La Tour Eiffel

7eme arrondissement.
Metro: Bir-Hakeim (line 6), Ecole-Militaire (line 8)
RER: Champs-de-Mars-Tour-Eiffel (line C)

Located in the 7th arrondissement, the Eiffel Tower can be considered as the most widely known landmark in France; the symbol of Paris.

La Tour Eiffel : View from Théâtre Nationale de Chaillot, after having seen Les Etourdis.

To the southeast is the Ecole Militaire (French Military School), and to the northwest is the Seine and the Chaillot Palace. Planning began in 1884, construction began in 1887, and the tower was presented in 1889 at the Universal Exposition celebrating the centenary of the French Revolution.

1st Floor: 57m high
2nd Floor: 115m high
3rd Floor: 276m high

One can reach these floors by elevator, or on foot. By the way, they charge you to walk up the stairs, so take the elevator unless you want calves of steel, and buns too.

The tower's architect was Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923).

The tower weighs 10,000 tons, and the top of the tower sways 6-7 cm because of savage gusts of wind.

Evolution of the tower's height:

312.27m (height in 1889, counting the flag at the top)
317.96m (height in 1991, counting the antenna)
318.70m (height in 1994, counting the antenna… must've been a new antenna…)
324.00m (height in 2000, counting the antenna… yet another new antenna…)

The Eiffel tower was actually the tallest building in the world until 1930 when the Chrysler Building in New York was built.

Neat fact: The Eiffel Tower is repainted every 5 years and 50 tons of paint are used each time!