The Eiffel Tower, Paris

Why Visit the Eiffel Tower, Paris

The Eiffel Tower of Paris is an eternal symbol of the city, one of the most beloved settings for melodramas, and the most popular sight in France, requiring an entrance fee. Nowadays, the beautiful French capital is just as unthinkable without the majestic monument as without delicious croissants or excellent wine, but it wasn't always the case.

Even little kids know that you can see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, yet not everyone is aware that the original plan was to erect the monument in Barcelona! Nevertheless, the Spanish government found the sight's design inappropriate and declined the offer. Well, Spain's loss, France's gain it seems, but surprises didn't end there. The tower wasn't supposed to grace the city's views for longer than 20 years, but it worked so well as a telegraph transmitter that the monument was allowed to stay.

One of the most unbelievable Eiffel Tower facts is that it took only two years, two months, and 5 days to be built. At the time (the end of January 1887), it was the tallest structure in the world made by man. The Eiffel Tower height is 324 m (or 1063 ft) and it took only a bit over two years for the iron construction to be finished. Interestingly, even though Paris' most popular sight was named after Gustave Eiffel, he didn't have much to do with the tower. His company was responsible for the project and it was the two engineers working there who came up with the famous design. But Gustave himself helped to design another world-famous attraction, the Statue of Liberty in New York.

Although at first the "tour Eiffel" was considered to be the ugliest building in Paris, very soon it won the hearts of people all around the world, and now millions of travelers come to Paris to have their own unforgettable Eiffel Tower experience. To take a memorable photo from the top, you need to pay a small fee, that depends on what floor do you want to go up to and whether you prefer to use an elevator or the stairs (take into consideration that there are 1665 steps leading to the top floor).

As a rule, you need to pay around 15 - 20 EUR for the Eiffel Tower tickets. Keep in mind that the monument is the most popular sight in the city, so it's always better to plan your Eiffel Tower visit in advance.