How many meters is the tower in Paris. History and construction of the Eiffel Tower: interesting and curious things about the tower

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.

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 processes of strict geometric shape with which it is covered, the weight of the body 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.

Working on the image

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.

To be or not to be - the opinion of bohemians

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.

Construction details: numbers and facts

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.

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.

Inner world

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.

Rising to the 3rd level

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 .

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.

Gustave Eiffel Apartment

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 rich and famous people in his favorite hideout. 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.

In captivity, but with his head held high

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.

The height of the Eiffel 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.

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. It was painted in different colors, which ranged from yellow to reddish brown.

Now a unique “brown-Eiffel” tone, closest to a bronze hue, has been developed and patented especially for it. 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.

Night beauty

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.

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.

Observation deck

City of dreams and champagne bubbles

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 €.

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 €.

View from the tower at night

Eiffel Tower on the map

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.

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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

Tickets

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 €.

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Photo gallery Eiffel Tower!

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Holidays in November

Eiffel Tower at night photo

Eiffel Tower photo

A few days before Hitler was due to visit occupied Paris, the elevator in the Eiffel Tower broke down. The breakdown turned out to be so serious that the engineers were unable to repair the lift during the war. The Fuhrer was not able to visit the top of the largest building in France. The elevator started working only when Paris was liberated from the Nazi invaders - literally a few hours later. That is why the French say that although Hitler managed to conquer France, he still could not capture the Eiffel Tower.

If you look closely at the map of Paris, the capital of France, in order to find out where the Eiffel Tower is located, you will see that it is located in the western part of the city, on the Champs de Mars, on the left bank of the Seine, not far from the Jena Bridge, which connects the Quai Branly with the opposite shore. You can find out exactly where the Eiffel Tower is located on the geographical map of the world using the following coordinates: 48° 51′ 29″ N. la., 2° 17′ 40″ e. d.

Now the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of Paris, but once upon a time, from the first days of its existence, it caused a mixed reaction among both the French and guests of the city. While tourists admired its weight, size and unusual design, many Parisians were categorically against its presence in the capital and repeatedly demanded that the authorities dismantle this grandiose structure.

The Eiffel Tower was saved from the planned demolition (the weight of the iron structure attracted more than one company in the field of metallurgy) only because the era of radio frequency waves had arrived - and it was this structure that was best suited for installing radio antennas.

The idea of ​​creating a tower

The history of the Eiffel Tower began when the French decided to organize a world exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the French Revolution, which occurred in 1789. To this end, a competition was launched throughout the country to select the best engineering and architectural projects that could be presented at the planned event and that could demonstrate the technical achievements of France over the past decade.

Among the competition entries, most of the proposals were similar to each other and were a variation of the Eiffel Tower, which the judges decided to choose. Interesting fact: although Gustave Eiffel is considered to be the author of the project, in reality the idea was submitted by his collaborators - Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlen. Their version had to be modified somewhat, since the Parisians, who preferred more refined architecture, found it too “dry”.

It was decided to cover the lower part of the structure with stone, and on the ground floor to connect the supports and the platform of the tower with arches, which would also serve as the entrance to the exhibition. He came up with the idea of ​​arranging glazed halls on all three tiers of the structure, and giving the top of the structure a rounded shape and decorating it with various decorative elements.

Construction

Interesting fact: half of the money for the construction of the Eiffel Tower was allocated by Gustave Eiffel himself (the rest of the amount was contributed by three French banks). For this, an agreement was signed with him, according to which the future structure was leased to the engineer for a quarter of a century, and compensation was also provided, which was supposed to cover 25% of his expenses.

The tower paid for itself even before the exhibition closed (during the six months of its operation, more than 2 million people came to see the structure, unprecedented at that time), so its further operation brought Eiffel a lot of money.

The creation of the Eiffel Tower took very little time: two years, two months and five days. Interesting fact: only three hundred workers were involved in the construction, and not a single death was recorded, which at that time was a kind of achievement.

Such a rapid pace of construction is primarily explained by high-quality drawings, which indicated the absolutely accurate dimensions of all metal parts (and their number exceeded 18 thousand). When assembling the tower, completely finished parts were used with holes made, two thirds of which had pre-installed rivets.

