Eiffel Tower

Eiffel Tower, France

The Eiffel Tower silhouetted against a golden sunset seen from the grass of the Champ de Mars.

Go for the views, the engineering and the chance to stand under a 19th-century iron icon that still divides opinion, but plan around the crowds.

The place

The Eiffel Tower stands on the Champ de Mars, a long lawn that runs down from the École Militaire towards the Seine, and it is the image most people carry in their heads when they think of Paris. The name comes from Gustave Eiffel, whose engineering company designed and built the structure between 1887 and 1889. Parisians gave it the affectionate nickname 'the Iron Lady', a nod to the wrought iron that makes up nearly all of it.

The tower was built as the centrepiece of the 1889 World's Fair, a showcase of French industry and invention that marked a century since the Revolution. Many artists and critics disliked the design at first, and plenty expected it to be taken down once the fair closed. It survived because it proved useful, first as a platform for radio and telegraph aerials, and it has since become a global symbol of France.

At 330 metres it is the tallest structure in Paris. Its base is a square about 125 metres on each side, and the open lattice means the wind passes through rather than pushing hard against it. Lifts and stairs carry visitors to three levels, each with its own views over the city. The surrounding gardens are wide and open, so the tower looks different from every angle: close up it is a web of girders, from the Trocadéro it is a silhouette against the sky. Most people visit in the late afternoon or after dark, when the lights come on.

Its story

The design began as a practical question about a centrepiece for the 1889 world's fair, which was planned to mark a century since the Revolution. Two senior engineers at Eiffel's firm, Maurice Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, worked up the first idea at home. Koechlin's sketch showed a tall pylon of four lattice girders, spread wide at the base and meeting at the top, with metal braces tying them together at intervals. Eiffel was not enthusiastic at first, but he agreed to further study.

The team then brought in Stephen Sauvestre, head of the company's architectural department, who added the ornamental arches at the base, a glass pavilion on the first level and other decorative touches that made the structure easier to accept as a public monument. With the refined scheme in hand, Eiffel bought the patent rights from the three designers and showed the model publicly under his company's name, which helped secure the commission.

Construction used prefabricated wrought iron pieces, carried to the site and joined by riveting, so that the frame rose steadily through the late 1880s. The work was finished in time for the fair, and the tower became the most talked-about object in the city. Its future was less secure. Once the exhibition ended, the permit to keep it standing was tied to its scientific and military uses, and in the first decade of the new century it nearly came down. Its radio aerial kept it in service, and the tower survived the twentieth century as one of Paris's most photographed objects. Today it is part of the wider world heritage listing covering the banks of the Seine.

What to see

Culture

The Eiffel Tower is a working national monument rather than a quiet memorial, so the culture around it is busy, informal and sometimes loud. Visitors will see street vendors offering small replica towers and sparkling souvenirs at the foot of the legs, and the tower's lights and evening sparkle draw large, cheerful crowds on most nights. Locals treat the tower as part of everyday city life. People picnic on the Champ de Mars, jog past it in the mornings and use it as a landmark for directions. Nobody expects the reverence that some religious monuments command, but the French do value courtesy in queues and public spaces. Expect a polite but firm line of waiting at the lifts and security, and do not push ahead of people who have been waiting. Pickpockets operate at the base and inside the lifts, so keep bags closed and in front of you at all times.

What to wear

The Eiffel Tower has no dress code of its own, but Parisian clothing has a long history of wool, cotton, linen and silk, with the city's textile trade drawing much of its silk from Lyon. Traditional regional dress elsewhere in France, such as the lace coiffes of Brittany, is rarely seen on the Champ de Mars. Locals now dress in a relaxed version of classic style: dark wool coats, scarves in autumn, jeans, simple knitwear and leather shoes, with an emphasis on neat fit rather than logos. Visitors should dress in layers, since evenings by the river turn cool even in late spring and early autumn. Choose comfortable shoes with good grip for long walks and queues on the uneven gravel and paving, and avoid shorts at the top level if the wind is strong. There is no requirement to cover up, but a smart-casual look suits the city.

What to eat

Plan it

Best time. April to May and September to October suit most visitors, with mild weather, lighter queues than high summer and clear views. July and August bring the heaviest crowds and warm afternoons, and the tower can feel hot in its shaded lifts. Winter is cold and grey, but the summit is quieter.

How long. 1–2

Getting there. Fly into Charles de Gaulle or Orly, then take the RER or a taxi to the tower. The nearest RER station is Champ de Mars–Tour Eiffel on the C line, and the Métro stop at Bir-Hakeim is a short walk. A Batobus boat from the Seine also stops at the tower.

Budget. mid

Tips

Etiquette

Nearby

Sources