The story of the eiffel tower. Eiffel Tower - opening hours

The Eiffel Tower is the most famous architectural landmark Paris known as the symbol of France, erected on Mars field and named after its designer Gustaf Eiffel.

It is the most recognizable and tallest building in paris, its height together with the new antenna is 324 meters, which is roughly equivalent to a house in 81st floor!

The Eiffel Tower was built in 1889 and has an amazing origin story. In 1889 in paris, in memory of the centenary French Revolution, Was held world exhibition, it was thanks to the exhibition that the city authorities instructed to come up with and erect a temporary structure serving as its entrance arch.

The all-French competition of architectural and engineering projects, which were supposed to determine the architectural appearance of the future World Exhibition, has started May 1, 1886. Participated in the competition 107 applicants, most of which, to one degree or another, already repeated the tower project proposed by eiffel. So the project eiffel becomes one of the four winners, and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative version.

As a result, the committee still stops on the plan eiffel, although the very idea of the tower did not belong to him, but to two of his employees - Maurice Koechlen and Émile Nougier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because eiffel applied special construction methods.

But in order for the tower to be marked by greater sophistication and meet the tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stefan Sauvestre was commissioned to work on her artistic appearance. He proposed sheathing the basement supports of the tower with stone, linking its supports and the platform of the first floor with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, placing spacious glazed halls on the floors of the tower, giving the top of the tower a rounded shape and using various decorative elements to decorate it. .

AT January 1887 Eifel, state and municipality Paris signed an agreement under which eiffel provided for personal use operating lease of the tower for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, which amounted to 25% of all costs for the construction of the tower. The final construction budget amounted to 7.8 million francs.

300 workers during two years, two months and five days carried out construction work. Extremely high quality drawings with precise dimensions contributed to the record construction time. And already March 31, 1889, in less than 26 months after the start of digging pits, eiffel invited several more or less physically fit officials to the first ascent of 1,710 steps!

The construction was a stunning and immediate success. For six months of the exhibition see "iron lady" come over 2 million visitors.

But the opponents eiffel tower also enough, starting from the very beginning of its construction. The creative intelligentsia of Paris and France acted in such a face, they feared that the metal structure would suppress the architecture of the city, violate the unique style of the capital that had developed over the centuries, in connection with which they sent indignation and demands to the Paris City Hall to stop the construction of the tower, and after the construction of the demand dismantling. But from the demolition planned under the contract, 20 years after the exhibition, the tower was saved by radio antennas installed at the very top - this was the era of the introduction of radio!

Throughout its history, the tower has repeatedly changed the color of its painting - from yellow to red-brown. Recent decades The Eiffel Tower invariably painted in the so-called "brown-eiffel"- officially patented color close to the natural shade of bronze

The weight of the metal structure of the tower - 7,300 tons(gross weight 10,100 tons).

The lower floor is a pyramid formed by 4 columns, connected at a height of 57.63 meters by an arched vault; on the vault is the first platform eiffel tower, which is a square.

On this platform rises the second pyramid-tower, also formed by 4 columns, connected by a vault, on which the second platform is located.

Four columns rising on the second platform, approaching each other pyramidally and gradually intertwining, form a colossal pyramidal column bearing a third platform, also of a square shape; a lighthouse with a dome rises on it, above which there is a platform at a height of 300 meters. Stairs of 1792 steps and elevators lead to the tower.

Restaurant halls were built on the first platform; on the second platform there are tanks with engine oil for the elevator and a restaurant in a glass gallery. The third platform housed the astronomical and meteorological observatories and the physics office. The light of the lighthouse was visible at a distance of 10 kilometers!

According to some calculations Eiffel Tower visited more than 200,000,000 people since its construction in 1889! It is the most visited tourist attraction in the world!

The creator of the tower often spoke with humor about his offspring: “I should feel jealous of the tower. After all, she is much more famous than me.. Gilded bust Gustave Eiffel installed at the northern "leg" of the tower with a simple inscription: "Eiffel: 1832 - 1923".