An important role was played by the fact that the weight of the parts did not exceed three tons - this greatly facilitated their lifting to the top.

The construction involved cranes, which, after the tower had significantly exceeded their height, lifted the parts to their maximum level, from where they fell into mobile cranes that moved upward along rails that were laid for elevators.

Just two years after the start of construction work, the Eiffel Tower was built and its chief engineer, on March 31, 1989, hoisted the French flag over the structure - and the opening of the Eiffel Tower took place. That same evening, it shone with multi-colored lights: a lighthouse was installed on top of the structure, glowing in the colors of the French flag, two searchlights and about 10 thousand gas lamps (they were later replaced by 125 thousand electric light bulbs).

Nowadays, the Eiffel Tower is “dressed” at night in a golden robe, which sometimes changes its color depending on the events taking place.

What does the symbol of France look like?

The size of the Eiffel Tower amazed Parisians even before the completion of construction work - no one in the world had ever seen such a structure. What a grandiose structure appeared in front of them is evidenced by the following facts: it was much taller than all existing structures at that time: the Cheops pyramid had a height of 146 meters, Cologne and Ulm Cathedrals - 156 and 161 meters, respectively (a building of higher dimensions was erected only in 1930 - it was the New York Chrysler Building with a height of 319 m).

Immediately after completion of construction, the height of the Eiffel Tower was about three hundred meters (in our time, thanks to the antenna installed on its top, the height of the Eiffel Tower in the spire is 324 m). You can climb the tower to the second floor by steps - there are 1,792 of them in total - or by elevator. From the second to the third - only on the lift. Anyone who decides to climb so high will definitely not regret it: the view from the Eiffel Tower is magnificent - all of Paris is at your fingertips.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris shocked contemporaries with its unusual shape for the capital, and therefore the project was repeatedly subjected to merciless criticism.

The designer argued that this particular configuration is the best option for successfully withstanding the force of the wind (as time has shown, he was right: even the strongest hurricane, which swept through the capital at a speed of 180 km/h, deflected the top of the tower by only 12 cm). There is no doubt that in appearance the Eiffel Tower somewhat resembles an elongated pyramid, the weight of which is many tons.

Below, at the same distance from each other, there are four square columns, the length of each side of such a column is 129.3 meters and they all go up at a slight angle with an inclination towards each other. These columns, at a level of 57 m, connect a vault decorated with arches, on which the first tier measuring 65 by 65 m is installed (a restaurant is located here). It is interesting that under this floor, on all sides, the names of seventy-two of the most famous French designers and scientists are stamped, as well as everyone who took a significant part in the construction of the tower.

From the first platform, at a slight angle, four more columns rise towards each other, which come together at a height of 115 m, and the size of the second floor is half as large - 35 by 35 meters (there is a restaurant here, and previously there were also tanks with intended for elevator with machine oil). The four columns located on the second tier also go up at an angle, coming closer until, at a height of 190 m, they converge into one column, on which, at a level of 276 m, a third floor of 16.5 by 16.5 meters is installed (an astronomical and meteorological observatory and physics room).

A lighthouse was installed above the third floor, the light from which can be seen at a distance of 10 km, which is why the Eiffel Tower looks indescribably beautiful at night, as it shines with blue, white and red light - the colors of the national flag of France. Three hundred meters from the ground above the lighthouse, a very small platform was installed - 1.4 by 1.4 meters, on which there is now a twenty-meter spire.

As for the mass of the structure, its weight is 7.3 thousand tons (the weight of the total mass of the structure is 10.1 thousand tons). Interesting fact: over all the years of its existence, the Eiffel Tower was sold by particularly successful entrepreneurs about two dozen times (the weight of the metal of the world-famous structure attracted more than one buyer). For example, in 1925, the Eiffel Tower was sold twice for scrap metal by the swindler Victor Lusting.

The same thing was done thirty-five years later by the Englishman David Sams; the interesting fact is that he was able to documentably prove to a reputable Dutch company that the Parisian authorities had instructed him to do the dismantling. As a result, he was arrested and put in prison, but the money did not return to the company.

The Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris, has a complicated history. At first they categorically did not accept it, then they got used to it, and now it is impossible to imagine the capital of France without this amazing structure.

Location

The famous symbol of Paris, which gives the city a familiar look throughout the world, is located on a former military parade ground, which has been turned into a beautiful park. It is divided into alleys decorated with small ponds and flower beds. Opposite the tower is the Jena Bridge. The elegant openwork structure is visible from many points in Paris, although this was not Eiffel's original intention. The tower was supposed to fulfill one function - to become an unusual entrance to the World Exhibition.

Project approval and design assignment

The history of the Eiffel Tower began at the end of the 19th century. In 1889, the World Exhibition was to be held in the capital of France. This event was of great importance for the country. It was timed to coincide with the centenary of the day and was supposed to last for 6 months.

One of the objectives of the exhibition is to demonstrate technical innovations, so the creators of the pavilions competed to see whose project would most reflect the future. The entrance to the exhibition was supposed to be an arch. The architects were given the task of preparing a design for a structure that would demonstrate the technical power of the country and the achievements of engineering.

An offer to participate in the competition from the Parisian administration was sent to all engineering and design bureaus of the city, including Gustave Eiffel. He had no ready-made solutions, and decided to look for something suitable in projects that had been postponed. It was there that he found a sketch of the tower created by Maurice Keshlin, his employee. With the help of Emile Nouguier, the construction project was finalized and submitted to the competition by Eiffel. The prudent engineer first received a patent for it together with the creators of the project, and then bought it from Keshlin and Nouguier. Thus, ownership of the tower drawings passed to Gustave Eiffel.

Many interesting and controversial projects were proposed for the competition, and the story of the Eiffel Tower might never have begun. The engineer made changes to the design to make it more decorative, and of the four remaining applicants at the end of the competition, the commission chose him.

Eiffel Tower - year of construction and stages of construction

Construction of the gigantic structure began on January 28, 1887. It lasted for two years, two months and five days. At that time this was an unprecedented speed. Everything was explained by the highest accuracy of the drawings, in which the size of more than 18 thousand structural parts was scrupulously accurately indicated. In addition, in order to speed up the pace of work as much as possible, Eiffel used pre-fabricated parts of the tower. Two and a half million rivets were used to connect all the structural parts. In the pre-prepared parts, the holes for the rivets were already drilled and most of them were installed, which significantly speeded up assembly.

Eiffel provided that none of the pre-prepared beams and other parts of the structure weighed more than 3 tons - this would make them easier to lift with cranes. When the height of the tower outgrew the size of the lifting devices, mobile cranes designed by the architect specifically for this purpose came to the rescue, moving along rails created for future elevators.

The most difficult thing for us was not the work at the very top, at a 300-meter height, but the construction of the first platform of the tower. Sand-filled metal cylinders supported the weight of four inclined supports. By gradually releasing the sand, they could be installed in the correct position. When this was done, the first platform was installed strictly horizontally.

The cost of construction of the tower amounted to almost 8 million francs. Construction costs were recouped during the exhibition period (6 months).

Weight and size of the structure

How many meters high was the Eiffel Tower at first? It was 300 meters long and was much more impressive in its size (93 meters including the granite pedestal).

How many meters tall is the Eiffel Tower now? After installing the new antenna, it became 24 meters higher. The total weight of the tower is 10 thousand tons. With each painting, the weight of the building increases by another 60 tons.

The fate of the tower after the exhibition and the attitude of Parisians towards it

According to the agreement concluded with Eiffel, the tower was to be dismantled 20 years after its construction. Its success was deafening - during the exhibition, more than two million people wanted to look at the ingenious structure, which had no equal in the world. Within a year, we managed to recoup most of the construction costs. But the admiration of the exhibition visitors was not shared by the creative intelligentsia of Paris. The Eiffel Tower (France did not know a more controversial opinion about any other structure) caused indignation and irritation among artists and writers. They considered it ugly, like a factory chimney, and were afraid that it would disrupt the unique appearance of Paris, which had developed over centuries.

