The Eiffel Tower
- Second floor (115 m): Panoramic views, the Jules Verne restaurant (one Michelin star), gift shop
- Summit (276 m): Open-air observation deck, Gustave Eiffel's restored office, champagne bar
The iron lattice design is not merely elegant — it is structurally optimal. Eiffel's engineers used graphical statics to calculate the precise curvature of the four legs so that wind forces would be transmitted directly down the structure's profile. The result is a shape where every element resists compression rather than bending — making the tower extraordinarily efficient for its height. It sways no more than 12 cm in the strongest winds.
Every seven years, the tower is repainted by hand — a process requiring 60 tonnes of paint and eighteen months of work. The colour has changed over the decades; the current shade is a custom bronze called
Practical Visitor Information
- Getting there: Métro Bir-Hakeim (Line 6) or Trocadéro (Lines 6, 9) for the classic photo angle
- Tickets: Book online at toureiffel.paris well in advance — queues can exceed two hours in summer
- Lift vs. stairs: Stairs to the second floor (674 steps, €11.80) are cheaper and faster than the lift (€18.80 to summit); summit access requires a lift
- Best time: First entry (9:30 AM) or evening (the tower sparkles for five minutes every hour after dark until 11:45 PM)
- Budget tip: The view from the Trocadéro esplanade across the river is free and arguably the best angle of the tower
The Eiffel Tower that was supposed to stand for twenty years has stood for 136. It was saved from demolition by its usefulness as a radio antenna — Eiffel installed a transmitter at the summit in 1904, and the tower played a critical role in intercepting German military communications during World War I. Today it hosts over 120 antennas for television, radio, and mobile communications, making it the most important broadcast tower in France.