All about the elven tower. Eiffel Tower: history, construction, interesting facts, use, reviews. Interesting facts from the history of the Eiffel Tower

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

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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.

Construction Eiffel Tower, which later became a symbol of Paris, was completed in 1889, initially it was conceived as a temporary structure that served as the entrance arch to the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889.

The exhibition took place in Paris and was timed to coincide with the centenary of the French Revolution. The Paris city administration turned to famous French engineers with an offer to take part in an architectural competition. At such a competition, it was necessary to find a structure that visibly demonstrates the engineering and technological achievements of the country.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:02

1886 In three years, the World Industrial Exhibition EXPO will begin in Paris. The exhibition organizers announced a competition for a temporary architectural structure that would serve as the entrance to the exhibition and would represent the technical revolution of its time, the beginning of grandiose transformations in the life of mankind. The proposed construction was supposed to generate income and be easily dismantled.

On May 1, 1886, a competition for architectural and engineering projects for the future World Exhibition opened in France, in which 107 applicants took part. Various extravagant ideas were considered, including, for example, a giant guillotine, which was supposed to be reminiscent of the French Revolution of 1789.

Among the competition participants was engineer and designer Gustave Eiffel, who proposed a project that was then unprecedented in world construction - a 300-meter metal tower, the tallest structure in the world. He drew the very idea of ​​the tower from the drawings of his company’s employees, Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nugier. Gustav Eiffel receives a joint patent for the project with them, and subsequently buys from them the exclusive right to the future Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel's project becomes one of the 4 winners and then the engineer makes final changes to it, finding a compromise between the original purely engineering design scheme and the decorative option. Thanks to the changes made by the engineer to the decorative design of the tower, the competition organizers preferred his “Iron Lady”.

In the end, the committee settled on Eiffel's plan, although the idea of ​​the tower itself did not belong to him, but to two of his employees: Maurice Koechlen and Emile Nouguier. It was possible to assemble such a complex structure as a tower within two years only because Eiffel used special construction methods. This explains the decision of the exhibition committee in favor of this project.

In order for the tower to better meet the aesthetic tastes of the demanding Parisian public, the architect Stéphane Sauvestre proposed covering the base supports of the tower with stone, connecting its supports and the ground floor platform with the help of majestic arches, which would simultaneously become the main entrance to the exhibition, and placing spacious glazed halls, give the top of the tower a rounded shape and use a variety of decorative elements to decorate it.

In January 1887, Eiffel, the state and the municipality of Paris signed an agreement according to which Eiffel was provided with an operating lease of the tower for his personal use for a period of 25 years, and also provided for the payment of a cash subsidy in the amount of 1.5 million gold francs, amounting to 25% of all expenses for construction of a tower. On December 31, 1888, in order to attract the missing funds, a joint-stock company was created with an authorized capital of 5 million francs. Half of this amount is funds contributed by three banks, the other half is the personal funds of Eiffel himself.

The final construction budget was 7.8 million francs.

• Eiffel Tower- this is the emblem of Paris and a high-altitude antenna.
• There can be 10,000 people on the tower at the same time.
• The project was drawn up by the architect Stéphane Sauvestre, but the tower was built by the engineer Gustave Eiffel (1823-1923), better known to the public. Other works by Eiffel: Ponte de Dona Maria Pia, Viaduct de Gharabi, iron frame for the New York Statue of Liberty.
• Since the tower appeared, about 250 million people have visited it.
• The weight of the metal part of the structure is 7,300 tons, and the weight of the entire tower is 10,100 tons.
• In 1925, the rogue Victor Lustig managed to sell the iron structure for scrap, and he was able to pull off this trick twice!
• In good weather, from the top of the tower, Paris and its surroundings can be viewed within a radius of up to 70 kilometers. It is believed that the optimal time to visit the Eiffel Tower, providing the best visibility, is an hour before sunset.
• The tower also holds a sad record - about 400 people committed suicide by throwing themselves down from its upper platform. In 2009, the terrace was fenced with protective barriers and now this place is very popular with romantic couples kissing in front of the whole of Paris.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 13:32

One of the most talented swindlers of the 20th century was Count Victor Lustig (1890-1947). This man spoke five languages ​​and received an excellent upbringing. He was bold and fearless. 45 of his aliases are known, and in the United States alone he was arrested 50 times.

