What is France like? And how much does the Eiffel Tower mean to the French? France is nothing without Paris, and Paris is nothing without the Eiffel Tower! Just as Paris is the heart of France, so the Eiffel Tower is the heart of Paris itself! It’s strange to imagine now, but there were times when they wanted to deprive this city of its heart.
In 1886, preparations were in full swing in France for the World Exhibition, where it was planned to show the world the technical achievements of the French Republic over the past 100 years after the storming of the Bastille (1789) and 10 years since the proclamation of the Third Republic under the leadership of a president elected by the National meeting. There was an urgent need for a structure that could serve as an entrance arch to the exhibition and at the same time amaze with its originality. This arch should have remained in everyone’s memory as something embodying one of the symbols of the Great French Revolution - it was not for nothing that it was to stand on the square of the hated Bastille! It’s no big deal that the entrance arch was supposed to be demolished in 20-30 years, the main thing is to leave it in memory! 
About 700 projects were considered: they offered their services best architects, among whom were not only the French, but the commission gave preference to the project of bridge engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel. There were rumors that he simply stole this project from some ancient Arab architect, but no one was able to confirm this. The truth was revealed only half a century after the openwork 300-meter Eiffel Tower, so reminiscent of the famous French Chantilly lace, had already firmly entered the consciousness of people as a symbol of Paris and France itself, immortalizing the name of its creator. 
When the truth about the true creators of the Eiffel Tower project was revealed, it turned out to be not so scary at all. There was no Arab architect, but two engineers, Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier, Eiffel employees, who developed this project based on the then new scientific and technological architectural direction - biomimetics or bionics. The essence of this (Biomimetics - English) direction is to borrow its valuable ideas from nature and transfer these ideas to architecture in the form of design solutions and use these information technologies in the construction of buildings and bridges. 
Nature often uses perforated structures to build light and strong skeletons of its “wards”. For example, for deep-sea fish or sea sponges, radiolarians (a simple organism) and starfish. What is striking is not only the variety of skeletal design solutions, but also the “material savings” in their construction, as well as the maximum strength of structures that can withstand the gigantic hydrostatic pressure of a huge mass of water.
It was this principle of rationality that young French design engineers used when creating a project for a new arched tower for the entrance to the French World Exhibition. The basis was the skeleton starfish. And this magnificent structure is an example of the use of the principles of the new science of biomimetics (bionics) in architecture. 
The engineers working in collaboration with Gustav Eiffel did not submit their own project for two simple reasons:
So, the information that Alexander Gustov Eiffel used the project of an imaginary Arab or the project of his like-minded people “into the dark” turned out to be unnecessarily exaggerated. 
Let us add that Eiffel not only took advantage of the project of his engineers, he personally made some amendments to the drawings, using his rich experience in bridge construction and special methods he himself developed, which made it possible to strengthen the structure of the tower and give it a special airiness.
These special methods were based on scientific discovery Swiss anatomy professor Hermann von Meyer, who 40 years before the construction of the Eiffel Tower began, documented interesting discovery: The head of the human femur is covered with a fine network of tiny mini-bones that amazingly distribute the load on the bone. Thanks to this redistribution, the human femur does not break under the weight of the body and can withstand enormous loads, although it enters the joint at an angle. And this network has a strictly geometric structure. 
In 1866, the architect-engineer from Switzerland Karl Kuhlmann brought the discovery of the professor of anatomy to the scientific technical basis that Gustav Eiffel used in the construction of bridges - load distribution using curved supports. He later used the same method to build such a complex structure as a three-hundred-meter tower.
So, this tower is truly a miracle of thought and technology of the 19th century in all respects! 
So, at the very beginning of 1886, the municipality of Paris of the Third French Republic and Alexander Gustav Eiffel signed an agreement in which the points were stated:
For 2 years, 2 months and 5 days, 300 workers, as they say, “without absenteeism and weekends,” worked hard so that on March 31, 1889 (less than 26 months after the start of construction) could the grand opening of the greatest building, which later became a symbol of the new France, will take place. 
Such advanced construction was facilitated not only by extremely clear and clear drawings, but also by the use of Ural iron. In the 18th and 19th centuries, all of Europe knew the word “Ekaterinburg” thanks to this metal. The construction of the tower did not use steel (carbon content no more than 2%), but a special alloy of iron, specially smelted in the Ural furnaces for the “Iron Lady”. “The Iron Lady” was another name for the entrance arch before it was called the Eiffel Tower. 
However, iron alloys corrode easily, so the tower was painted bronze with a specially formulated paint that required 60 tons. Since then, every 7 years the Eiffel Tower is treated and painted with the same “bronze” composition and every 7 years 60 tons of paint are spent on this. The tower frame itself weighs about 7.3 tons, but the total weight, including the concrete base, is 10,100 tons! The number of steps was also calculated - 1 thousand 710 pieces. 
