After our Louvre Visit on 9 June 2013, we had to rush off to visit the Eiffel Tower at 5pm. It was really a hectic day, considering in the evening, we had another optional tour to visit. Having visited the Eiffel Tower during my student days for my Europe trip, there was no wow factor for me.
The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. It has become both a global cultural icon of France after it was erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair. It is also one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and is the most-visited paid monument in the world; 7.1 million people ascended it in 2011. The third level observatory's upper platform is at 279.11 m (915.7 ft) the highest accessible to the public in the European Union.
The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building. The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or lift (elevator), to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by lift—stairs do exist but are usually closed to the public. Gina and I took the lift both ways, decided to avoid walking down the 300 steps to rest our tired legs. Stay tuned to the next Paris adventure.
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