“As long as there are fools in the world, we can live by deception.”

There are a great many smart scammers who take advantage of not very smart fellow citizens. But for your name to be included not only in crime chronicles, but also in legends, you must truly have extraordinary abilities. One of these scammers is Victor Lustig.

His exploits include both minor sins and grandiose scams. A young man from a poor Czech family presented himself as a ruined Austrian count. And he stuck to this role so skillfully that no one doubted his title. Fluency in five languages, knowledge of all the subtleties of social and business etiquette, the ability to behave freely in society - these are the qualities thanks to which he belonged both in high society and in the gangster environment. However, in addition to his native “count” surname, the swindler used several dozen more pseudonyms for his activities. Under them, Victor went on various cruises and organized various raffles and lotteries on board the ships from those that we today habitually call “scams.”

Fair play, or the Al Capone scam

One of the legends associated with the name of Lustig was the story of his “collaboration” with Al Capone. One day, in 1926, a tall, well-dressed young man visited a famous gangster of the time. The man introduced himself as Count Victor Lustig. He asked to give him 50 thousand dollars to double this amount.

The gangster was not at all sorry to invest such an insignificant amount in a dubious enterprise, and he gave it to the count. The deadline for completing the plan is 2 months. Lustig took the money, put it in a safe deposit box in Chicago, and then went to New York. Lustig made no attempt to double the amount he left in Chicago.

Two months later he returned, took the money from the bank and went to the gangster. There he apologized, said that the plan did not work and gave the money back. To this the gangster replied: “I expected 100 thousand dollars or nothing. But... get my money back... Yes, you are an honest person! If you are in trouble, take this at least.” And he gave the count 5 thousand dollars. But these 5 thousand were the goal of Lustig’s scam!

Scrap metal, or how the Eiffel Tower was sold

But what is a “bonus” of five thousand? And the sums that Victor earned as a result of lotteries, bank fraud and not very fair poker games seemed meager to him. The soul demanded scope. So that the fraud was grandiose. Well, the proceeds, of course, should not lag behind either.

Lustig was hungry for action and the right opportunity was not long in coming. In May 1925, Victor Lustig and his friend and companion Dan Collins arrived in Paris. On the very first day of their arrival, their attention was attracted by an article in the local newspaper. It said that the famous one was in terrible condition and the city authorities were considering the option of dismantling it.

The idea for a brilliant scam was born instantly. To implement it, a luxurious room was rented in an expensive hotel and documents were made confirming that Victor Lustig is the deputy head of the Ministry of Post and Telegraph. Then invitations were sent out to the five largest metal traders. The letters contained an invitation to an important and absolutely secret meeting with the deputy general director of the department at the Crillon Hotel, at that time the most prestigious hotel in Paris.

Having met the guests in the luxurious apartments, Lustig began to give a lengthy speech about the contents Eiffel Tower costs the state a pretty penny. That it was built as a temporary structure for the World Exhibition in Paris, and now, 30 years later, it has become so dilapidated that it simply poses a threat to Paris and the city authorities are considering demolishing the tower. Therefore, a kind of tender was announced among those present to purchase the tower.

Such a proposal could not fail to arouse interest among the invitees, but Andre Poisson was especially interested in it. He was encouraged not only by the obvious financial benefits of the deal, but also by the opportunity to make history. Maybe it was this vain interest that was noticed by Lustig and it was he who became the reason that after some time it was Monsieur Poisson who was assigned a confidential meeting.

