A lot of people seem to dream of going to the Eiffel Tower and why wouldn’t they? This magnificent tourist destination is a breathtaking sight to behold and is also one of a kind. A lot of people who visit Europe have this site in their bucket list, and even on top of their priority list. If you are gifted with the chance to visit this breathtaking view, make sure that you consider not only taking wonderful pictures while you’re there but knowing some of the Eiffel Tower facts you shouldn’t miss out on.
10. “Highest” Structure in 1889
The Eiffel Tower was first constructed in 1889 and a lot of people were appalled by how it looked because at that time it was truly one a kind and absolutely huge. In fact, during this time as well, the tower was considered to be the highest tower of all. However in 1930, another tower more popularly known as the Chrysler was built and became the highest tower with an additional 18 meters to that of the Eiffel Tower.
9. Three Shades of Color
When the Eiffel Tower was first constructed, its architects and creators decided to paint it using three different shades of color. Not a lot of people have noticed the difference in hues because the building is actually pretty tall. Other than this, the said building’s darkest tone can be found on its base while the topmost area of the tower is colored with the lightest shade. Every seven years the tower is recovered and repainted with layers of paint to avoid corrosion.
8. A Restaurant Within the Tower’s Walls
If you still haven’t been to the Eiffel Tower then you wouldn’t necessarily know that within its walls lies a restaurant by the infamous Chef Alain Ducasse. This restaurant is located on the second floor of the building and serves various types of Parisian cuisine as well as signature European dishes.
7. The Absurdities of 1912
Not a lot of people know that in the year 1912, there was a man who went up the Eiffel Tower and experimented on his life by riding a parachute. Unfortunately, the said man passed away after he jumped from the third site installations and was declared dead on the spot. Sad.
6. German Sabotage
Before Paris was surrendered to the Germans at the time of World War II, the French people actually committed a kind of sabotage on the Eiffel Tower. They prevented tourists from getting into the tower by removing all the entryways and elevators. However, a few years later, Hitler figured out that it was rather difficult to get into the very high building without using elevators so he declared that it be reinstalled in 1944. After this, everyone was allowed to go inside the top of the building once again.
5. Eiffel Tower Replicas Can Be Found Around the World
Since not a lot of people can afford going to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a number of countries have created their own smaller versions of it. Some of the countries that have done this include Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Las Vegas in the United States, Copenhagen Denmark and so much more. In all of these locations, souvenir items of the Eiffel Tower can also be purchased.
4. Gustave Eiffel’s Creation
At some point, the creator of the Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel engraved the names of 72 most prominent French engineers, scientists and mathematicians of all time right on top of the tip of the tower. At night when the city lights are down and the tower is illuminated, the names appear one after the other and add a glow to the city’s ambiance.
3. Citroen’s Advertising
Citroen is one of the most famous European brands of all time and it was smart enough to take advantage of a powerful advertising scheme by penetrating the Eiffel Tower and showing off its brand name on top of the tower’s tip between the years 1925 and 1934. According to sources, this has been considered one of the smartest, most powerful and most effective advertisements of all times not only in Europe but in other parts of the world as well.
2. A Single Accident
Again according to history and relevant sources, even though the Eiffel Tower was made to be really tall, only one person met an accident throughout the years it was being built. However, this accident resulted to the death of this person but after this, all of the people involved in putting the tower together became even more careful than how they already were.
1. Prestigious Visitors
A number of prominent visitors have already set foot at the Eiffel Tower but perhaps one of the most remarkable and one of the most popular of them all is none other than Thomas Edison, the inventor of the telephone. He even wrote on the guest book located inside the tower his name and a brief dedication to remember him and his visit by. To quote from his note, Edison wrote, “Monsieur Eiffel, engineer, builder of great brave and extraordinary creations of modern engineering from someone who is respected and admired by all engineers, including the Great Engineer of the Lord God. Thomas Edison”.
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