The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel,
[tuʁ ɛfɛl], nickname La
dame de fer, the iron lady) is a puddled iron
lattice tower located on the Champ
de Mars in Paris, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it has
become both a global cultural
icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in
the world. The tower is the tallest
building in Paris
and the most-visited paid monument in the world; 7.1 million people
ascended it in 2011. The third level observatory's upper platform is at
279.11 m the highest accessible to public in the European Union and the highest in Europe as
long as the one of Ostankino Tower, at 360 m, will remain closed as a result of
the fire of August 2000. The tower received its 250 Millionth visitor in
2010.
The tower stands 320 metres (1,050 ft) tall, about the same height as
an 81-story building. During its construction, the Eiffel Tower
surpassed the Washington Monument to assume the title
of the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41
years, until the Chrysler Building in New
York City was built in 1930. However, because of the addition, in
1957, of the antenna atop the Eiffel Tower, it is now taller than the
Chrysler Building. Not including broadcast antennas, it is the second-tallest structure
in France, after the Millau Viaduct.
The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to
ascend, by stairs or lift
(elevator), to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level
to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to
the second level. The third and highest level is accessible only by lift
- stairs exist but they are not usually open for public use. Both the
first and second levels feature restaurants.
The tower has become the most prominent symbol of both Paris and
France, often in the establishing shot of films set in the city.
Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower
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