Timeline of the construction of the Eiffel Tower

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! As Paris is the heart of France, the Eiffel Tower is the heart of Paris itself! Now it is strange to imagine, but there were times when they wanted to deprive this city of his heart.

History of the Eiffel Tower

In 1886, preparations were in full swing in France for the World Exhibition, where it was planned to show the whole world the technical achievements of the French Republic over the past 100 years after the storming of the Bastille (1789) and 10 years from the date of the proclamation of the Third Republic under the leadership of a president elected by the National assembly. There was an urgent need for a building that could serve as an entrance arch to the exhibition and at the same time impress with its originality. This arch was supposed to remain in the memory of anyone, as something that personifies one of the symbols of the Great French Revolution - it was not for nothing that she was to stand on the square of the hated Bastille! It's nothing 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: the best architects offered their services, among which were not only the French, but the commission preferred the project of bridge engineer Alexander Gustave Eiffel. There were rumors that he simply "slammed" 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 minds of people as a symbol of Paris and France itself, perpetuating 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 terrible at all. There was no Arab architect, but there were two engineers Maurice Kehlen and Emile Nougier - Eiffel's employees, who developed this project on the basis of 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 the use of 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 (the simplest organism) and starfish. Striking is not only the variety of skeletal design solutions, but also the "saving of material" in their construction, as well as the maximum strength of structures that can withstand the gigantic hydrostatic pressure of a huge mass of water.

This principle of rationality was used by young French design engineers when creating a project for a new arch tower for the entrance to the World Exhibition of France. The basis was the skeleton of a starfish. And this magnificent building is an example of the use of the principles of the new science of biomimetics (bionics) in architecture.

The engineers working in collaboration with Gustave Eiffel did not submit their project themselves for two simple reasons:

New construction schemes at that time would rather have scared away the members of the commission than attracted them with their unusualness.
The name of the bridge builder Alexander Gustov was known to France and enjoyed well-deserved respect, while the names of Nougier and Kehlen did not "weigh" anything. And the name of Eiffel could serve as the only key to the implementation of their bold ideas.

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.

We add that Eiffel did not just use the project of his engineers, he personally made some corrections to the drawings, using his rich experience in bridge building and special methods developed by him, which made it possible to strengthen the structure of the tower and give it a special airiness.

These special methods were based on the scientific discovery of the Swiss anatomy professor Hermann von Meyer, who, 40 years before the construction of the Eiffel Tower, documented an interesting discovery: the head of the human femur is covered with a fine network of tiny mini-bones that distribute the load on the bone in an amazing way. Thanks to this redistribution, the human femur does not break under the weight of the body and withstands enormous loads, although it enters the joint at an angle. And this network has a strictly geometric structure.

In 1866, an engineer-architect from Switzerland, Karl Kuhlman, provided a scientific technical basis for the discovery of an anatomy professor, which was used by Gustav Eiffel in the construction of bridges - load distribution using curved calipers. He subsequently applied the same method for the construction of 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 every respect!

Who built the Eiffel Tower

So, at the very beginning of 1886, the municipality of Paris of the Third French Republic and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel signed an agreement in which the following points were indicated:

Within 2 years and 6 months, Eiffel was obliged to put up an arch tower opposite the Jena bridge. Seine on the Champ de Mars according to the drawings proposed by him.
Eiffel to provide the tower for personal operation at the end of construction for a period of 25 years.
Allocate Eiffel a cash subsidy for the construction of the tower from the city budget in the amount of 1.5 million francs in gold, which will be 25% of the final construction budget of 7.8 million francs.

For 2 years, 2 months and 5 days, 300 workers, as they say, "without absenteeism and days off", worked hard so that on March 31, 1889 (less than 26 months after the start of construction) they 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 precise drawings, but also by the use of Ural iron. In the 18th and 19th centuries, all of Europe knew the word "Yekaterinburg" thanks to this metal. In the construction of the tower, not steel was used (carbon content is not more than 2%), but a special iron alloy, specially smelted in the Ural furnaces for the Iron Lady. "Iron Lady" is another name for the entrance arch, when it was not yet called the Eiffel Tower.