The lower ground part is made in the form of a truncated pyramid with a side length of 129.2 m, with column-corners going up and forming, as intended, a high (57.63 m) arch. On this vaulted “ceiling” is fixed the first square platform, where the length of each side is almost 46 m. On this platform, like on an aerial board, several halls of a huge restaurant with huge display windows were built, from where a magnificent view of all 4 sides of Paris opened. Even then, the view from the tower of the Seine embankment with the Pont de Jena bridge evoked complete admiration. But there was no dense green area - a park on the Champ de Mars, with an area of more than 21 hectares. 
The idea to redevelop the former Royal Military School parade ground into a public park came to the mind of the architect and gardener Jean Camille Formiget only in 1908. It took a whole 20 years to bring all these plans to life! Unlike the rigid framework of the drawings according to which the Eiffel Tower was built, the plan of the park has changed countless times. 
The park, originally planned in strict english style, during its construction it grew somewhat (24 hectares), and, having absorbed the spirit of free France, democratically “settled” between geometrically slender rows of tall, strict trees and clearly defined alleys, many flowering shrubs and “village” ponds, in addition to classic English fountains . 
The main stage of construction was not the installation of the “metal lace” itself, for which about 3 million steel rivets and ties were used, but the guaranteed stability of the base and maintaining the absolutely ideal horizontal level of the building on a square of 1.6 hectares. It took only 8 months to fasten the openwork trunks of the tower and give it a rounded shape, and a year and a half to lay a reliable foundation. 
Judging by the description of the project, the foundation rests on a depth of more than 5 meters below the level of the Seine bed, 100 stone blocks 10 m thick are laid in the foundation pit, and 16 powerful supports are already built into these blocks, which form the backbone of the 4 tower “legs” on which the Eiffel Tower stands. Additionally, a hydraulic device is built into each “leg” of the “lady”, which allows the “madam” to maintain balance and horizontality. The carrying capacity of each device is 800 tons.
When installing the lower tier, an addition was introduced into the project - 4 elevators that rise to the second platform. Later, another one - the fifth elevator - began to function from the second to the third platform. The fifth elevator appeared after the tower was electrified at the beginning of the 20th century. Up to this point, all 4 elevators operated on hydraulic traction. 
When the troops of Nazi Germany occupied France, the Germans were unable to hang their spider flag at the top of the tower - for unknown reasons, all the elevators were suddenly inoperative. And they remained in this state for the next 4 years. The swastika was only secured at the level of the second floor, where the steps reached. The French Resistance bitterly stated: “Hitler managed to conquer the country of France, but he never managed to hit it in the very heart!” 
We must honestly admit that the Eiffel Tower did not immediately become the “heart of Paris”. At the beginning of construction, and even after during the opening (March 31, 1889), the tower, illuminated with lights (10,000 gas lamps with the colors of the French flag), and a pair of powerful mirror spotlights, which made it noble and monumental, was a lot of people , rejecting the unusual beauty of the Eiffel Tower. 
In particular, such celebrities as Victor Hugo and Paul Marie Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud and Guy de Maupassant even contacted the Paris mayor's office with an angry demand to erase from the face of the Parisian soil "the disgusting shadow of the hated building of iron and screws, which will stretch over the city like an ink blot, disfiguring the bright streets of Paris with its disgusting structure!” 
An interesting fact: his own signature on this appeal, however, did not prevent Maupassant from being a frequent guest of the glass gallery restaurant on the second floor of the tower. Maupassant himself grumbled that this was the only place in the city from where one could not see the “monster in nuts” and the “skeleton made of screws.” But the great novelist was cunning, oh, the great novelist was cunning!
In fact, being a famous gourmet, Maupassant could not deny himself the pleasure of trying oysters baked and chilled on ice, delicate aromatic soft cheese with cumin, steamed young asparagus with a thin slice of dried veal and not washing down all this “excess” with a glass of light grape wine. 
The cuisine of the Eiffel Tower restaurant to this day remains unsurpassedly rich in authentic French dishes, and the fact that the famous literary master dined there is the restaurant’s calling card.
On the same second floor there are tanks with machine oil for hydraulic machines. On the third floor there was enough space on a square platform for an astronomical and meteorological observatory. And the last tiny platform, only 1.4 m in diameter, serves as a support for the lighthouse, which shines from a height of 300 m.
The total height in meters of the Eiffel Tower at that time was about 312 m, and the light of the lighthouse was visible at a distance of 10 km. After replacing the gas lamps with electric ones, the lighthouse began to “beat” for as much as 70 km! 
Whether connoisseurs of fine French art liked or did not like this “lady,” for Gustav Eiffel her unexpected and daring form completely paid for all the architect’s efforts and expenses in less than a year. In just 6 months of the World Exhibition, the unusual brainchild of the bridge builder was visited by 2 million curious people, the flow of which did not dry up even after the closure of the exhibition complexes. 
It later turned out that all the miscalculations of Gustav and his engineers were more than justified: the tower weighing 8,600 tons, made of 12,000 scattered metal parts, not only did not move when its pylons sank almost 1 m under water during the flood of 1910. But and in the same year it was found out practically that it would not move even if there were 12,000 people on its 3 floors at the same time. 
