The Eiffel Tower

Today, I decided to visit the Eiffel Tower.

I visited Paris when I was in the 6th grade and I remember thinking, as I sailed down the River Seine at twilight, that it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. You see, they light the tower up at night. Seeing it there against the beautiful Parisian skyline is absolutely breathtaking.

Photo courtesy Tom Raftery 

The tower was erected in 1889 as an entrance arch for the World’s Fair and was named after its engineer, Gustave Eiffel. It has since become one of the most recognizable structures in the world and an iconic symbol of France. It is the most-visited paid structure in the world; 7.1 million people climbed to the top in 2011. The tower is also home to the world-famous Le Jules Verne Restaurant. 

From the Wikimedia Commons

Google Maps has an awesome satellite photograph of the Eiffel Tower. The satellite managed to capture the tower at an angle, letting you see the base and the top (albeit at a very sharp angle).

Google Maps goes further to offer a very up-close Street View look at the tower.

Not willing to stop there, Google Maps even offers an interactive “tour” that lets you view the Eiffel Tower from several perspectives, as seen in different photographs shared by people who’ve visited it.

I found the Eiffel Tower’s official website rather confusing to navigate, so I looked up information on the tower on Wikipedia and Lonely Planet.

Fotopedia served up a gallery of beautiful professional photographs.

I was surprised by some of the things I learned on my escapade. For one thing, I didn’t know that the tower was almost torn down in 1909, but was allowed to remain standing because it provided an ideal platform for radiotelegraphic antennas. Another thing I was pleasantly surprised to learn was that it was, as I mentioned above, constructed as an entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair (an event that has fascinated me since I learned about it in a freshman year class).

At the end of it all, it was nice to re-visit a beautiful place I’d been to almost 9 years ago. I hope to visit it again in person, perhaps treating a wonderful woman to dinner at the Le Jules Verne when I do.