We visited the Eiffel Tower on a beautiful October afternoon.  It wasn’t very crowded at all, we waited a very short time to get our tickets and board the elevator.  The viewing platforms seemed crowded and due to a long line for the elevator going down, we opted for the stairs.  If you are able, the stairs are the way to go – up and down to avoid the crowded elevator ride, plus the stairs are less expensive.  My impression of Paris from the viewing platforms was that the city is massive.  Buildings for as far as the eye can see.  Going to the top was a great way to get a bird’s eye view of this iconic city.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast Facts:

A symbol of Paris and one of the most famous landmarks in the world.  It was built by Gustave Eiffel in 1887-1889 in the Chanp-se-mars for the Paris exposition of 1889.  The tower was almost torn down in 1909 and only saved due to its use as a telegraphy antenna.  The tower is 984 ft high and consists of an iron framework supported on four masonry piers, from which rise four columns uniting to form one shaft. Three platforms at different heights (the intermediate platform just above the junction of the columns is 644 ft high) are reached by stairs and elevators.  The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and France, a global landmark and is the most-visited paid monument in the world.