Every year, the symbol of France, the heart of Paris welcomes 6 million guests. Photos taken at its 3 observation platforms are a good memory for any tourist. Even a photo next to it is already a source of pride; it’s not for nothing that there are smaller copies of it in many countries around the world. 
The most interesting mini-tower of Gustav Eiffel is perhaps located in Belarus, in the village of Paris, Vitebsk region. This tower is only 30 m high, but it is unique in that it is made entirely of wooden blocks.
Russia also has its own Eiffel Tower. There are three of them:
But the best thing is to take a tourist visa, see Paris and... No, don’t die! And to freeze with delight and photograph the views of Paris from the Eiffel Tower itself, fortunately, on a clear day the city is visible for 140 km. From the heart of Paris - just a stone's throw - 25 minutes. on foot. 
Address – Champ de Mars, territory of the former Bastille.
The Iron Lady's opening hours are always the same: daily, from mid-June to the end of August, opening at 9:00, closing at 00:00. IN winter time opening at 9:30, closing at 23:00.
The only thing that can prevent the Iron Lady from receiving new guests is a strike of 350 service personnel, but this has never happened before!
The most talented, thoughtful and successful provocation in architecture - I can’t describe this iron lady in any other way. No, she is still not a madame, but a mademoiselle, graceful and slender. In a word, the Eiffel Tower – la tour Eiffel!
We are with you in Paris. And, having visited, walked along, studied the sculptures and memorial inscriptions on Charles de Gaulle Square, we slowly walked along the aristocratic Avenue Kleber to Trocadéro Square. The very leisurely walk took only half an hour. And here it is, the Eiffel Tower. “Bergère ô tour Eiffel,” wrote the great French poet Guillaume Apollinaire at the beginning of the 20th century. - “Shepherdess, O Eiffel Tower!”
For us traveling around the capital of France, the Eiffel Tower is located very conveniently. Firstly, as you know, it can be seen from everywhere, and secondly, not only above-ground and underground, but also waterways lead to and from it. After all, it stands on the banks of the Seine.
Nearby are bus routes No. 82 - stop "Eiffel Tower" ("Tour Eiffel") or "Champs de Mars" ("Champs de Mars"), No. 42 - stop "Eiffel Tower" , No. 87 – stop “Pole of Mars” and No. 69 – also “Pole of Mars”.
Water buses - bateau-mouches - moor both right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower and on the other bank of the Seine, at the Pont Alma. Therefore, after you return from heaven (that is, from the tower) to earth, you can continue your acquaintance with Paris on the open deck of a fly boat cutting through the waters of the Seine.
There are several metro stations near the big shepherdess: “Passy”, “Champs de Mars – Tour Eiffel”, “Bir-Hakeim”, which is named in honor of the battle of the French with the troops of Hitler's General Rommel in May-June 1942 in Libya. However, I highly recommend that you get to the Trocadéro station - it's in the photo above. From here it is not the shortest, but the most beautiful walking path to the Eiffel Tower.
Arriving in Paris for the first time, on the very first day I didn’t see any sights. But it was here, on Trocadero Square, emerging onto a wide esplanade that broke the giant horseshoe of the Chaillot Palace, that I realized: I was really in Paris! Because in all its glory and in full growth, the main symbol of the Parisian capital opened before me - the Eiffel Tower in light lace from its iron head to its stone toes.
Then it seemed to me that I had come up with an original angle for photography: you need to lean slightly to the side, put your hand in the same direction, and if the photographer aligns you with the tower, then in the photo it will look like you are leaning on it (the tower). Moreover, you and she are almost the same height. Oh, how many similar photographs have I come across in the years since my “discovery”!..
Take a lot of photos, admire the stunning view of another architectural axis of Paris: Trocadero - Jena Bridge - Eiffel Tower - Champ de Mars - Military Academy - Place Fontenoy - Avenue Sax (not in honor of the inventor of the saxophone, but in memory of Marshal Moritz of Saxony). And this axis is closed by another tower - Montparnasse, younger than the Eiffel... Take your time, especially if you come here to the esplanade in the evening. It is especially beautiful here at sunset.
In the meantime, you can look into the located Chaillot Palace The Cinema Museum, the Naval Museum and the Museum of Man, and if you walk a little down from the palace and take a little to the left, you will find the “Aquarium of Paris” - they say, with all the inhabitants of French rivers and even mermaids! 
Well, now let's appreciate the Trocadero park stretching right in front of us with its largest fountain in Paris: among the gilded statues, tons of water burst out from dozens of water cannons arranged in a cascade.
In the heat of summer, I advise you to lie down on the emerald lawn near the fountain and cool off with cool water mist before rushing to the Eiffel Tower across the Jena Bridge.
In the meantime, while we’re refreshing ourselves at the fountain, let’s remember where the Eiffel Tower came from.
At the end of the 19th century, a fashion arose on our planet to hold world exhibitions and show them everything that your country has invented new and preserved the good old. In 1889, the honor of hosting such an exhibition fell to France. Moreover, the occasion was appropriate - the 100th anniversary of the Great french revolution. How to surprise your guests? The Paris City Hall decided to decorate the entrance to the exhibition with an unusual arch. A competition was announced among French engineers, in which Gustave Eiffel also took part. Here he is in the photo.
