The Eiffel Tower is one of the most visited monuments in the world.
The tower has three levels for visitors, with restaurants on the first and second levels. The top level’s upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground — the highest public observation deck in the European Union.
You may want to plan a visit during one of the shoulder seasons – spring or fall – to avoid the crowds. It’s cheaper to only visit the second level of the tower, and you can save even more if you want to walk nearly 700 stairs up to it instead of taking the elevator. But for unparalleled views of Paris, consider splurging on a ticket to the top level. In addition, some of the best Paris tours include a stop at this landmark.
To make your visit even more memorable, you can dine within the Eiffel Tower at Madame Brasserie or at the Michelin-starred Jules Verne, which has a mandatory elegant dress code.
After sunset, you’ll see why this must-visit destination in France is known as the City of Light: The Eiffel Tower puts on its own dazzling light show at the top of each hour after dark.
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The Eiffel Tower is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower from 1887 to 1889.
Locally nicknamed “La dame de fer” (French for “Iron Lady”), it was constructed as the centrepiece of the 1889 World’s Fair, and to crown the centennial anniversary of the French Revolution. Although initially criticised by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world. The tower received 5,889,000 visitors in 2022.
The Eiffel Tower is the most visited monument with an entrance fee in the world: 6.91 million people ascended it in 2015. It was designated a monument historique in 1964, and was named part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (“Paris, Banks of the Seine”) in 1991.
The tower is 330 metres (1,083 ft) tall,[9] about the same height as an 81-storey building, and the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is square, measuring 125 metres (410 ft) on each side. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become by far the tallest human-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was finished in 1930. It was the first structure in the world to surpass both the 200-metre and 300-metre mark in height.
Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually accessible only by lift. On this top, third level, is a private apartment built for Gustave Eiffel, who decorated it with furniture made by Jean Lachaise and invited friends such as Thomas Edison.