During this meeting, Victor Lustig was somewhat restless. He told Poisson that he had every chance of winning the tender and for complete victory he only needed to “promote” his candidacy a little with the help of a small reward to Victor personally. Before this meeting, Monsieur Poisson had suspicions: why all meetings related to the tender take place in such a secret environment, and not in the offices of the ministry, but in a hotel room. But such extortion on the part of an official, oddly enough, dispelled Poisson’s last doubts regarding the suspicious transaction. He counted out several large bills and persuaded Lustig to take them, then wrote a check for a quarter of a million francs, received documents for the Eiffel Tower and left satisfied. When Monsieur Poisson began to suspect something was wrong, Victor Lustig had already disappeared to Vienna with a suitcase of cash received from a check he had written.

Even though Victor Lustig fell into the hands of the police more than fifty times, he always managed to get away with it. The police had to let the talented swindler go because they simply did not have enough evidence to prove his guilt. Victor Lustig was not only a talented swindler, but also a good psychologist. Most of the victims he deceived did not contact the police, not wanting to look like fools in the eyes of the public. Even Monsieur Poisson, who “bought” the Eiffel Tower for a substantial sum, was more willing to part with his money than to become the laughing stock of all of Paris and lose his reputation as an astute businessman.

The story of the Eiffel Tower became Lustig's swan song. Some time after the deal with Poisson, he returned to Paris and decided to sell the tower again to one of the tenderers. But the deceived businessman quickly saw through the scammer and reported to the police. Lustig managed to escape from the French police to the United States. But there he was caught and put on trial. American justice has also accumulated many claims against the talented swindler. In December 1935, the count was arrested. He received 15 years in prison for counterfeiting dollars, as well as 5 years for escaping from another prison just a month ago. He was transferred to the famous Alcatraz prison island near San Francisco, where he died of pneumonia in March 1947.

Sasha Mitrakhovich 19.01.2016 14:08

Daria Nessel| Dec 20, 2016

The Eiffel Tower is the main symbol of Paris and all of France. Who among us would not want to be in the most magical, romantic and beautiful city on earth - Paris. It is full of colors, the French capital is captivating, opening up a new, completely unknown world. Each of us has always dreamed of strolling along the Champs Elysees, walking through the halls of Versailles, and, of course, seeing the city from a bird's eye view by climbing the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower weight

The weight of this creation of engineering is 10,100 tons, and the weight of the metal structure itself is 7,300 tons. Today, thanks to the development of technology, this amount of metal would be enough for several similar structures.

Height of the Eiffel Tower

For four decades, the Eiffel Tower with a height of 300 meters (in 2010, thanks to the installed antenna, the height increased to 324 meters) was considered the tallest in the world and was almost twice as tall as buildings of that time, such as and.

Height of the lower tier

Middle tier height

Top tier height

• From the 2nd floor, namely from 115 m, in 2010 a world record for roller jumping was set.
• In 2012, Alain Robert climbed to the top of the monument without insurance.
• The Eiffel Tower has an exclusive color called “Eiffel Brown”.
• About two thousand kilograms of paper are required to print day tickets for visitors to the Iron Lady.
• In 2007, American Erica Labrie took the Eiffel Tower as her husband. The government did not recognize the marriage, but the woman was allowed to change her name to Erica La Tour Eiffel.
• The creator of the Iron Lady spent 8,000,000 francs from his own funds on the construction, which paid off in the first year after opening.
• The tower repeatedly changed its appearance from red-brown to yellow.
• Since 2004, the first floor has been poured. This year it is stylized with a hockey theme.
• The total length of the path to the top of the Eiffel Tower is 1792 steps.
• More than 6 million tourists visit the monument every year, and up to 30 thousand people a day.
• The amount of energy consumed by the tower is 7.8 million kWh per year to power 5 billion lamps and lanterns.
• 300 millionth visitor expected in 2017
• One share of the Eiffel Tower costs approximately 40 euros on the stock exchange.