To be honest, Eiffel himself had no ideas about decorating the exhibition gates. But the engineering bureau he headed had talented employees. For example, Maurice Koechlin, who had a drawing of a high-rise tower lying around. They took it, as they say, as a basis. Calling on another colleague, Émile Nouguier, for help, they polished the project to a shine. And they won the competition, eclipsing more than a hundred competitors! Among them is the one who proposed building the exhibition gate in the form of a giant guillotine. And what is wrong? It's the anniversary of the revolution!..
True, the city authorities wanted something more elegant than just a metal structure, even a very high-tech one. And then Eiffel turned to the architect Stephen Sauvestre. He added architectural excesses to the tower project, which made it irresistible: arches, a rounded top, stone-trimmed supports... In January 1887, the Paris mayor's office and Eiffel shook hands, and construction began.
It progressed at an incredible pace even by today’s standards - in two years and two months the tower was ready. Moreover, it was assembled from 18,038 parts using 2.5 million rivets by only 300 workers. It's all about the clear organization of work: Eiffel made the most accurate drawings and ordered the main parts of the tower to be prepared for installation on the ground. And with drilled holes and for the most part with rivets already inserted into them. And there, in the sky, the high-altitude assemblers could only join the parts of this gigantic constructor.
The World Exhibition in Paris lasted for six months. During this time, 2 million people came to look at the tower and from it to the city. Despite the protests of 300 representatives of the cultural community (including Maupassant, Dumas fils, Charles Gounod), who believed that the tower disfigured Paris, by the end of 1889 - the year of the tower's birth - it was possible to “recapture” 75 percent of the costs of its construction. Taking into account the fact that Eiffel received another 25 percent from the city treasury already at the conclusion of the contract, the successful engineer was able to immediately move on to making money with the help of his iron brainchild. After all, under the same agreement with the mayor’s office, the tower was leased to Gustave Eiffel for a quarter of a century! It is not surprising that he soon bought all the rights to their seemingly common idea from his fellow co-authors and was even able to afford to equip an apartment on its last, third floor.
In this home in seventh heaven, Eiffel received the famous American inventor Thomas Edison in 1899. They say their meeting - with coffee, cognac and cigars - lasted ten hours. But I saw with my own eyes: they are sitting there, at the very top of the tower, to this day! And the maid on the side froze in anticipation: what else would the gentlemen engineers want? But the engineers also froze in their age-old conversation. Aren't they wax?
Be sure to check it out! It's time to start climbing.
The tower knows no holidays or weekends; it is open to visitors every day in winter from 9.30 to 23.00, and in summer from 9.00 to 24.00.
I’ll warn you right away: the queue for tickets to the Eiffel Tower can be long: two or three hours (look at the photo).
It is best to come here in the evening, when the tower is beautiful not only for the pre-sunset views that open from it, but also for the slight decline in the tourist flow that washes all four of its supports. By the way, the cash registers are located there. After 20.00 you can spend only an hour and a half in line, or even an hour.
There is an option to order tickets online. Although on the Eiffel Tower website, tickets are usually sold out a month in advance. But then you won’t have to waste your precious Parisian time under the iron hem of the shepherdess of the clouds reflected in the Seine. True, you will have to pay her a visit exactly at the time indicated on the ticket. This is not an exaggeration: if you are late, you will not be allowed on any floor and your ticket will be cancelled.
Tickets cost the same both at the box office and on the website. I beg you very much: do not buy tickets with your own hands. Never and not at all! And in general, don’t buy anything second-hand in Paris. Except for roasted chestnuts.
Know and remember:
Prices for group visits are exactly the same, only 20 people receive a free guide.
To get to the very top, tell the ticket taker the word “sommet” (some), that is, “top”. And if the third floor is not closed for repairs, you will go there without delay on the second floor, where you would again have to buy a ticket - now to the “276 meters” mark.
After standing in line or meeting your e-ticket deadline, you enter the elevator. This will be one of two historic elevators installed in 1899 by Fives-Lill. He will take you to the second floor. And from there you will go higher on a more modern (1983) Otis elevator.
What, it would seem, can be seen on the Eiffel Tower? Not from her, but on her. Believe me, you should look not only from top to bottom, but also from side to side.
The Gustave Eiffel salon was recently renovated here, and now it can accommodate from 200 participants of any conference to 300 guests for a buffet. Would you like to sit down? The hall accommodates 130 dinner guests. For a private lunch (from 50 euros) or dinner (from 140 euros) you can book a table at the 58 tour Eiffel restaurant. The number in the name is not without reason - the establishment is located at such a height (in meters). Its beauty is also that the cost of your ascent on a separate (!) elevator is already included in the restaurant bill.
