs de Mars.

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Rita Borges is Managing Director, Paris Luxe Apartments, www.parisluxeapt.com, www.parishoneymoonrentals.com