20,000 little lights began to twinkle and dance in the night sky, there is a sense of hope and beauty swirling through the air; as you stare up at the unique structure before you; The Eiffel Tower Paris. The French have had a love-hate relationship with this magnificent structure for many years if only the steel beams could talk and tell us the stories of its long history!

Weird and wonderful facts about the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower in Paris was originally built as the entrance arch for the World’s Fair in 1889. It meant to be temporary, on show for 20 years. The 20-year mark came around and the tower had already become a symbol of Paris. The Parisians were disgusted, they felt it was an eye saw, and it was making Paris ugly. A writer who hated the tower would take his lunch and sit underneath it. He was frequently asked “If you hate the tower so much why do you sit under it?” his comment was “This is the only place in the city where I cannot see the ugly structure”.

Random facts

• The Tower is named after Gustave Eiffel which was the company in charge of building the structure. Gustave Eiffel had an apartment at the top of the tower; these days there is a recreation and Manikin of the man himself.
• The Eiffel Tower Paris took 2 years, 2 months, and 5 days to build
• It is 324 meters tall (approx. the height of an 81 story building).
• When it was first built the Eiffel Tower was once the tallest structure in the world.
• There were 2,500,000 rivets and 18,000 pieces of metal used to build the tower
• The Eiffel Tower is made of pure iron and weighs around 10,000 tonnes.
• Every 7 years around 50 tones of paint are added to the Eiffel Tower; to protect it from rust. It is painted 3 different colours dark grey on top, lightest on the bottom; why? this is so that when you look up; to the eye it looks like it is the same colour.
• There are 20,000 light bulbs, 5,000 on each side. They sparkle 5 minutes at the start of every hour, from nightfall to 1 AM.

But wait there is more……some useless information too

• During WWII Hitler wanted to climb it; to place a swastika from the top to promote his power and reign. He made his men go up to hang  HUGE flag off the top; the French resistance sabotaged the lifts and the men had to walk down the 1700 stairs. Hitler was furious and ordered it to be demolished and it was to be made into tanks.
• Victor Lustig sold the Eiffel Tower not once but….Twice.
• 1901, a lady gave birth in the elevator at the Eiffel Tower.
• An Inventor by the name of Franz Reichelt decided to test his creation of a Parachute; and jump off the Tower, He didn’t make it.
• The tower has been scaled by a mountaineer and a journalist who rode a bike down the legs
• Sadly over 400 people have committed suicide off the tower
• A woman named Erika La Tour Eiffel “married” the Eiffel Tower in 2007. She has a fetish called Objectophilia which means she falls in love with objects.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower

Treat yourself to some French wine, cheese, crackers; pop it in your backpack. Leave early afternoon around twilight on a clear day is the best; your first destination is Place Du Trocadero; a viewing platform nestled in between 2 symmetric buildings in the perfect line of the Eiffel Tower. It is here that you will get that Instagram-worthy photo of the Iron Lady.

Head down towards the tower; find a spot on the Champs De Mars (the large grassed area at the base of the tower) find a spot on the lush green grass and have your picnic. Paris the city of Love lights and culture what better place to sit in direct view of the Eiffel Tower.

Going up the Tower

Times have drastically changed and due to the high terror threats against the city; forcing them to bring in the big guns. Literally. Don’t be afraid when you walk the streets of Paris; if you come across armed police or military; the French Government have them in place as a precaution and to show strength within the city.

Security Checks

The base of the Eiffel Tower is all completely fenced off, there are 2 security checks before you are allowed to enter the base of the Tower. DO NOT take big bags; only handbags or small backpacks are allowed and they will be searched. (Make sure you have eaten your Picnic and drunk the Wine) The second screening is a body metal detector.

Ticket Info

• You can buy tickets at the base of the Tower if you choose
• Do yourself a favour and purchase a skip the line tickets! The lines in the summertime can be hectic; you don’t want to spend your time waiting in line for a ticket. The little bit of extra cash is totally worth it.
• If you book a specific time to go up the tower; you must be there at least 15min before your allocated time. If you miss it bad luck!
• There is a range of different ticket types, and prices for the different levels so be sure to know what you are looking for.
• For example, if you really keen you can walk up to the second floor; which is 674 steps and would take you about 30-45mins. If you choose this option you will go up the South leg of the tower; which usually has fewer queues.
• The other option is to get the lift either to the second floor or to the top (would recommend this option). You will go up the North Leg if you choose this ticket

Paris the city of love and adventure

The prestigious icon of Paris! The Eiffel Tower is that amazing iron structure that stole the hearts of many people around the world; with its defiance and pride. This is one of the main reasons people travel to Paris every year; the Eiffel Tower has had over 300 million visitors since it opened in 1889….and hopefully, we have inspired you to be next!