However, iron alloys corrode easily, so the tower was painted bronze with a specially formulated paint that took 60 tons. Since then, every 7 years, the Eiffel Tower has been treated and painted with the same “bronze” composition, and 60 tons of paint are spent on it every 7 years. The frame of the tower itself weighs about 7.3 tons, while the total weight, including the concrete base, is 10,100 tons! The number of steps was also calculated - 1 thousand 710 pieces.

Design of the arch and park-garden

The lower ground part is made in the form of a truncated pyramid with a side length of 129.2 m, with corner-columns going up and forming, as intended, a high (57.63 m) arch. On this vaulted "ceiling" the first square platform was fortified, where the length of each side is almost 46 m. On this platform, as if on an air board, several halls of a huge restaurant with huge showcase windows were built, from where a magnificent view of all 4 sides of Paris opened. Even then, the view from the tower to the Seine embankment with the Pont De Jena caused complete admiration. But a dense green massif - a park on the Field of Mars, with an area of more than 21 hectares, did not exist then.

It was only in 1908 that the architect and horticulturist Jean Camille Formiger came up with the idea to redesign the former parade ground of the Royal Military School into a public park. It took 20 years to bring all these plans to life! Unlike the rigid blueprints used to build the Eiffel Tower, the plan for the park has changed countless times.

The park, originally planned in a strict English style, grew somewhat during its construction (24 hectares), and, having absorbed the spirit of free France, democratically “settled” between geometrically slender rows of tall, strict trees and well-defined alleys, many flowering shrubs and “ village" reservoirs, in addition to the classic English fountains.

The main stage of construction did not consist in the actual installation of the “lace of metal”, for which about 3 million steel rivets-tie bars were used, but in guaranteed stability of the base and maintaining an absolutely ideal horizontal level of the building on a square of 1.6 hectares. It took only 8 months “with a tail” 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 meters thick are laid in the pit, and 16 mighty supports are already built into these blocks, which make up the backbone of 4 tower "legs" on which the Eiffel Tower stands. Additionally, a hydraulic device is mounted in each “leg” of the “lady”, which allows the “madame” to maintain balance and horizontality. The carrying capacity of each device is 800 tons.

During the installation of the lower tier, an addition was introduced to 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 worked on hydraulic traction.

Interesting information about elevators

When the troops of Nazi Germany occupied France, the Germans could not hang their spider flag on the top point of the tower - for unknown reasons, all the elevators were suddenly out of order. And they were in this state for the next 4 years. The swastika was fixed only at the level of the second floor, where steps reached. The French Resistance bitterly stated: "Hitler managed to conquer the country of France, but he never managed to hit her in the heart!"

What else is worth knowing about the tower?

We must honestly admit that the Eiffel Tower did not immediately become the "heart of Paris". At the beginning of construction, and even after the opening (March 31, 1889) of the tower, illuminated by lights (10,000 gas lamps with the colors of the French flag) and a pair of powerful mirror searchlights, which made it noble and monumental, there were many 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 turned to the mayor's office of Paris with an angry demand to wipe out from the face of the Parisian land "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 under 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 where the "monster in nuts" and the "skeleton of screws" were not visible. But he 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 fragrant soft cheese with cumin, steamed young asparagus with a thin slice of dried veal and not washing all this “excess” with a glass of light grape wine.

The cuisine of the Eiffel Tower restaurant to this day remains unsurpassedly rich in real French dishes, and the fact that the famous literary master dined there is the hallmark of the restaurant.

On the same second floor, tanks with machine oil for hydraulic machines are placed. On the third floor, on a square platform, there was enough space for astronomical and meteorological observatories. 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 gas lamps with electric ones, the lighthouse began to “beat” for as much as 70 km!

Connoisseurs of fine French art liked or disliked this “lady”, but for Gustave Eiffel, her unexpected and daring form fully paid off all the work and expenses of the architect 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 closing of the exhibition complexes.

Later it 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 in a practical way that it does not move even when 12,000 people are on its 3 floors at the same time.