Here, on the first floor, a transparent floor appeared in 2013, so watch... Watch, don’t make your head spin! Here you will be shown the play “About the Universe of the Eiffel Tower” projected onto three walls by seven spotlights. Nearby there is a seating area where you can sit, and there are benches where you can buy souvenirs. Exorbitantly expensive, but on the Eiffel Tower itself. And they also say that in winter there is a skating rink on the ground floor!
Here, in addition to a wonderful overview of Paris, you will be offered lunch or dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant (the entrance to the elevator that will take you personally to it is in the picture). The great science fiction writer and inventor, who predicted many now familiar inventions, is immortalized by a catering point at an altitude of 115 meters. The prices here, however, are also fantastic: twice as high as on the floor below. Expensive? Both on the first and second floors there are buffets with “homemade sandwiches”, pastries and drinks - hot and cold.
And finally, the third floor will invite you to celebrate your ascent to the highest point in Paris with a glass of champagne at an exorbitant price - from 12 to 21 euros per 100 grams. In addition, you will be able to see Eiffel’s apartment through the glass (where he keeps talking with Edison), look up close at the antennas that dot the head of the iron shepherdess, and make sure that this is where the radio broadcast first went on air in 1921, and in 1935 - TV signal.
Another personal tip: if you decide to climb to the third floor of the Eiffel Tower, take warm clothes with you, even if the streets of Paris are extremely hot. At an altitude of almost 300 meters, a piercing cold wind blows. And the tower bends and creaks. Just kidding, it doesn't creak. It bends, but deviates only 15-20 centimeters at the highest point - at an altitude of 324 meters.
Here’s what’s surprising: the Paris mayor’s office concluded an agreement with Gustave Eiffel for 20 years, and after that the tower was ordered to be dismantled. Where there! Who would have allowed it! Everyone got used to it and fell in love... In 1910, Eiffel extended the lease of the tower for another 70 years.
The controversy surrounding the Parisian shepherdess has long subsided; her creator died in 1923, but she still stands and does not rust. Because it is repainted every few years, using up to 60 tons of paint of a special “brown-Eiffel” color. And for a long time now, no one can imagine Paris without this flighty mademoiselle.
While we were flying up to the heavens and descending from the clouds to the ground, night fell. This means it's waiting for you and me.
Contacts
Address: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris
Official site: www.toureiffel.paris
Entrance to level 1 and 2:
8 euros for adults, 6.40 - from 12 to 24 years old,
4 - up to 11 years
Entrance to 3 levels: 13 euros for adults, 9.90 - from 12 to 24 years old, 7.50 - for children
Paris is one of the most famous tourist cities in the world, a city with a special, unique charm that is unique to it.
Paris is an amazing city with unique architecture and a huge number of attractions of world significance, including the Gothic, famous by Victor Hugo.
Also the Opera Garnier, where, according to legend, the famous ghost lived, Disneyland - a place of attraction for all children and parents, the Louvre - the largest and most beautiful museum filled with world masterpieces, the Orsay Gallery - the largest repository of works by the Impressionists and the visiting card of Paris - the Eiffel Tower.
The 300 m tall steel Eiffel Tower in Paris was built in 1889 as a temporary structure to serve as the entrance arch to the Paris World's Fair. The year of construction, 1889, was timed to coincide with the opening of an exhibition organized in memory of the centenary of the French Revolution.
Exact height in the tower spire is 324 meters. The Eiffel project stood out from 106 competitors due to its innovative construction techniques, which made it possible to construct a complex tower in just 2 years and with minimal effort. The construction budget was 7.8 million francs, half of which was Eiffel's personal funds. Construction
The tower paid for itself during the period of the exhibition, not to mention the profits that the tower brought in the future and continues to bring now.
In the first time after construction, this symbol of Paris had many opponents. Dissatisfied citizens, including famous writers and composers, united and directed protests against the Eiffel Tower. But nevertheless, this building also gained fans, and not a small number, and instead of being demolished after 20 years of existence, the tower rises in the same place to this day.
Today, the Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark in all of France. I think there is not a single person who has visited Paris and not seen this famous tower. The tower looks especially impressive at night; it is best to first admire it from a distance, and then climb to the observation deck and enjoy the night views of Paris. The height of the tower and its favorable location allow you to see Paris at a glance.
Eiffel Tower consists of 4 levels: lower, 1st, 2nd, 3rd floors.
On the 1st and 2nd levels there are two restaurants:
Eiffel Tower built near Paris, which is called that in the 7th arrondissement, on Anatole France street. Exact address: Champ de Maps, 5 av.Anatole France If you get there by metro, then Metro station, on which you need to exit is called Bir Hekeim.
The Eiffel Tower is open every day, in summer opening up at 9 am(from June 15 to September 1), and at other times at 9:30. The elevators between floors and the tower itself close at different times. So elevator to 2nd floor V summer time closes at midnight, at other times at 23:00. Elevator to 3rd floor closed in summer at 23:00, at other times - at 22:30. Stairs to 2nd floor closed in summer at midnight, on other days at 18:00. Herself tower closes at 0:45 in summer and at 23:45 at other times.
