Eiffel Tower

Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel. The structure was built between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World's Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution. Eiffel originally planned to build it in Barcelona, for the Universal Exposition of 1888, but they rejected it. The tower was inaugurated on 31 March 1889, and opened on 6 May.

Eiffel had a permit for the tower to stand for 20 years, meaning it would have had to be dismantled in 1909, when its ownership would revert to the City of Paris. The City had planned to tear it down (part of the original contest rules for designing a tower was that it could be easily demolished) but as the tower proved valuable for communication purposes, it was allowed to remain after the expiration of the permit.

To this day, the Eiffel Tower has been completely repainted every 7 years.

How long to paint it?: 15 months. 60 tons of paint, 25 painters using only brushes.

Color: "Tour Eiffel brown" in three shades, with the lightest shade at the top and the darkest at the bottom.

Views from the Tower

It was true that the views are better from the second level, but you still have to go to the top!

Arc de Triomphe

History

Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon, shortly after his victory at Austerlitz, it was not finished until 1836.

Engraved around the top of the Arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The names of less important victories, as well as those of 558 generals, are found on the inside walls. Generals whose names are underlined died in action.

Beneath the Arch is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and eternal flame commemorating the dead of the two world wars.

Notre Dame

The cathedral of NOTRE DAME is over eight hundred years old.

Construction began in 1163 and the Cathedral took nearly two hundred years to build.

Bridges In Paris