In 1910, after this flood, to destroy the Eiffel Tower, which sheltered so many destitute people, would have been true blasphemy. The term was extended first by 70 years, and then, after a complete examination of the health of the Eiffel Tower, to 100.
In 1921, the tower began to serve as a source of radio broadcasting, and since 1935 - also television broadcasting.
In 1957, the already high tower was increased by a telemast by 12 m and its total “growth” was 323 m 30 cm.
For a long time, until 1931, the "iron lace" of France was the tallest building in the world, and only the construction of the Chrysler Building in New York broke this record.
In 1986, the external lighting of this architectural marvel was replaced by a system that illuminates the tower from the inside, making the Eiffel Tower not just dazzling, but truly magical, especially on holidays and at night.

Every year the symbol of France, the heart of Paris receives 6 million guests. Photos taken on its 3 viewing platforms are a good memory for any tourist. Even the photo next to her is already pride, not without reason in many countries of the world there are small copies of her.

The most interesting mini-tower of Gustav Eiffel, perhaps, is 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 completely made of wooden planks.

There is also an Eiffel Tower in Russia. There are three of them:

Irkutsk. Height - 13 m.
Krasnoyarsk. Height - 16 m.
The village of Paris, Chelyabinsk region Height - 50 m. It belongs to a mobile operator and is a real working cell tower in the region.

But the best thing to do is take a tourist visa, see Paris and… No, don't die! And die 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 to the heart of Paris - a stone's throw - 25 min. on foot.

Information for tourists

Address - Champ de Mars, the territory of the former Bastille.

The opening hours of the Iron Lady are always the same: daily, from mid-June to the end of August, opening at 9:00, closing at 00:00. In winter, opening at 9:30, closing at 23:00.

Only a strike of 350 service personnel can prevent the Iron Lady from receiving regular guests, but so far this has never happened!

Contacts

The 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 world-famous attractions, including the Gothic, glorified by Victor Hugo.

Also Opera Garnier, where according to legend the famous ghost lived, Disneyland is a place of attraction for all children and parents, the Louvre is the largest and most beautiful museum filled with world masterpieces, the Orsay Gallery is the largest repository of Impressionist works and the visiting card of Paris is the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower in Paris - the history of creation

The steel Eiffel Tower in Paris, 300 meters high, was built in 1889 as a temporary building that served 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 to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution.

Exact height in the spire of the tower is 324 meters. The Eiffel project stood out among 106 competitors due to its innovative construction techniques, which made it possible to build 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 off 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 period after construction, this symbol of Paris had many opponents. Disgruntled citizens, including famous writers and composers, united and directed protests against the Eiffel Tower. But nevertheless, this building also had 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.

Eiffel Tower in Paris today

To date, the Eiffel Tower is the most famous landmark in all of France. I think there is not a single person who visited Paris and did not see this famous tower. The tower looks especially impressive at night, it is best to first admire it from a distance, and then go up to the observation deck and enjoy the night views of Paris. The height of the tower and its good location allow you to see Paris at a glance.

The Eiffel Tower consists of 4 levels: lower, 1st, 2nd, 3rd floors.

Lower level is the first place visitors go. Here you can to buy tickets or find out their cost at the ticket office, see opening hours and times of this object at the corresponding information stands. On the lower level is 4 souvenir shops and Postal office and everyone has the opportunity to buy and send a postcard with the image of this wonder of the world to their relatives or friends.
On the 1st floor can see part of a spiral staircase, with the help of which it was previously possible to get from the 2nd to the 3rd floor, as well as exhibition posters, photographs and various images of the tower in different years of its existence.
At the 2nd level you can get a new one information about the history of the tower at specialized stands, as well as at the first one, you can buy souvenirs and most importantly, from this floor a wonderful panorama of paris.
To the 3rd floor you need to get on the elevator, which has transparent walls and already on the way you can enjoy the opening views of Paris, they are the goal of visiting the tower by many tourists. Recreated on this floor founder's office interior— Eiffel.

On the 1st and 2nd levels are located two restaurants:

"Height 95"
and Jules Verne.

