A Towering Achievement (oh that is just so cliche...)
Written: May 03 '04 (Updated May 04 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Awesome views, particularly at night, an incredible work of engineering
Cons: Depends to a certain extent on the weather, long queues in high season
The Bottom Line: It's one of the places everyone should see at least once in their life.
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| captaind's Full Review: Eiffel Tower |
I’d seen the Eiffel Tower many times in photographs before my first trip to Paris, but believe me, its photos don’t even begin to do it justice. It’s just huge - I can guarantee that you’ll spend your first few minutes just gazing up at it in awe. Impressive just doesn’t begin to describe it.
A Little History…
Built at the end of the 19th century by Gustave Eiffel’s company, the Eiffel Tower was first planned as a 300m high tower as part of the preparations for the World’s Fair of 1889. The two Chief Engineers at Eiffel’s company, Emile Nauguier and Maurice Koechlin, conceptualised the idea back in June 1884. In order to make the idea more palatable to the common man they commissioned the Architect Stephen Sauvestre to work on its appearance. The actual construction of the tower began in July 1887, and despite the tremendous precision needed - using rudimentary (by today’s standards) construction techniques, along with opposition in the form of an organised protest (the proposed tower was called, among other things, “this truly tragic street lamp”, “this mast of iron gymnasium apparatus, incomplete, confused and deformed”, and “this high and skinny pyramid of iron ladders, this giant ungainly skeleton upon a base that looks built to carry a colossal monument of Cyclops, but which just peters out into a ridiculous thin shape like a factory chimney” – they sure knew how to express their disapproval eloquently in those days! ) , the tower was finished on March 31st 1889. An extraordinary accomplishment, and knowing all this just increases the awe you feel when seeing it first-hand (this awe did not diminish the second time I went to Paris either). At the World Fair of 1889 criticism died out in the face of popular opinion. Overall two and a half million rivets were used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower . A third of them were used in the preliminary stage of the assembly, each needing a team of 4 men to fix in place – one to heat it up, another to hold it in place, a third to shape the head and a fourth to beat it with a sledgehammer. And that was just a small part of the work needed to complete the project…
General Information
Besides being a useful landmark to look for if you’re ever lost in Paris, the Eiffel Tower is also guaranteed to give you a crick in your neck as you spend all of your time while on the ground staring up at the colossus. There are 3 elevators going up to the second stage, and them a lift going up to the top stage. If you use the stairs to the second stage, you can purchase a ticket for just the ride to the top at a slightly discounted rate. The cost varies, up to about 8 Euros, which isn’t too bad. (Concessions are available for groups etc, but check out the official website for full details as these will obviously change from time to time – website URL at the end of this review.) Walking up is a bit of a challenge, you’ll have to decide for yourself whether it’s something you want to do! To be honest, you’d really want to do it for the feeling of accomplishment rather than any spectacular views you might see, since that’s what you’ll get at the second and top stages…
Taking in the Scenery…
The view from the first stage is nothing special really, but (to me) the best views are to be seen from the viewing platforms on the second stage. (The view from the top is good too, but somehow not quite as impressive.) The view looking down on the Trocadero Gardens is quite amazing, and the views all around, being able to see the beautiful city of Paris for miles, are breathtaking.
Night-time Viewing…
It’s one thing to see the Eiffel Tower, and the views from it, in daylight. But at night it’s simply beautiful, and the views somehow even more overwhelming. Seeing the tower lit up is a fantastic spectacle in itself, and looking out at the city at night is wonderful. You really have to see it both in the daytime and at night – it may not sound entirely likely, but they’re two completely unique experiences.
Le Pler
The one thing that might mar your enjoyment of this incredible feat of engineering is the weather. Let’s face it, nothing is quite as much fun if you’re cold, wet, and shivering. The weather in France can be as unpredictable and unpleasant as we Brits have to endure, but as long as you’re prepared as well as can reasonably be expected, you’ll still have fond memories of your trip to the Eiffel Tower. The only thing that would really ruin things would be fog, which as far as I’m aware is not common in Paris. Also to be taken into consideration is that if you go in high season, you’ll have quite a long wait for tickets.
Final Thoughts…
The only other thing to mention is the number of street peddlers that hang around the bottom of the Eiffel Tower - be prepared to fend off some of the more persistent ones. (Also if you want to have your caricature drawing done – the cartoonists are located on the nearby streets - walking away in disgust can get the price more than halved… it worked for me [500 (£50!!) Francs became 200 – and I still think I was had!] – though the disgust at the price was genuine in my case!)
If you ever go to Paris, going to the Eiffel Tower is not really optional anyway – and for some people it’s the main reason for going to Paris in the first place.. But don’t only do it in the day – at night, it’s even more spectacular. I love Paris and will go again whenever possible – and the Eiffel Tower will be the first thing on my itinerary every time.
Facts about the Eiffel Tower
Height
1st floor: 57.63m
2nd floor: 115.75m
3rd floor: 276.13m
Total height: 324m
Visitors Per Year
Over six million people each year have visited the Eiffel Tower
Wheelchair Access
Available up to the second floor – but not right to the top because of security and safety regulations. Some
Painting
The Eiffel Tower is completely repainted every 7 years. (The coat put on from December 2001 to June 2003 is the 18th!)
It takes 15 months using 60 tons of paint to cover the 200,000m2 of the Tower – and the painters (25 of them) only use brushes! There are actually 3 shades used, the lightest at the top and darkest at the bottom.
The official website for the Eiffel Tower (English version, anyway) is found at:
http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/
There’s some really fascinating information there – my review has relied on it heavily for background information. If you’re at all interested in the Eiffel Tower itself or construction techniques in general, I recommend you take a look at it. (Look in the “Documentation” section especially.)
Thanks as always for reading / rating.
CaptainD
Other Travel Reviews
AMERICA
Universal Studios, Florida (a much better than average theme park)
The Grand Canyon (what can I say? It’s simply incredible.)
ENGLAND
London (where I was born and lived for 25 years)
Birmingham (where I live now)
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
Best Time to Travel Here: Mar - May
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