The Eiffel Tower has an official website where you can buy tickets online by paying with a credit card and then skip the line to get into the tower. At the same time, it must be remembered that come you need to go to the tower entrance in 10 minutes before the time indicated on the ticket; in case of late arrival, the ticket is considered used.
Eiffel Tower on the map of Paris:
The unique metal structure, created by the outstanding architect and engineer Gustave Eiffel, is a symbol of the most beautiful capital in the world. A large number of Tourists visit Paris every year just to see this miracle. You can admire not only the grandiose structure itself, but also the stunning views of the city. The tower has three levels, each of which provides the visitor with a stunning panorama. Everyone knows where the Eiffel Tower is located, but not everyone knows the history of the creation of the grandiose structure. In this article we will look at the main symbol of Paris.
To design the world exhibition in Paris, the city leadership decided to create a landmark and grandiose object. He was supposed to amaze the foreigners who came to the exhibition. The famous engineer was entrusted with developing and creating the object, who was at first confused, but then presented the city authorities with an unusual project for a high tower. It was approved, and Gustave Eiffel took up its implementation.
First time seeing unusual design, many people wonder how old the Eiffel Tower is. It was created in 1889 and was intended to decorate the entrance to a grandiose exhibition. The event commemorated the centenary of the French Revolution and was carefully planned. Having received permission to build a unique structure, Gustave Eiffel began creating the tower. More than eight million francs were allocated for construction; with this money it was possible to build a small city. According to an agreement with the chief architect, the dismantling of the structure was to occur two decades after the opening of the exhibition. Considering the year in which the Eiffel Tower was built, it was supposed to be dismantled in 1909, but due to the endless flow of tourists, it was decided to leave the structure.
Construction of the main object of the Paris exhibition lasted about two years. Three hundred workers assembled the structure according to superbly designed drawings. The metal parts were made in advance, the weight of each of them was within three tons, which greatly facilitated the task of lifting and fastening the parts. More than two million metal rivets were produced; holes for them were made in advance in prepared parts.
Lifting elements metal structure was carried out using special cranes. After the height of the structure exceeded the size of the equipment, the chief designer developed special cranes that moved along rails intended for elevators. Given the information about how many meters the Eiffel Tower is, serious work safety measures were required, and great attention was paid to this. During construction there was no tragic deaths and serious accidents that were great achievement, given the scale of the work.
After the opening of the exhibition, the tower was a tremendous success - thousands of people were eager to see the bold project. However, the creative elite of Paris had a completely different attitude towards the architectural masterpiece. A large number of complaints were sent to the city administration. Writers, poets and artists feared that the giant metal tower would disrupt the city's unique style. The architecture of the capital took shape over centuries, and the iron giant, visible from every corner of Paris, definitely violated it.
The genius Eiffel created a tower 300 meters high. The structure received its name in honor of its creator, but the engineer himself called it a “three-hundred-meter tower.” After construction, a spire antenna was installed on top of the structure. The height of the tower together with the spire is 324 meters. The design diagram is as follows:
● four columns of the tower stand on concrete foundation, rising upward, they are intertwined into a single high column;
● at a height of 57 meters there is the first floor, which is a large platform that can accommodate several thousand people. In winter, there is an ice skating rink on the ground floor, which is very popular. This level also houses a great restaurant, a museum and even a small cinema;
● the four columns finally connect at 115 meters, forming a second floor with an area slightly less than the first. On this level there is a restaurant with excellent French cuisine, historical gallery and observation deck with panoramic windows;
● the height of the Eiffel Tower in meters is amazing, but the maximum accessible to visitors is 276 meters. It is on it that the last, third floor is located, capable of accommodating several hundred people. On observation deck This level offers breathtaking views. Also on this floor there is a champagne bar and the office of the chief designer.
Over the years, the color of the tower changed, the structure was painted either yellow or brick. In recent years, the building has been painted a brown shade, which is almost indistinguishable from the color of bronze.
The mass of the metal giant is about 10,000 tons. The tower is well fortified and practically does not suffer from the wind. Eiffel understood well that when erecting his fantastic structure, first of all, it was necessary to ensure its stability and resistance to wind loads. Precise mathematical calculations made it possible to design the ideal shape of the object.
The tower is currently open to the public. Anyone can buy a ticket and admire the dizzying views of the beautiful city.
The structure is located in the central part of Paris, on the Champ de Mars, opposite the magnificent structure is the Jena Bridge. Walking through the center of the capital, you just need to raise your eyes and you will see the symbol of France, after that you just need to move in the right direction.
There are several metro stations near the tower, many bus routes stop at the main attraction, in addition, there is a pier nearby for stopping pleasure boats and boats, and there are also parking areas for cars and bicycles.
Once in the beautiful capital of France, you won’t have to ask where the Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, because the magnificent structure can be seen from almost every corner of the city. At night, it is also impossible to miss the unique structure, since the tower is illuminated by several thousand light bulbs.
Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is located, is rightfully proud of its main attraction. Magnificent views, wonderful restaurants and breathtaking heights - all this awaits you when you visit the grandiose structure. For many years the tower was the tallest architectural masterpiece in the world. This magnificent wonder of the world leaves an unforgettable impression. Once you visit the bar on the third floor of the tower, enjoying excellent champagne and wine, you will definitely want to come back here again.
