18 Interesting Facts About The Eiffel Tower

Do you want to hear interesting facts about Eiffel Tower?

The Eiffel Tower is a must-see on any Paris itinerary. It is an instantly recognizable monument that is the symbol of not only Paris, but all of France.

It is so popular that a lot of people even choose hotels with a perfect view of the tower.

This architectural masterpiece is known for a lot of intriguing anecdotes.

18 Interesting Facts About The Eiffel Tower

Read on to discover more fascinating and odd facts about the Eiffel Tower.

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1. These are the facts and figures about the Eiffel Tower: 

Let’s start with some interesting figures regarding the construction of the famed Parisian landmark: 

The four massive arching legs of the wrought-iron metal tower are supported by masonry piers that curve inward until they meet in a single, tapered tower.

Each of the 18,000 sections that make up the tower were built in Eiffel’s factory on the outskirts of Paris.

The building of the tower took two years, two months, and five days. The Eiffel Tower was finished on March 31, 1889.

The Eiffel Tower is 320 meters (1,050 ft) tall. It also weighs in at around 10,000 tons.

2. The tower was built as an entrance arch for the 1889 World Fair.

The 1889 World Fair was held in Paris to mark the French Revolution’s 100th anniversary (Exposition Universelle).

In the hopes of being selected for the high-profile project, artists from around the country submitted concepts for a structure to mark the entrance to the fair on the Champ-de-Mars, a public greenspace in the centre of Paris.

3. Gustave Eiffel did not design the Eiffel Tower.

On the other hand, engineer Maurice Koechlin did. In fact, Eiffel rejected Koechlin’s early ideas, describing them as “too austere” and wanting a bit more oomph.

After accepting Koechlin’s final design in 1884, Eiffel began marketing his company’s masterpiece.

RELATED READ: Interesting Facts About Gustave Eiffel

4. There were protests against the construction of the Eiffel tower.

The Eiffel Tower was confronted with criticism during its construction.

“We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects, and lovers of the beauty of Paris, protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower,” were the words in a petition signed by over 300 people.

Furthermore, several environmentalists were concerned that the tower’s height would obstruct the flight of birds over Paris.

None of these factors, however, had a substantial impact, and the tower went on to become one of France’s most beloved and recognizable monuments.

5. The Eiffel Tower was only meant to stand for 20 years.

The Eiffel Tower was never meant to stand permanently over the Champ-de-Mars, and it was set to be demolished in 1909—until someone recognized that its top would provide a great place for a telegraphy antenna.

The wireless telegraph transmitter helped disrupt German communications during the Battle of Marnes in 1914 during World War I.

6. The tower was essential in the Allies’ victory during WWI. 

The Tower’s wireless telegraph transmitter was used to block German communications during the Battle of Marnes in 1914, supporting the Allies in turning the tide.

The Eiffel Tower acted as a communications hub for the next five years, intercepting enemy broadcasts, deploying emergency reinforcements, and even misdirecting German zeppelins attempting to pick up the Tower’s signal.

WWI saved the Tower as a result of the Tower’s role in saving France.

7. Hitler attempted to destroy the Eiffel Tower. 

In August 1944, as the Allies prepared to capture Paris, Hitler ordered General Dietrich von Choltitz to level the Eiffel Tower and the rest of the city. Fortunately, as a single glance at the Paris skyline demonstrates, Von Choltitz defied the command, falling in love with the city and eventually concluding the Fuhrer was insane.

8. There is an apartment at the top of the tower.

When designing his namesake tower, Gustave Eiffel smartly built a private apartment for himself, where he welcomed distinguished guests such as Thomas Edison. The apartment is now available for public viewing.

9. There is also a post office located in the Eiffel Tower.

On the first floor of the Tower, among the gift stores, is a little post office. Pick up a postcard and a stamp at the Eiffel Tower’s post office and mail it; it will be delivered with the Eiffel Tower’s distinctive postmark.

10. The Eiffel Tower was once the tallest in the world. 

The Eiffel Tower was nearly twice as tall when it was completed as the one it had eclipsed for the title of world’s tallest structure. The Washington Monument is 172 meters tall and the Eiffel Tower is 300 meters tall.

As a result, it was the first structure in the world to reach heights of more than 200 meters and 300 meters.

The Eiffel Tower was only the world’s highest structure for 41 years, until the Chrysler Building in 1930 overtook it.

11. The tower gets a fresh coat of paint once every seven years.

The Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, which is owned by the City of Paris and operated by a public utility, requires about 60 tons of paint to be refreshed. Tour guides, security, the post office, and the restaurants, shops, and boutiques in the Tower employ more than 500 people.

12. Depending on the weather, the tower’s size varies.

Gustave Eiffel built the tower out of latticed wrought iron to show that it could be as robust as stone while being lighter.

The tower stands about 1,060 feet (320 meters) tall on an ordinary day (including its antenna), but this varies depending on the weather.

It also expands and grows 6 inches higher when exposed to the sun, but it shrinks 6 inches when exposed to the cold.

13. The world’s largest advertising had the Eiffel Tower as its backdrop.

The Eiffel Tower served as a large billboard for the famed French automobile company Citroen from 1925 to 1934.

To show the company’s name on the tower, almost 250,000 light bulbs were used. It was even named the world’s largest advertising by the Guinness Book of World Records!

14. The Eiffel Tower is “married”.

Mrs. Eiffel isn’t the tower’s late designer. However, Erika Aya (or Erika Eiffel, as she prefers to be called) is an American who married the Tower in 2007 during a commitment ceremony.

She’s been diagnosed with paraphilia, a disorder in which people develop strong attachments to inanimate items.

15. It is possible to climb  the Eiffel Tower. 

Tourists can climb all 1,665 stairs from the bottom to the top if they are in good shape.

For those who find that too daunting, one of the two available lifts is also an option. The first lift journeys from the ground to the center and back, while the second journeys from the center to the top and then back to the center.

16. The Eiffel Tower lights up for five minutes every hour after sundown.

The Eiffel Tower sparkles for five minutes on the hour every night thanks to 20,000 light bulbs!

After the last display at 1:00 a.m., the lights were switched out to conserve energy. It’s extremely interesting to see the Eiffel Tower completely dark if you’re a night owl and can see it at that hour.

17. However, it is technically illegal to take photos of the Eiffel Tower at night.

In what is known as the Illumination Show, the Tower lights up and sparkles every hour at night.

However, since the French government considers this light show to be “artwork” and thus copyrighted, you could face a fine if you photograph the tower and post it on social media sites.

18. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited paid tourist destination on the planet.

The Eiffel Tower is the world’s most visited paid monument, with over 6 million (approximately) tourists per year!

Whether you find it cliche to see the Eiffel Tower when in Paris, this remains to be among the city’s best places to visit.

After all, it is most likely the first thing you’ll see as your plane approaches the French capital. 

Want to learn more about this French monument? Here’s our ultimate guide to Eiffel Tower and everything you need to know.

Buy your ticket online here.