The history of the Eiffel Tower could have ended with its dismantling if not for the advent of the radio era. Radio antennas were installed on the building, and the building acquired significant strategic value. Demolition of the tower was now out of the question. In 1906, a radio station was placed in the Eiffel Tower, and in 1957 a television antenna appeared on its top.

Description of the Eiffel Tower and the reasons for its design features

The lower floor of the structure is a pyramid. It is formed by four inclined supports. The first square (65 meters in diameter) platform of the tower rests on them. The supports are connected by arched tracery vaults. Above, on four supports, lies the second platform. The next four columns of the tower begin to intertwine and connect into a huge column. There is a third platform on it. Above it there is a lighthouse and a small platform a little more than a meter in diameter.

On the first site, as planned by the architect, there was a restaurant. On the second there was another restaurant and containers with machine oil for servicing elevators. The third site was given over to laboratories (astronomical and meteorological).

Eiffel was criticized at one time for the unusual shape of the tower. In fact, the brilliant engineer and architect understood perfectly well that for such a tall structure the main danger was strong wind. The design and shape of the tower are designed to withstand high wind loads.

Eiffel Tower: interesting things about the famous symbol of Paris

Adolf Hitler visited Paris during the occupation of France by German troops and expressed a desire to climb the Eiffel Tower. But right before his arrival, the elevator drive was seriously damaged, and it was not possible to repair it under military conditions. The German leader was never able to climb the tower. After the liberation of the French capital, the elevator began operating within a few hours.

The architect of the Eiffel Tower was very concerned about safety issues, since the work was carried out at a very high altitude. In the entire history of construction, not a single worker died - this is a real achievement for those years.

Unpleasant events are also associated with the Eiffel Tower - in 2009 it was awarded the third place in popularity among suicides.

In order to repaint the tower, it will take a year and a half of work and 60 tons of paint.

On a daily basis, the tower consumes as much electricity as a small village of one hundred houses.

The famous symbol of Paris has its own patented color - “Eiffel brown”. It is as close as possible to the real bronze shade of the structure’s structures.

There are more than 300 copies of the famous tower in the world. Several of them are located in Russia: in Moscow, Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Voronezh and Irkutsk.

Eiffel Tower in culture

The famous building has more than once become an object of interest for artists, poets, writers and directors.

The history of the Eiffel Tower is recorded in documentary sources, and its possible future has been shown more than once in apocalyptic films. One of the most interesting films is the documentary “The Future of the Planet: Life After People.” It shows that without maintenance, the Eiffel Tower will not be able to withstand its main enemies for long: rust and wind. In about 150-300 years, its upper part at the level of the third platform will collapse and fall.

But most often the Eiffel Tower can be seen on the canvases of artists. Jean Béraud, known for his genre works depicting everyday life in Paris, created the painting “Near the Eiffel Tower”, in which a Parisian woman gazes in amazement at the huge structure. Marc Chagall dedicated a lot of works to Eiffel's creations.

Conclusion

One of the most recognizable buildings in the world is the Eiffel Tower. France is rightfully proud of this amazing symbol of Paris. The view of the city from the top of the tower is magnificent.

You can admire it any day - the brilliant creation of Gustave Eiffel is open to visitors on weekends.

The height of the Eiffel Tower which is considered the most recognizable landmark located in Paris, is 300 meters. This is the tallest building not only in the city, but throughout France.

Story

The construction of the future symbol of the city was completed in 1889. Construction was timed to coincide with the opening of the World Exhibition, held that same year in the French capital.

1889 was the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The leadership of the Third Republic decided to amaze the population and guests with a truly unusual structure. A competition was announced, which was won by the company of engineer Gustave Eiffel. This project proposed the construction of a huge 300-meter building in the city center. Leading roles in the development of the project were played by engineers Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koehlen. After the closing of the World Exhibition, the structure was supposed to be dismantled.

To many Parisians, the idea of ​​​​building a huge futuristic-looking structure in the very center of the city seemed unsuccessful. Writers opposed it: Alexandre Dumas the son, Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, composer Charles Gounod.

Expert opinion

Knyazeva Victoria

Guide to Paris and France

The Eiffel Tower was a huge success with the public. Construction costs were recouped within a year.

