5 Things You Probably Don't Know About the Eiffel Tower

5 Things You Probably Don't Know About the Eiffel Tower

1. The French government first announced the plan to build an iron monument on the Champ de Mars by opening up a design contest to the public. The results were secretly predetermined as soon as Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel presented his idea. His structure was so original and magnificent that no other contest entries could compare.

2. Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, later known as "the Iron Magician," was the mastermind behind building the Eiffel Tower. Despite his engineering achievements, he's not nearly as famous as the structures he helped create. After the tower was completed, Eiffel continued to live and work inside of his masterpiece for the next thirty years.

3. Eiffel's iron giant not only offers visitors spectacular views of Paris, but also two fantastic restaurants. There is nothing like enjoying delicious French cuisine inside the nation's most famous monument. Restaurant Altitude 95 overlooks the river Siene and is located on the first platform of the tower. Jules Verne is the restaurant on the second platform and reservations are required in order to eat there.

4. Standing at 1,063 ft. tall, approximately equivalent to 108 stories, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris. When it was first built in 1889, it was the tallest structure in the world.

5. Not many people thought of the tower as anything special at first. In fact, it was originally going to be torn down in 1909 to be sold as scrap metal. The tower was spared to be used for communication.

Over 200 million people have visited this famous landmark since it was first opened to the public. It continues to be one of the most beautiful and loved structures in the world.

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