• The total number of structural elements is 18,038 and they are connected by more than 2,500,000 rivets.
• The total area of ​​the metal structure is 250 thousand m2
• Painting the building costs 4,000,000 euros (2009 data); it is painted once every 7 years.
• Painting takes more than 60 tons of paint in 3 shades
• Misfortunes have also accompanied this monument since June 15, 1898. Already about 400 people have committed suicide.
• The tower deviates from the wind by only 15 cm, and on a sunny day its inclination is 18 cm.
• Service personnel 350 people.
• Ground pressure 4 kg. cm 2
• The view from the top observation deck is almost 70 km. in good weather.
• The Eiffel Tower is considered the most expensive monument in Europe, its cost is 435 million

Eiffel Tower project

The anniversary of the French Revolution has arrived, and in honor of this, the authorities decided to organize an exhibition, creating something that would be remembered for a long time. The administration commissioned the famous engineer Gustav Eiffel to make a project and make proposals for the construction of the future structure. Gustav was surprised, but after painstaking work he submitted for consideration to the city administration an original, complex and unusual drawing for those times - an iron tower rising three hundred meters. According to historical information, the engineer had a similar idea and initial drawing for a long time, but he did not pay much attention to them due to the complexity of the work and busyness.

In 1884, he received a patent for the creation of the project, after purchasing the exclusive right.

Two years later, a competition was launched that determined the appearance of the exhibition. 107 very diverse projects took part in it, many of them repeated the drawings of the Eiffel Tower, but did not surpass it.

Very unusual proposals were offered for the exhibition, for example, a huge guillotine - a special mechanism for carrying out the death penalty by cutting off the head, reminiscent of all the horrors of the revolution. Another interesting proposal was a tower made of stone, the construction was supposed to surpass the Washington Monument in the USA. The idea was immediately abandoned due to the inconvenience of constructing the structure only from stone.

Eiffel's project was one of the four lucky winners. In order for the tower to correspond to the aesthetic ensemble of the city, final changes were made, and then the drawing was finally approved.

After approval, the difficult task was to build the Eiffel Tower in two years. This became possible thanks to special construction methods.

Many members of the public were against the iron colossus right in the center of Paris, so Stéphane Sauvestre was invited to work on the aesthetic appearance. He put forward several conceptual solutions for upgrading the iron structure, proposed covering the lower supports with stones, and connecting the base and first floor using a patterned arch. It was proposed to glaze the halls, make the top round, and the final touch was to use decorative elements along the entire height.

An agreement was signed with Eiffel, as an engineer and creator, he was provided with it for personal use and rent for twenty-five years, plus considerable subsidies. It is worth noting that the Eiffel Tower fully paid for itself during the exhibition, and an excursion to it is still a profitable business today.

Construction of the Eiffel Tower

The construction of the Eiffel Tower took just over two years, all thanks to carefully crafted drawings. They indicated the exact dimensions of about twelve thousand different metal parts. More than two and a half million rivets were used to assemble the structure. To carry out faster work, several parts were assembled into single blocks on the ground, and holes for rivets were drilled in advance. Each of the iron blocks weighed no more than three tons, this made it easier to install them at height.

At first, cranes were used, and when the tower outgrew them, Gustav came up with special mobile cranes that moved on rails, and then elevators were launched in their place.

Due to the tight deadlines and high height of the structure, Eiffel paid great attention to safety. During the entire period there were no fatal incidents, which is quite surprising for that period.

Paradoxically, the most difficult work was carried out on the lower platform; it supported the multi-ton structure, preventing it from sagging, tilting or collapsing. The entire structure has an excellent oscillatory trajectory, which prevents it from falling due to strong winds.

From the diaries of eyewitnesses to those events one can find enthusiastic stories about the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

Many Parisians were sincerely surprised and admired by such a fast-growing, huge iron giant in the very center of the city.

And so, on March 31, 1889, twenty-six months later, the engineer invited officials for the first ascent; 1,710 steps had to be overcome.

