France, Paris XIX: The Eiffel Tower and Surroundings

This 324 meters high iron lady, as many call it, is to be seen everywhere in Paris. We even did not reach the city yet and we had seen it on billboards and posters. In every souvenir shop it was there in form of fridge magnets, charms, postacards, or t-shirt. From time to time we had seen it live. Mostly during our walks along the banks of the seine. It always seemed mysterious and magical to us.

Meeting the Eiffel Tower

Seeing the Eiffel Tower was a unique experience to us. A large iron construction with monumental arches had three lines of visitors standing below waiting to see get to the top. We joined one of the lines. While we were waiting we studied. The Eiffel Tower is a building that was constructed for the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution during the World Expo. Its author is famous Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. At first the building was supposed to be built in Barcelona. Yet local authorities refused to give a green light to the construction. Eiffel offered it then to Paris. The beginning of its construction was in 1887. Two years later it was finished. It did not receive a warm welcome from the inhabitants of Paris. They called “metal asparagus” or “smokestack”. Eiffel was called an idiot. As the construction was supposed to be dismantled after the end of the expo, critics went silent. Fortunately, the tower withstood the pressure of the public . And the army had something to do with it as well but we will tell you more about it later. Today it is the main destination of tourism in France.

First two floors

After two hours of waiting an elevator took us to the last floor of the tower. Suddenly we were at 115 meters. In good weather the view was amazing (up to 70 meters). If it wasn’t for the fact that we were lazy, we could get to the top by stairs. It would mean to climb 700 stairs. There is an extraordinary restaurant named in honor to Jules Verne. One floor below was also a restaurant and also coffee, a small cinema, currency exchange, and even the post office. It is interesting that in winter the steel legs of the walker there is an ice rink in the open air, where he can enjoy themselves to 80 skaters.

Střecha Paříže

When we enjoyed both floors we went to the very top. There was a small museum reminding about the history of the tower and its founder. It was there, on the "roof of Paris" when we realized how difficult it must have been to build this architectonic gem. They used 2,5 million rivets . Every 7th year paint is renewed, it requires 60 tonns of color. We moved to the edge of the tower. There we have seen all of Paris sights: the river, typical boulevards going through individuals parts of the city, parks, and greenery. People below the tower turned to small “ants”, and cars to microworld in locomotion. For 41 years the tower was the highest building in the world .

We stood on the symbol that was depicted in thousand movies. We felt elevated. If it were not waiting in lines, advised that we experience the most beautiful, what we in this city experienced. Above us were only antennas and transmitters, which owes tower that stands in its place today. It is these technical advances is use of your time army, which banned the building demolished. Currently, there is established a weather station and transmitter for 10 million households.

Due to its iron body the tower grows, depending on weather, up to 18 centimeters. Also, if strong wind blows, the tower incliens several centimeters. We also despite the nice weather and almost bezvětrnému felt a small vibration. Eiffel tower is visited every year by millions of tourists, as we have seen them with my own skin, and so is rightly k most visited monument of the world . Its beauty is often copied. The very first replica was created in Lyon. Another you could see in Praze (Petřín), v Las Vegas, v Hangzhou (China) and even in Slovakian small border town of Svrcinovec.

We don’t say goodbye to the Eiffel Tower. Next week we tell you more on its author, important events, and we will walk around it.

Text and photo: Oskár Mažgút