Eiffel Tower - where is it located

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 subway station on which you need to exit is called Bir Hekeim.

The Eiffel Tower is open every day summer opening at 9 am(from June 15 to September 1), and the rest of the time at 9:30. Elevators between floors and the tower itself close at different times. So elevator to the 2nd floor in summer time closes at midnight, the rest of the time at 23:00. Elevator to 3rd floor closes in summer at 23:00, the rest of the time - at 22:30. Staircase to 2nd floor closes in summer at midnight, on other days at 18:00. Herself tower closes at 0:45 during the summer and at 23:45 the rest of the time.

The Eiffel Tower has an official website where you can buy tickets online by paying with a bank card, and then bypassing the queue to get into the tower. At the same time, it must be remembered that to come to the entrance of the tower in 10 minutes before the time indicated on the ticket, in case of delay, the ticket is considered used.

Eiffel Tower on the map of Paris:

In the distant times of the great Parisian exhibition - and this was in 1889 - the leadership of Paris, namely the city administration, asked the great architect and engineer, Gustave Eiffel, to create something of that kind, grandiose, which would serve as a gateway to enter the world Parisian exhibition. The exhibition was dedicated to the centenary of the great French Revolution of 1789, so I wanted to see something sharp and majestic in one architectural monument.

At first, having received the task, the engineer was confused and already wanted to refuse, but then, by a lucky chance, in his notes he discovered a project for a 300-meter tower, which, in his opinion, could impress the city administration. Eiffel was not mistaken and soon received a patent for the construction of this project, and then left himself the exclusive right to it. So, the tower erected as an entrance to the world exhibition in Paris, became known as the Eiffel Tower in honor of its builder. According to the agreement concluded between the Eiffel and the city administration, the dismantling of the tower was to take place 20 years after the opening of the exhibition. The cost of building the tower at that time amounted to 8 million francs, which was equivalent to the construction of a small town. The fame of the 300-meter iron tower with majestic beams has spread throughout the world.

From all countries from all over the world stretched a huge flow of tourists who want to see this wonder of the world with their own eyes. Thanks to this, the cost of the tower returned to investors within a year and a half. It is not difficult to imagine how much income the Eiffel Tower began to bring. At the end of the period, when it became necessary under the contract to dismantle the structure, the general decision of the authorities and the builders was to leave the tower. The main factor influencing this decision was the huge income that the Eiffel Tower brought. Another important factor was that the tower had a large number of radio antennas. The height of the building, coupled with the number of radio antennas on it, made France a leader in the field of radio broadcasting and significantly influenced its development.

Even today in Paris - there, where is the eiffel tower, there is no building higher and more majestic than this wonder of the world. Already from a height of 150 meters, a full view of the city opens up, the panorama of which sinks so deeply into the heart that it becomes impossible not to fall in love with Paris. At the moment of contemplating the city from such a height, you are completely immersed in its atmosphere and you feel all its subtleties inside yourself. The Seine River, the Champs Elysees, great cathedrals and temples, parks, streets, alleys, avenues - all this passes through you and leaves an indelible mark on your soul. And how many great works of art have been dedicated to the Eiffel Tower? The greatest poets and artists in their creations described the majesty and uniqueness of this place. Such works made a significant contribution to the heritage of world culture.

Today the Eiffel Tower is the most important symbol of Paris. If you ask any person, no matter from which country " where is the Eiffel Tower? he, in 90 cases out of 100, will immediately answer “Paris!”.

Flying over Paris, any person will try to find this majestic tower, the symbol of Paris and all of France.

As you have probably already noticed, the history of the tower is very rich. It would seem nothing surprising - any wonder of the world always attracts a lot of attention. However, the historical actions associated with the Eiffel Tower are more related to its height. A funny incident happened back in 1912, when an Austrian tailor created his own parachute, with a "special" design. Having climbed to the very top, the Austrian decided to conquer the world with his amazing act, but the parachute did not open and the tailor crashed to death, which is not surprising - after all, the height of the tower is 324 meters. After this incident, skydiving from the Eiffel Tower was no longer observed, but, unfortunately, a series of suicides began on it. Even to this day, many suicidal people from all over the world choose this tower as their last point. The last official date for suicide is June 25, 2012.