Reaction to the Eiffel Tower

According to the agreement with the engineer, the Eiffel Tower was supposed to be dismantled in twenty years, but the unusual structure was very popular with visitors to the exhibition and guests of the capital, and was a resounding success. In just 6 months, more than two million people visited it.

“The Iron Lady,” as the people called the building, caused quite a controversial reaction. After the project was approved and throughout the construction, the mayor's office and administration received letters and petitions demanding that the construction be stopped. Activists believed that the Eiffel Tower would destroy the aesthetic ensemble of the city, built over many centuries. They called it an ugly, tasteless, huge iron pipe. Many were indignant at the shadow cast by the tower, saying that there was nowhere to hide from it; it could be seen from anywhere in the city.

A restaurant was created on the ground floor, which is still open today. One day, Guy de Maupassant, the famous French writer, who was having lunch at a restaurant, was asked why he chose this particular place. To which he gave a very categorical answer, saying: “That this restaurant is the only place in all of Paris from where you can’t see the tower.” But the “iron lady” stood for more than twenty years; now it is impossible to imagine the city without her.

Eiffel Tower lights

When night falls on the city, the Eiffel Tower lights up with thousands of small lights, a spectacle of indescribable beauty, it is simply impossible to take your eyes off it. Usually it glows with golden lights, but during special events or mourning events, it is painted in the colors of the flags of various countries, inscriptions are projected on it, or a color is chosen to symbolize the upcoming event.

Where is the Eiffel Tower

The symbol of Paris is located in the 7th arrondissement, near the Quai Branly on the banks of the Seine River.

There are several metro stations 5–10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower:

• Trocadero station, overlooking Trocadero Square, metro lines 6 and 9. You just need to walk a little, pass the gardens - a park area decorated with fountains and a bridge over the river.

• Bir-Hakeim station, metro line 6. Suburban trains, line C, also go to the same station. You will get off at the embankment, from here you can walk just a couple of minutes, enjoying the views of the Seine.

• Ecole Militaire station, line eight. It is the furthest from the famous landmark, but is notable for the fact that it runs through the famous Champs de Mars park.

Don’t neglect buses (42, 69, 72, 82, 87) or walking, so you can enjoy the city in person, and not be crowded in stuffy subway cars.

View of the Eiffel Tower

Google panorama of the Eiffel 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.

The history of the tower!

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.

Tower construction!

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 .

Elevator to the 2nd floor

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.

Height

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.

Exact copy in Las Vegas

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 €.

Restaurant "Jules Verne"

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

Paris at night from the observation deck

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

The unique metal structure, created by the outstanding architect and engineer Gustave Eiffel, is a symbol of the most beautiful capital in the world. A large number of tourists visit Paris every year just to see this miracle. You can admire not only the grandiose structure itself, but also the stunning views of the city. The tower has three levels, each of which provides the visitor with a stunning panorama. Everyone knows where the Eiffel Tower is located, but not everyone knows the history of the creation of the grandiose structure. In this article we will look at the main symbol of Paris.

History of the tower

To design the world exhibition in Paris, the city leadership decided to create a landmark and grandiose object. He was supposed to amaze the foreigners who came to the exhibition. The famous engineer was entrusted with developing and creating the object, who was at first confused, but then presented the city authorities with an unusual project for a high tower. It was approved, and Gustave Eiffel took up its implementation.

In what year was the Eiffel Tower built?

Seeing the unusual structure for the first time, many wonder how old the Eiffel Tower is. It was created in 1889 and was intended to decorate the entrance to a grandiose exhibition. The event commemorated the centenary of the French Revolution and was carefully planned. Having received permission to build a unique structure, Gustave Eiffel began creating the tower. More than eight million francs were allocated for construction; with this money it was possible to build a small city. According to an agreement with the chief architect, the dismantling of the structure was to occur two decades after the opening of the exhibition. Considering the year in which the Eiffel Tower was built, it was supposed to be dismantled in 1909, but due to the endless flow of tourists, it was decided to leave the structure.

