The Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower has become so synonymous with Paris, that it’s difficult to imagine the city without it. Within Paris, holiday apartments are plentiful; you’ll find it easy and convenient to view this iconic Parisian landmark.

The Tower is such a characteristic feature that it’s odd to think it was only constructed in 1888. Like the Pompidou Centre, it caused massive controversy at the time, critics loathing its outsize ugliness that seemed to pour scorn on the traditional architecture, its cast iron girders a grotesque parody of Notre Dame’s elegant flying buttresses. But like the Pompidou Centre, it has blended in, become accepted by Parisians and tourists alike, and is treasured as an integral part of the cityscape.

The Eiffel Tower was built over two years from 1887 to 1889, as the entrance arch for the World Fair in Paris. It had been originally intended for Barcelona, but the municipal authorities turned it down as being ugly and expensive. How different things might have been, perhaps in a parallel universe the Eiffel Tower looms impressively over a sun-drenched Spanish city.

Three hundred workers built it, and only one died despite the hazardous conditions. At the time, opinions were mixed; Novelist Guy de Maupassant loathed it and ate in its restaurant every day, so that he wouldn’t have to look at it. It dominated the city then, even more than now, but nowadays it is universally considered a great work of structural art.

You cannot miss the Eiffel Tower when you visit, as chances are it is visible from most holiday apartments. Paris has many cultural and artistic activities but the Eiffel Tower is a must on every tourist’s itinerary, ranking with the Arc de Triomphe and the Palace of Versailles.

The Eiffel Tower is impressive when standing beneath; you can gaze up at the network of iron ribs, which make it look like the skeleton of a huge rocket. It weighs 7,300 tons and stands 324 metres high. There are three floors, the top one accessible only by lift. With the second floor 1,060 steps from ground level, you might prefer to sit in the park opposite and have an ice cream whilst contemplating its majesty, rather than tackle its metal bowels.

We recommend a stay in Paris, holiday apartments make it a cost-effective option. . Regardless of your desired location in Paris, holiday apartments are available to suit all visitors, for any group size or requirement.

Be counted among the seven million visitors who visit the Eiffel Tower every year, helping to make it to world’s top-earning tourist attraction.

Times vary for the lifts and steps up the Tower, so check out the website before visiting, to avoid disappointment. Entrance is around ten Euros, depending on which floor you want to go to, with various concessions, and for children less than four years old, admission is free. The closest metro stations are the Champ de Mars/Tour Eiffel, line RER C, and Ecole Militaire. See http://www.tour-eiffel.fr/teiffel/uk/ for more information.