In 2002, the number of visitors to the tower for the year amounted to more than 200 million, which is equivalent to 550,000 people per day. If we imagine that the entrance to the tower was about 2 euros per person, it is not difficult to calculate how much annual income the tower brings from a visitor who has just entered inside. And if you calculate how much money the average tourist leaves in bars, restaurants, shops, then the figure will increase by an average of 3 times.

In the winter of 2004-2005, an ice skating rink was poured onto the first floor of the tower to attract and host the 2012 Winter Olympics in Paris. After that, the tradition of pouring ice over the first floor became an annual event.

It is also surprising that the French turned out to be quite enterprising people, and during the entire existence of the Eiffel Tower it was sold at least 2 dozen times. A certain Viktor Lustig deserves special attention, who twice (!) managed to sell the tower as scrap metal.

Nevertheless, answering the question: "Where is the Eiffel Tower" one has to remember the Champ de Mars, opposite the Jena Bridge. On the Paris Metro, the station is called Bir-Hakeim.

- a metal 300-meter tower, which is located in the center of Paris. The most famous French and world landmark, which, only by the will of circumstances, was not dismantled, as was intended during its construction.

The fate of the Eiffel Tower is quite interesting. Its construction was completed in 1889, the year France hosted the World Exhibition, and the tower was the winner of the competition for projects that were supposed to determine the appearance of the exhibition complex and decorate it. According to the original plan, 20 years after the exhibition, this metal structure was to be dismantled, since it did not fit into the architectural appearance of the French capital and was not conceived as a permanent building, the development of the radio saved the most popular attraction in the world.

Facts about the Eiffel Tower

The height of the tower is 300.65 meters to the roof, 324.82 meters to the end of the spire;
Weight - 7300 tons tower and 10000 tons of the whole building;
Year of construction - 1889;
Construction time - 2 years 2 months and 5 days;
Creator - bridge engineer Gustave Eiffel;
Number of steps - 1792 to the lighthouse, 1710 to the platform of the 3rd level;
The number of visitors is more than 6 million per year;

About the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel tower height

The exact height of the tower is 300.65 meters. This is exactly what Eiffel conceived of it, who even gave it the simplest name: “three-meter tower” or simply “three-hundred-meter”, “tour de 300 mètres” in French.

But after the construction, a spire-antenna was installed on the tower and now its total height from the base to the end of the spire is 324.82 meters.

At the same time, the third and last floor is located at a height of 276 meters, which is the maximum available to ordinary visitors.

The Eiffel Tower looks like an unusual pyramid. Four columns rest on a concrete foundation, and as they rise they intertwine into a single square column.

At a height of 57.64 meters, the four columns are connected for the first time by the first square platform, a 4,415-square-meter floor capable of accommodating 3,000 people. The platform lies on an arched vault, which largely forms the recognizable appearance of the tower and which served as a kind of gateway to the World Exhibition.

Starting from the platform of the second floor, the four columns of the tower are intertwined into a single structure. On it, at a height of 276.1 meters, the third and last floor is located, its area is not as small as it might seem - 250 square meters, which allows you to receive 400 people at the same time.

But above the third floor of the tower, at a height of 295 meters, there is a lighthouse, now it is controlled by software. The tower is crowned with a spire, which was added later and which was modified several times. It acts as a flagpole and holder for various antennas, radio and television.

Eiffel Tower construction

The main material of the tower is pudding steel. The weight of the tower itself is approximately 7,300 tons, and the entire structure with the foundation and auxiliary structures weighs 10,000 tons. In total, 18,038 individual parts were used in the construction, which were held together with 2.5 million rivets. At the same time, each of the details of the tower weighed no more than three tons, which removed most of the problems with their lifting and installation.

During the construction, many fairly innovative engineering methods were used, which its creator, Gustave Eiffel, learned from his experience in bridge building. The tower was built in just 2 years by 300 workers, and thanks to the high level of safety and design that simplified assembly, only one person died during the construction.

