The Eiffel Tower is an attraction in Paris, its history and information

The Eiffel Tower in Paris is the best-known monument of the French capital.

More than thirty percent of people worldwide, when asked what comes to mind when they think of the capital of France, respond with the Eiffel Tower! It is surpassed in popularity only by the Louvre Museum and the famous Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame.

The latter has an undeniable advantage, as it is known for housing the Crown of Thorns, which was placed on Jesus during the crucifixion, in its underground vaults. Unfortunately, one of the most precious relics in the Catholic Church could not protect the monument from a fire that recently consumed a large part of the cathedral.

The Eiffel Tower takes its name from the surname of its designer, Gustave Eiffel. However, there is a discrepancy here, as it was not Eiffel himself who designed the famous tower, but rather the employees of his company. Ultimately, the boss bought the rights to the design from the creators and entered it into a competition for the design of a building to commemorate the upcoming Paris World’s Fair in 1889.

Great World Exhibitions in London

The history of World’s Fairs begins in the 18th century in London. A few years later, a similar event took place in Paris. However, these were local gatherings of entrepreneurs and inventors. It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that an event called the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations took place again in London.

For the first time, representatives of industry from around the world gathered there. However, it was the British who amazed everyone with modern solutions in architecture and technology. The main attraction was the Crystal Palace, the world’s first building made entirely of prefabricated components.

As its name suggests, glass was primarily used in its construction. The building was magnificent, but unfortunately, we will never see it again as it burned down in the early 20th century.

Unusual inventions at the Great Exhibition in London

At the Great Exhibition, many remarkable inventions were showcased that would go on to change the world in the future. However, there were also ideas presented that, while perhaps interesting and even amusing, were entirely impractical. An example of this is the bed, which, combined with a clock and a large spring, became an extraordinary alarm clock.

At a specific time, the spring would be released with force, tilting the mattress and catapulting the sleeper through the window (if one happened to be opposite the bed).

Since then, World’s Fairs have been regularly held every few years. One of the largest was the 1939 exhibition in New York, which was visited by over 40 million people. Even countries like Poland had their pavilion there, serving to promote European countries across the ocean, and it was quite successful.

The Great Exhibition of 1889 in Paris and the Eiffel Tower

However, we are interested in the exhibition that took place in 1889 in Paris. It was there that one of the biggest attractions was the Eiffel Tower, which is the subject of this article.

The exhibition held in Paris took place on the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. It aimed to show the world, as well as the people of France, the immense and positive changes that had occurred since the bloody overthrow of the monarchy.

It must be acknowledged that the organizers rose to the occasion. They almost completely rebuilt the part of Paris where the event took place. The most important buildings and exhibition spaces were located on the Champ de Mars — the same grounds where a century earlier the fall of the Bastille had been celebrated.

Similar to the London exhibition before, the organizers in Paris made sure to impress the visitors. A good example is the Palace of Industry (Palais des Industries), known as the Grand Palais, which still stands on the banks of the Seine along Avenue Winston Churchill.

It was the world’s first building to fully utilize electric power. I’m not just talking about lighting, but also about electric motors that operated elevators and, among other things, pumped water to a giant fountain in front of the palace. The fountain itself generated immense interest because the water within was illuminated from below, with lights synchronized to orchestral music. Additionally, pipes with earpieces protruded from the ground, allowing visitors to listen in real-time to performances at the Opera Garnier.

Eiffel Tower in Paris, The Iron Lady who enchanted the world

However, the greatest interest during the Great Exhibition in Paris was drawn to the Eiffel Tower. It pierced the sky to a height of over 300 meters and was perfectly visible from every corner of the city. To this day, the tower remains the tallest structure in the French capital, with only a few constructions in the whole of France surpassing it.

The tower was conceived for the World’s Fair and was intended to be a symbol of France’s power. Built entirely of steel, it sparked immense interest because until then, it was believed impossible to construct such large structures from this material. Eiffel led a design firm specializing in bridges and viaducts. The choice of his tower design made him one of the most famous engineers of the 19th century.

However, the fate of the famous tower was not without challenges. According to the agreement, the iron structure was only to stand on the banks of the Seine for 20 years. Of course, its designer was not keen on this and did everything to ensure that his creation became more than just a towering heap of scrap metal for the city.

He fought many battles with influential people of Paris at that time. Many artists couldn’t come to terms with the presence of something described as “hideous and contradicting the idea of Paris as the capital of world art.”

The voices of the residents were divided, and even within households, families argued whether the tower should remain in the city or be scrapped. Just imagine French people shouting at each other while hitting each other with baguettes.

Eventually, Eiffel came up with the idea that one of the tower’s platforms would be perfect for a meteorological station. Soon after, he built a large mast at its summit, enabling long-distance radio communication. Thanks to such measures, today when visiting Paris, the Eiffel Tower still serves as a landmark and fantastic point of reference, and the view of Paris from its top is a real treat for every traveller.