Construction process

After 20 years, the building was to be dismantled. Technological progress intervened. By that time, radio had been invented, and a powerful transmitter and antenna were placed on top. In 1898, the first radio communication session was successfully carried out. It was mainly used for radio communications, then, already in the 20th century, for television.

Cemetery Père Lachaise

Eiffel Tower now

Visiting this attraction is open to everyone. In each of the leg-columns there are entrances for access inside. The cost of visiting depends on the level to which you plan to climb. The ticket price for the second tier is 11 euros, for the observation deck located at the very top - 17 euros. How long you have to wait in line depends on luck and the influx of tourists.

Three floors are available for visiting. You can move between them by elevator or on foot. There is usually a long queue for the elevator.

• The first tier is at an altitude of 57.64 meters. It is the largest in area, almost 4415 square meters. meters, 3000 people can be here at the same time.
• The second tier, which is at an altitude of 115.7 meters, is already much smaller. Area - 1430 sq. meters, it is planned to accommodate 1600 people.
• The third tier (height 276.1 meters) is the last. Its dimensions are 250 sq. meters and capacity up to 400 people. This is the highest point of the Eiffel Tower that you can climb to.
• Above is a lighthouse and a long spire with a flagpole.

Height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

Features of design and shape

Many people are interested in the question of what is the exact height of Eiffel’s creation. The tower itself rose to a height of 300.65 m. Subsequently, a spire-shaped antenna was installed on the top. This increased the size of the structure. The exact height increased to 324.82 meters.

Ile de la Cité

The Eiffel Tower has a very original and memorable look. However, there are few people in the whole world who are not familiar with it. Its shape can be described as a highly elongated pyramid. Four columns rise up and merge into one square-shaped structure. Material: puddling steel.

View from the Champ de Mars

The structure, built at the end of the last century, is highly reliable. The design, created by Gustave Eiffel, withstands even strong winds. The technologies used make it possible to compensate for the thermal expansion of the metal, due to the unevenness of which the top deviates by a maximum of 18 cm.

Backlight

It was decided to equip such a tall structure, which dominates the center of Paris, with spectacular lighting.

At first, acetylene lamps, two spotlights and a lighthouse on top, painted in the colors of the national flag - white, red and blue, were used for this. Since 1900, electric lamps began to be used for these purposes.

For 9 years, from 1925 to 1934, Citroen founder Andre Citroen placed special advertisements on the building. It was called "Eiffel Tower on Fire." A system of 125 thousand light bulbs was installed, which alternately lit up and formed the silhouettes of a flying comet, the year of construction, a shooting star, the current date and the word Citroen.

Since 1937, spotlights have been used for illumination, illuminating the building from below. In 2006, the tower was illuminated blue for the first time in honor of the 20th anniversary of the European Union. In 2008, during the period when France was appointed chairman of the Council of Europe, the tower had an unusual illumination - a blue background with gold stars, reminiscent of the banner of the European Union.

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!”

How to get to the 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.

A little bit of Trocadero

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 Cinema Museum, the Naval Museum and the Museum of Man located in the Chaillot Palace, 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 that with all the inhabitants of French rivers and even with 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.

History of the Eiffel Tower. World Gate

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. Moreover, with drilled holes and, for the most part, 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.

Now up

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:

• climb on the elevator 3rd floor The Eiffel Tower, to the very top, costs 17 euros for an adult, 14.5 euros for teenagers and youth from 12 to 24 years old, 8 euros for children from 4 to 11 years old;
• lift ride to the 2nd floor: adults – 11 euros, teenagers and youth from 12 to 24 years old – 8.5 euros, children from 4 to 11 years old – 4 euros;
• climbing the stairs to the 2nd floor: adults – 7 euros, teenagers and youth from 12 to 24 years old – 5 euros, children from 4 to 11 years old – 3 euros. Be aware that there are 1,674 steps to climb when climbing the stairs. With your feet!

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.

Go!

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.

First floor of the Eiffel Tower

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!

Second floor of the Eiffel Tower

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.

Third floor of the Eiffel Tower

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.

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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.