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Locally nicknamed “La dame de fer” (French for “Iron Lady”), it was constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the centerpiece of the 1889 World’s Fair. Although initially criticized by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower received arolmost 6 million visitors in 2022, up 197 percent from 2021 when numbers dropped due to the COVID virus. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world: almost 7 million people ascended it in 2015. It was designated a monument historique in 1964 and was named part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.
Eiffel Tower – Free Video Guide
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The Eiffel Tower has 4 levels:
Ground floor with 4 towers and lifts.
1st floor is publicly accessible by elevator or stairs. There is the Eiffel Restaurant and other facilities.
2nd floor is also publicly accessible by elevator or stairs. It has several gourmet and Michelin restaurants.
The 3rd floor is the top floor, publicly accessible by elevator. Originally there were laboratories for various experiments, and a small apartment reserved for Gustave Eiffel. Today there is still Eiffel’s flat open to the public more as a museum. Additionally, there is a champagne bar on this floor.
Interesting facts and takeaways
The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world between 1889 and 1930. And it is still the highest structure in Paris.
Gustave Eiffel engraved on the tower the names of 72 French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians in recognition of their contributions to the building of the tower.
It’s been a part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991.
The total weight of the building (carcass, lifts, shops, and antennae) has brought the total weight to approximately 10.1 thousand tonnes.
The tower is painted in three shades: lighter at the top, getting progressively darker towards the bottom to complement the Parisian sky.
The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world.
The height of the tip is 330 meters (or 1083 feet).
The Eiffel Tower sways by up to 9 cm (3.5 inches) in the wind.
Maintenance of the tower includes applying 60 tons of paint every seven years to prevent it from rusting. The tower has been completely repainted at least 19 times since it was built.
The illumination of the tower is considered an “original visual creation” protected by copyright.
As one of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Eiffel Tower has been the inspiration for many replicas and similar towers (Blackpool Tower, Tokyo Tower, replica in Las Vegas, Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, Durango Mexico).
In 2011, the TV show Pricing the Priceless on the National Geographic Channel speculated that a full-size replica of the tower would cost approximately 480 million US dollars to build. This would be more than ten times the cost of the original budget.
Due to high demand make sure to buy tickets to the tower beforehand.