The high speed of work was achieved, firstly, by the very detailed drawings that were created by the engineers of the Eiffel bureau, and, secondly, by the fact that all parts of the tower were delivered to the construction site ready for use. There was no need to drill holes in the various elements, adjust them to each other, and 2/3 of the rivets were already in place. So the workers could only assemble the tower as a constructor, using ready-made detailed drawings.

Eiffel tower color

The question of the color of the Eiffel Tower is also interesting. Now the Eiffel Tower is painted in the patented color "Eiffel Tower Brown", which imitates the color of bronze. But at different times, it changed its color and was both orange and burgundy, until the current color was approved in 1968.

On average, the tower is repainted every seven years, with the last painting taking place in 2009-2010, on the landmark's 120th anniversary. All work was carried out by 25 painters. Old paint is removed with high pressure steam. At the same time, an external inspection of structural elements is carried out, worn ones are replaced. Then paint is applied to the tower, which requires approximately 60 tons, including 10 tons of soil and the paint itself, which is applied in two layers. An interesting fact: the tower has different shades at the bottom and at the top, so that the color is uniform for the human eye.

But the main function of paint is not decorative, but purely practical. It protects the iron tower from corrosion and environmental influences.

Reliability of the Eiffel Tower

Of course, a building of this size is greatly influenced by wind and other weather phenomena. At the time of its construction, many people believed that engineering aspects were not taken into account in the design, and an information campaign was even raised against Gustave Eiffel. But the experienced bridge builder was well aware of the possible risks and created a completely stable structure with recognizable twisted columns.

As a result, the tower resists the wind very effectively, the average deviation from the axis is 6–8 centimeters, even a hurricane wind deflects the tower's spire by no more than 15 centimeters.

But a metal tower is greatly influenced by sunlight. The side of the tower facing the sun heats up and, due to thermal expansion, the top can deviate even by 18 centimeters, much more than under the influence of a strong wind.

Tower lighting

Another important element of the Eiffel Tower is its illumination. Already during the creation, it was clear that such a grandiose object needed to be illuminated, therefore 10,000 gas lamps and searchlights were installed on the tower, which shone into the sky with the colors of the French tricolor. In 1900, electric lamps began to illuminate the contours of the tower.

In 1925, a huge advertisement appeared on the tower, bought by André Citroën. Initially, on three sides of the tower there was a vertically written surname and the name of the Citroen concern, which was visible for 40 kilometers around. Then it was slightly modernized by adding a clock and pointers. This lighting was dismantled in 1934.

In 1937, the Eiffel Tower began to be illuminated with light beams, and modern lighting based on gas discharge lamps was installed in 1986. Then the lighting was changed and modified several more times, for example, in 2008 the tower was illuminated with stars in the shape of the EU flag.

The last upgrade of the backlight was carried out in 2015, the lamps were replaced with LEDs in order to save energy. In parallel, work was carried out to install thermal panels, two windmills, a system for collecting and using rainwater.

In addition, the Eiffel Tower is used to launch fireworks during various holidays - New Year's Eve, Bastille Day, etc.

An interesting fact: the image of the Eiffel Tower is public property and can be used freely, but the image and appearance of the tower with the lights on is copyrighted by the management company and can only be used with their permission.

Floors of the Eiffel Tower

As already mentioned, the Eiffel Tower has three levels, not counting the area with the lighthouse, which can only be accessed by workers and the squares at the base. Each floor is not just an observation deck, there are souvenir shops, restaurants, and other objects, so each level of the Eiffel Tower should be mentioned separately.

