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The Eiffel Tower, Paris

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Whithout the Eiffel Tower Paris wouldn't be Paris

The weight alone makes clear the Eiffel Tower is a very special monument: over 10 million kilos, of which 70 percent is pure steel. Every seven years it needs 60.000 kilos of paint to avoid corrosion. Just wander under the tower and let these figures speak for them selves. You'll have to walk under the tower anyway if you want to go to the top. It's here where the entrances can be found.
Don't let the ques fool you. Here, down on earth, is plenty of capacity. Capacity is a bit smaller for the first elevators, taking you up to the second floor at 125 metres. Real problems begin here. The crowds from the huge elevators com together to be pushed in four very small elevators. Don't be surprised by very, very long weighting lines. Speaking about weighting lines: if you want to have diner in the restaurants at first floor (95 metres) or second floor, you have to make reservations several months in advance.
Of cause we don't have to be surprised by this problem. Although Gustave Eiffel build his tower for a World Exhibition, there's no way he could have imagined 6 million people visiting his creation every year.

Something to keep in mind: if it's cold below the tower, it's very cold at the top. Of cause, over there you might stay inside and just look outside the window. Above the windows are flags to indicate where to find Mexico, Australia or whatever country you're looking for. To bad it does not state where to find the Mont Blanc, although the weather has to be extremely clear to see the mountain.
However, you haven't been up if you haven't climbed the last stairs. It's may be three or four metres, but you simply must climb them to really feel the Parisian wind around your head.

No question about it, you take your photo camera and video cam with you. The panorama just begs for it. But on views taken from the Eiffel Tower, there's just one thing missing: the Eiffel Tower itself. Now, what is Paris without the Eiffel Tower? So, we're going to find other places to spot the Eiffel Tower. Luckily, Paris is build on hills. This task isn't to difficult. First of all, there is the terrace of the Sacre Coeur, in Mont Martre. A hundred metres from the terrace, you get an even better view from the stairs between Place du Tertre and Rue Gabrielle.

The Eiffel Tower, seen from the Pantheon (distance 3.9 kilometres).

View at the Eiffel Tower

Good points are also the roofs of two department stores, Lafayette and Samaritaine. By the way, both very old stores themselves are worth visiting for their rich interiors. Just in front of Samaritiaine, you also can take pictures of the tower, from the Pont Neuf (New Bridge, despite it's name the oldest of Paris), having the Seine at the foreground. Now, this is Paris.
The Arc of Triumph also is good place to see the tower. Pay seven euro (price February 2004), climb 50 metres to the roof, and see it a little bit better. However, the effort is not necessary, since the arc is built at the top of hill. From there, you also have a good view at the Grand Arche in the La Defense quarter.
There are lots of other places to get look at the Eiffel Tower. There's just one place that definitely should be mentioned here: the Montparnasse Tower. Awfully ugly according to lots of people, or in best case beautiful by its ugliness, its roof at 209 metres offers a panorama nearly as good as the Eiffel Tower itself (entrance fee was 8.20 euro in February 2004).

Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923)

The Eiffel Tower is by far not the only monument Eiffel left us. He build lots of railroad bridges. No matter how much Corsicans hate the French from the continent, they're still grateful for the railroad bridge by Dijon born Eiffel It makes it possible to cross the island in winter. Most spectacular is the viaduct of Gabarit, 500 metres long, 122 metres high above a valley. More ingenious is the aqueduct (pont-canal) of Briare, leading a canal over the Loire river.
Gustave Eiffel didn't limit his ideas to huge constructions. He also designed leaded lights for railway stations, among others in Toulouse and Agen. Furthermore, he made the skeleton of the Freedom Statue.
Gustave Eiffel was buried in a family grave at the Levallois-Perret cemetery in Paris. Before the tomb lays a memorial stone, with his name and a picture of the Eiffel Tower.