The most grandiose, famous, shocking building in Paris is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. Since its appearance in 1889 as an arch for the World Exhibition dedicated to the storming of the Bastille, it has been the center of attention to this day. It was also recognized as an important link in the French economy and a valuable asset of Europe.
The history of the tower! Although the engineer Gustave Eiffel proposed dismantling the tower after the twenty-year period of its construction, as we see, it continues to rise majestically on the Champs de Mars to this day.
Book a table at a restaurant at the Eiffel Tower
The most interesting thing is that the idea of the design did not belong to Eiffel, but to Maurice Koechlin, his colleague in the engineering bureau. It was in Maurice's old drawings that the leading engineer found the sketch of the tower that interested him.
Together with other employees, Eiffel refines the idea, files a joint patent, sends the drawings to the competition, and wins. Subsequently, he buys the ownership rights and becomes their sole owner.
The amazing fact is that while working on the construction scheme, the research of Hermann von Mayer, a Swiss professor of paleontology of the 19th century, was taken as a basis. He studied the structure of the femur, namely its head at the point of bending and joining the joint at an angle.
He concluded that thanks to the many small branches of the strict geometric shape, with which it is covered, the body weight is distributed evenly, preventing fractures.
It was these studies by Mayer that, 20 years later, inspired the designers of the famous tower to give it such a stable shape. Even with a strong wind, the top deviates by only 12 cm, and if it is hot in the sun - by 18 cm due to the expansion of the metal.
The original appearance of the steel lady was purely an example of the technological progress of its time, and looked too conservative. To win the competition, it was necessary to refine the design with decorative elements and make it more refined.
Gustave made a proposal to decorate the tower supports with stone, make the arches a connecting link between the supports and the lower floor, and also turn them into the main entrance to the exhibition. The levels also had to be transformed and become functional thanks to the glazed halls, and the top had to take on a rounded shape along with other decorations.
When the scheme acquired all these innovations, the jury approved Eiffel's plan, and he received the green light for construction. Feeling a surge of enthusiasm after the first victory, he exclaimed that France would now become the only owner in the world of a 300-meter flagpole.
The delight, however, was not shared by the creative elite, who considered the future structure offensive to the eye. The city's mayor's office has repeatedly received letters demanding that they not allow the construction of such a monstrous structure, arguing that the Eiffel Tower in Paris would be a huge mistake, a repulsive stain hanging over the city, and not compatible with other architecture.
About three hundred painters, architects, musicians and writers drew up a protest, sending it to the city authorities, where in colorful expressions they convinced the commission to come to their senses: “For 20 years we will be forced to look at the disgusting shadow of the hated column of iron and screws, stretching over the city like an ink blot".
The petition was signed by Charles Gounod, Dumas fils, and the famous short story writer Guy de Maupassant. However, Maupassant subsequently visited the restaurant, which is now called Jules Verne, several times. When the novelist was asked why he came there if he disliked the Eiffel Tower so much, he said that there was no longer a place in Paris from which this damn thing could not be seen.
However, not everyone was so ardently opposed to her. It made a completely different impression on Thomas Edison, and in the guest book he wrote a greeting to its creator.
It all started in 1887 on January 28, and the last day to complete construction was December 31, 1889. For such a colossal project, this was a record time, considering that the height of the Eiffel Tower was 300 meters.
Tower construction! There was no technology capable of lifting parts weighing up to 3 tons to this height, and therefore Eiffel had to additionally invent special mobile cranes. Also, to speed up the work, most of the elements were made in advance, and holes were drilled in them, into which connecting rivets were installed.
Eiffel demonstrated unique precision in drawing up drawings. There were 1,700 general ones and 3,629 detailed ones, and their accuracy was 0.1 mm (3D printers print with such precision today). This is comparable to jewelry work or magic, worthy of admiration, especially in our age of high technology.
Once in Paris, it is difficult to avoid the temptation to look at the city of love from the height of the most famous Parisian woman. On the initial two platforms, which are located at the peaks of 57.63 and 115.73 m; you can visit restaurants, drink a glass of sparkling wine or order lunch.
On the third level, located at 276.13 m, visitors will find a bar and an astronomical and meteorological observatory. The tower is crowned by a lighthouse with a dome, the light of which reaches 10 km.
There are 1,792 steps leading up to the top, but you are unlikely to want to make such a serious climb, especially since back in 1899 two Fives-Lill elevators were built for this purpose, and passengers, having risen to the 175 m mark, moved to another cabin .
Elevator to the 2nd floor The first machines ran on hydraulic pumps, but since their use was impossible in winter, Otis electric motors replaced them in 1983, and the hydraulics are shown as an exhibit to tourists.
At the very top there is another room - an apartment that was built especially for Eiffel. Although the square is quite spacious, it is furnished simply, but with the taste of a man of the 19th century. It has separate rooms, furniture, carpets, and even a piano - a must-have item for the elite of that time.