As already mentioned, it is located at an altitude of 57 meters from ground level. Most recently, this level of the tower underwent a renovation, during which individual elements on the floor were updated and a transparent floor was built. There are a large number of different objects here:

Glass balustrades and a transparent floor, which give an unforgettable experience of walking through the void at a height of more than 50 meters from the ground. Fear not, the floor is perfectly safe!
Restaurant 58 Tour Eiffel. Not the only one in the tower, but the most famous.
Buffet if you just want a bite to eat or a drink.
A small cinema hall in which a film about the Eiffel Tower is broadcast by many projectors on three walls at once.
A small museum with interactive screens that tells the history of the tower.
Fragment of the old spiral staircase that led to the personal office of Gustave Eiffel.
A seating area where you can just sit and watch Paris from a bird's eye view.
Souvenir shop.

You can get to the first floor both on foot, overcoming 347 steps, and by elevator. At the same time, an elevator ticket costs 1.5 times more, so walking is not only useful, but also profitable. True, in this case, the third, highest platform will not be available to you.

The height of the second floor of the tower is 115 meters. The second and first floors are connected by stairs and an elevator. If you decide to climb the second level of the Eiffel Tower on foot, then get ready to overcome 674 steps, this is not an easy test, so soberly assess your strength.

In terms of area, this floor is two times smaller than the first, because there are not so many objects here:

Jules Verne restaurant where you can treat yourself to gourmet French cuisine while looking at the city from a great height. Interestingly, this restaurant has a separate direct access from the ground via an elevator in the southern column of the bridge.
The Historical Window is a gallery that tells about the construction of the Eiffel Tower and the operation of its elevators, both the first hydraulic and modern ones.
Observation deck with large panoramic windows.
Buffet.
Souvenir kiosk.

The last, third floor of the Eiffel Tower is the most interesting part of it. Of course, restaurants at a bird's eye view are interesting, but nothing compares to the panorama of Paris from a height of almost 300 square meters.

Visitors can only get to the third floor of the tower by ascending in a glass elevator, although a staircase leads here, which originally had 1665 steps, but was later replaced by a safer 1710 steps.

The last floor of the tower is quite small, its area is only 250 square meters, so there are few objects here:

Viewpoint.
Champagne bar.
Eiffel's study with original interior and wax figures.
Panoramic maps that allow you to determine the direction to other cities and attractions.
Scale model of the floor in its original form from 1889.

The main thing on this floor, of course, is panoramic windows that allow you to see Paris from a great height. To date, the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower is the second highest in Europe after the site of the Ostankino TV tower in Moscow.

Where is the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is located in the center of Paris, on the Champ de Mars. From the Champs Elysees to the tower about two kilometers.

Walking around the center on foot, it is impossible to miss the tower, just look up and you will see it, and then just go in the right direction.

Nearest metro station: Bir-Hakeim, 6th line - from it to the tower you need to walk only 500 meters. But it can also be reached from Trocadero stations (crossing of lines 6 and 9), Ecole Militaire (line 8).

Nearest RER station: Champ de Mars Tour Eiffel (line C).

Bus routes: 42, 69, 72, 82, 87, stop "Champ de Mars" or "Tour Eiffel"

In addition, near the Eiffel Tower there is a pier where boats and pleasure boats stop. There is also parking for cars and bicycles near the tower.

Eiffel Tower on the map

Information for those wishing to visit the Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower opening hours:

Mid-June to end of September:

Elevator - from 9:00 to 0:45 (entry until 0:00 on the 1st and 2nd floor and until 23:00 on the 3rd floor)
Stairs - from 9:00 to 0:45 (entry until 0:00)

Rest of the year:

Elevator - from 9:30 to 23:45 (entry until 23:00 on the 1st and 2nd floor and until 22:30 on the 3rd floor)
Stairs - from 9:30 to 18:30 (entry until 18:00)

There are no days off, the Eiffel Tower is open all days of the year, and on holidays (Easter and spring break) it has an extended work schedule.

Ticket prices for the Eiffel Tower:

Elevator with access to the 1st and 2nd floor - 11 €;
Staircase with access to the 1st and 2nd floor - 7 €;
Elevator to the 3rd observation deck - 17 €;

Ticket prices are for adults. Group tours, as well as tickets for children (4-11 years old), youth (12-24 years old) and people with disabilities are cheaper.

Important: schedule and ticket prices may change, we recommend checking the information on the official website of the tower toureiffel.paris