The Eiffel Tower

What is the Eiffel Tower and where is it located?

The Eiffel Tower is a building made of iron and is located in Paris, France. It was the tallest building in the world when it was built in 1889. The criss-cross pattern of the metal bars gives the Eiffel Tower extra strength and stability.

A few facts….

The Eiffel Tower is the fifth highest building in France.

Since the construction is very high, it is actually painted in three different shades of color. The darkest tone used at the base of the building, and the brightest – at the top. The tower is covered with 60 tons of paint every seven years to protect against corrosion.

The Eiffel Tower is named after Gustave Eiffel who designed the building. He engraved names on the tower of the 72 French engineers, scientists and mathematicians of the time.

The tower stands at 1,050 ft tall and is about the same height as an 81-story building. The tower has three levels for visitors. Tickets can be purchased to ascend, by stairs or elevator, to the first and second levels. The walk from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the walk from the first to the second level. The third and highest level can only be reached by elevator - stairs exist but they are not usually open for public use. Both the first and second levels have restaurants.

Let’s see what’s going on in Paris right this very minute.

http://www.earthcam.com/france/paris/