How was the main symbol of Paris created?

Construction of the main object of the Paris exhibition lasted about two years. Three hundred workers assembled the structure according to superbly designed drawings. The metal parts were made in advance, the weight of each of them was within three tons, which greatly facilitated the task of lifting and fastening the parts. More than two million metal rivets were produced; holes for them were made in advance in prepared parts.

The lifting of the metal structure elements was carried out using special cranes. After the height of the structure exceeded the size of the equipment, the chief designer developed special cranes that moved along rails intended for elevators. Given the information about how many meters the Eiffel Tower is, serious work safety measures were required, and great attention was paid to this. There were no tragic deaths or serious accidents during construction, which was a great achievement considering the scale of the work.

After the opening of the exhibition, the tower was a tremendous success - thousands of people were eager to see the bold project. However, the creative elite of Paris had a completely different attitude towards the architectural masterpiece. A large number of complaints were sent to the city administration. Writers, poets and artists feared that the giant metal tower would disrupt the city's unique style. The architecture of the capital took shape over centuries, and the iron giant, visible from every corner of Paris, definitely violated it.

Height of the Eiffel Tower in meters

The genius Eiffel created a tower 300 meters high. The structure received its name in honor of its creator, but the engineer himself called it a “three-hundred-meter tower.” After construction, a spire antenna was installed on top of the structure. The height of the tower together with the spire is 324 meters. The design diagram is as follows:

● four columns of the tower stand on a concrete foundation, rising upward, they are intertwined into a single high column;

● at a height of 57 meters there is the first floor, which is a large platform that can accommodate several thousand people. In winter, there is an ice skating rink on the ground floor, which is very popular. This level also houses a great restaurant, a museum and even a small cinema;

● the four columns finally connect at 115 meters, forming a second floor with an area slightly less than the first. On this level there is a restaurant with excellent French cuisine, a historical gallery and an observation deck with panoramic windows;

● the height of the Eiffel Tower in meters is amazing, but the maximum accessible to visitors is 276 meters. It is on it that the last, third floor is located, capable of accommodating several hundred people. The observation deck at this level offers breathtaking views. Also on this floor there is a champagne bar and the office of the chief designer.

Over the years, the color of the tower changed, the structure was painted either yellow or brick. In recent years, the building has been painted a brown shade, which is almost indistinguishable from the color of bronze.

The mass of the metal giant is about 10,000 tons. The tower is well fortified and practically does not suffer from the wind. Eiffel understood well that when erecting his fantastic structure, first of all, it was necessary to ensure its stability and resistance to wind loads. Precise mathematical calculations made it possible to design the ideal shape of the object.

The tower is currently open to the public. Anyone can buy a ticket and admire the dizzying views of the beautiful city.

Where is the Eiffel Tower in Paris?

The structure is located in the central part of Paris, on the Champ de Mars, opposite the magnificent structure is the Jena Bridge. Walking through the center of the capital, you just need to raise your eyes and you will see the symbol of France, after that you just need to move in the right direction.

There are several metro stations near the tower, many bus routes stop at the main attraction, in addition, there is a pier nearby for stopping pleasure boats and boats, and there are also parking areas for cars and bicycles.

Once in the beautiful capital of France, you won’t have to ask where the Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, because the magnificent structure can be seen from almost every corner of the city. At night, it is also impossible to miss the unique structure, since the tower is illuminated by several thousand light bulbs.

Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is located, is rightfully proud of its main attraction. Magnificent views, wonderful restaurants and breathtaking heights - all this awaits you when you visit the grandiose structure. For many years, the tower was the tallest architectural masterpiece in the world. This magnificent wonder of the world leaves an unforgettable impression. Once you visit the bar on the third floor of the tower, enjoying excellent champagne and wine, you will definitely want to come back here again.