To ascend the tower, you naturally have to purchase a ticket. Here’s a good tip: if the weather is dreadful, raining, or foggy, skip the ascent. You won’t see anything, and the few euros saved will be better spent in one of the numerous cafés near this steel attraction.

Myths about dangerous Paris near the Eiffel Tower

We spent a few days in Paris, and nothing bad happened to us. Nobody bothered us, and we didn’t see crowds of refugees, as the television scares us. The only place where we were approached was precisely around the Eiffel Tower. There are guys hanging around here trying to trick gullible tourists into a game of three-card Monte, while others collect money for fictitious fundraisers. However, a bit of common sense will help you avoid trouble.

Paris is a beautiful city and a true European capital. There are plenty of attractions related to art, technology, and architecture here. During your visit, it’s very difficult to get bored. However, I highly recommend spending a few hours exploring the area around the Iron Lady. Even if you don’t decide to visit its summit, a stroll through the Champ de Mars or across the Pont d’Iéna bridge, or even a simple walk along the Seine near the Eiffel Tower, will be a great pleasure that you will remember for a long time.

Eiffel Tower practical tips, ticket prices and how to get there

• Tickets to the second level of the tower cost several euros. However, if you opt to forego the elevator and climb the stairs, the price will drop.
• To reach the summit of the Eiffel Tower, you’ll need to pay numerous tens of euros per adult. Here, too, you can choose to skip the elevator and save a few euros. The stair climb will cost you a few euros less.
• To access the elevators, you must undergo a personal security check. This can generate quite long queues, potentially delaying you for various hours. It’s essential to factor this into your sightseeing plans.
• The Eiffel Tower can be reached by metro. Nearby stops include Line 6 at Bir-Hakeim, Line 8 at Ecole Militaire, and Line 9 at Trocadero. Additionally, at Champ de Mars station near the Champ de Mars, you can catch the RER line C train.
• Official Website

Eiffel Tower information, and interesting facts

• The Eiffel Tower is one of the most frequently visited paid attractions in the world. Every year, over 7 million people ascend or enter it.
• It is one of the most photographed landmarks in the world.
• The tower currently measures over 324 meters, but upon completion, it was 12 meters shorter.
• If vertically aligned, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Statue of Liberty, and the Arc de Triomphe would only reach halfway up the tower’s height.
• The Eiffel Tower weighs 10,000 tons and consists of over 18,000 metal parts.
• Three observation decks are spread throughout the tower’s height. The lowest one is at 57 meters, the next at 116 meters, and the highest, nearly at the top, at 276 meters.
• The construction cost of the Eiffel Tower was over 65 million Polish zloty equivalents today. However, the investment quickly paid off. Today, the Eiffel Tower is profitable on its own, with surplus earnings.
• During strong gusts of wind, the tower’s peak leans 10 centimetres in each direction.
• The Eiffel Tower is repainted every seven years to prevent corrosion. Approximately 60,000 litres of paint are used for this purpose.
• Several years ago, powerful spotlights were installed at the tower’s summit, which rotate around the tower, making it the tallest lighthouse in the world. On a clear day, the light from the tower can be seen from nearly a hundred kilometres away.
• The Eiffel Tower was the world’s tallest building for over 40 years until it was surpassed by one of the skyscrapers on Wall Street in New York.
• A restaurant named after the well-known French writer Jules Verne is located on one of the platforms, in the middle of the tower. He was one of the early creators of science fiction, beloved by Our Trails. The prices in the restaurant are rather high, but the view over coffee is worth every penny.
• You can access the tower by elevator or stairs. Walking tickets are slightly cheaper, but not by much. To reach the second level, you have to climb over 700 steps. There are 1,665 steps to the very top.
• Many buildings similar to the Eiffel Tower have been erected worldwide. These include the Tokyo Tower and the TV Tower in Riga, Latvia.
• At the beginning of the 21st century, thousands of lights were installed throughout the tower, which turn it into a shining work of art after dark. The lighting system allows for colour changes and light patterns that adapt to current events. For example, on the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence, the Eiffel Tower glowed in white and red colours.
• In 1912, Austrian Franz Reichelt, a known inventor at the time, decided to test his parachute design. Early one morning, he jumped from the first level of the Eiffel Tower, but unfortunately, the equipment did not work.
• At the Great Exhibition of All Nations in London in 1851, among the representatives of the Russian Empire, Polish inventor Izrael Abraham Staffel appeared. He was a watchmaker running a renowned workshop in Warsaw, where he constructed clocks, counting machines, and very precise measuring instruments. At the Great Exhibition, his counting machine, called the Calculating Machine, was awarded a medal. It could add and subtract numbers, as well as multiply, divide, and raise to a power. Unfortunately, not much is said about this remarkable individual today, nor about several other Nobel laureates of Polish origin, simply because they were Polish Jews. This is a great injustice and a significant loss for us as a nation.

Polish version