When the apartment became known in the city, there were people who wanted to buy it or at least spend the night there, offering substantial sums, but Eiffel always refused such offers.
While in Paris, the engineer often arranged meetings with the rich and famous people. Edison also visited, and for ten hours the pair of inventors, over cognac and cigars, found many fascinating topics for discussion, including the phonograph, the latest invention of the famous American.
Eiffel Tower, 1940 – the lift mechanism suddenly breaks down. This trouble happened just before the arrival of Adolf Hitler. Since the war was going on, there was nowhere to get new parts for it, and the Fuhrer could only trample at the feet of the obstinate Parisian woman. On this occasion, the poets did not miss the opportunity to say: “Hitler conquered France, but could not conquer the Eiffel Tower.”
Hitler planned to transmit radio signals from the lighthouse to his military units and broadcast propaganda in Paris, but he was especially excited by the idea that the flag flying on the spire of the top would be clearly visible in all corners of the city.
At the end of the summer of 1944, Hitler, annoyed that he was unable to climb to the top, gives Colonel General Dietrich von Choltitz the order to destroy the unsubdued proud mountain along with the rest of the sights of Paris.
However, the order was never carried out, and when the occupiers left the city, the elevators, which had stopped for several years, started working again after a couple of hours, and the news about this was broadcast by radio from the tower.
For 40 years, the Eiffel Tower had no competitors in height in the whole world, and only in 1930 it lost the palm to the Chrysler Building in New York. Today its height reaches 324 m due to the antenna installed in 2010.
Height In reality and in the photo, the tower looks slender, sophisticated, and charmingly beautiful. Like a true Frenchwoman, she loves to radically change her image from time to time, and has already tried on several outfits. She was painted in different colors, which ranged from yellow to reddish brown.
Now they have developed and patented it specifically for it unique tone“brown-eiffel”, closest to a bronze shade. Every 7 years it is repainted to protect the metal from corrosion, and old parts are also replaced with new ones made of a lighter but more durable alloy.
The Iron Lady also loves to shine, and at the time of her premiere in 1889 she sparkled with tens of thousands of gas lamps, a pair of searchlights and a lighthouse, the rays of which were the colors of three shades of the national flag. Just a year later, electric lights sparkled on it, and in 1925 it became the most ambitious advertising platform for Andre Citroen.
The advertisement was called: “The Tower is on Fire,” and thanks to 125 new light bulbs, the silhouette first lit up, then it was replaced by a shower of stars, which smoothly turned into the flight of comets and zodiac symbols, followed by the year of birth of the tower, the current year, and finally the surname appeared Citroen. Advertising ran until 1934.
The Parisian fashionista received her golden dress on the last day of 1985, and in 2003 silver lights were added to this noble shine. This required 4.6 million €, 20 thousand light bulbs, 40 km of wires, 30 people and several months of work. The tower wore another memorable outfit from the beginning of July to the end of December 2008, which looked like the flag of Europe - a circle of 12 gold stars on a blue background.
The brainchild of Gustave Eiffel remains a beautiful wonder of the world today. A copy of the Eiffel Tower stands in many cities: Copenhagen, Las Vegas, Varna, the Chinese city of Guangzhou, and Aktau in Kazakhstan.
Exact copy in Las Vegas In the first 12 months of its existence, it fully recouped its construction costs thanks to visitors, and remains the most popular, most visited attraction. Millions of people come on dates with her every year, and by 2002 this number exceeded 200 million.
To maximize your time in the company of the Eiffel Tower, tour and restaurant tickets can be booked in advance. Several buffets, a bar and a couple of cozy restaurants will allow you to enjoy delicious dishes, drinks and views of Paris.
On the ground floor you can visit the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant, eat a sandwich, fries, croissant, drink juice or coffee, paying only 18 € for lunch. In the evening there are several main courses and desserts to choose from, but the price rises to 82 € per person.
At the same level there are also regular buffets, where a glass of juice and a slice of pizza will not exceed 7-8 €.
Restaurant "Jules Verne" But, if, once you find yourself in the most romantic place on earth, you do not intend to skimp on pleasures, then visit the luxurious restaurant “Le Jules Verne” on the second level. Lunch here will cost at least 85 € per person, and dinner with lobster – at least 200 €.
Paris at night from the observation deck However, you can have fun without visiting such expensive establishments. Having risen to the third level, in the Champagne Bar, take a glass of champagne, take a bird's eye view of Paris, and feel the exclusivity of this moment.
The exact address: Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris
Working hours: From 9:30 to 23:00, in summer from 9:00 to 00:00
Entrance to the lift (up to 2nd floor): adults - 11€, 12-14 years old - 8.5€, children and disabled people - 4€.
To the top: adults - 17 €, 12-14 years old - 14.5 €, children and disabled people - 8 €.
By stairs to the 2nd floor: adults - 7 €, 12-14 years old - 5 €, children and disabled people - 3 €.
Photo gallery Eiffel Tower!
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Eiffel Tower at night photo
Eiffel Tower photo
