The Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower is nicknamed La dame de fer and is located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. It was built in 1889 and has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris, and it is the most visited paid monument in the world. More than 200,000,000 people have visited the tower since its construction. It is named for its designer, Gustave Eiffel (the same man who is responsible for the Statue of Liberty's iron framework), and it was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair. The construction was only suppose to last for the duration of the Exposition, but it still stands today, despite all of the protests.

Many contemporary artists feared that the Eiffel Tower would be an "eyesore" because its architecture did not fit in with the rest of the buildings in Paris. Fellow Parisians also protested the tower's size, saying that it was too big and stuck out too much.

The Eiffel tower is 324 meters tall and was the tallest man-made structure in the world for 41 years until the Chrysler Building was built. However, due to an addition in 1957, the Eiffel Tower is still taller than the New York landmark. The Eiffel tower has 3 levels for visitors and the walk to the first level is 300 steps. The first and second levels feature restaurants, and the third level is only accessible by elevator.

Some interesting facts of about the Eiffel Tower: The tower was almost demolished in 1909, but was saved by its use as a telecommunication tower. The Eiffel Tower actually shrinks 6 inches in the winter. However, solar heating can cause the Eiffel Tower to expand up to 3.25 inches.