la tour eiffel metal

Paris 2024: how metal from the Eiffel Tower was incorporated into the medals for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games

Whether you find them fascinating or inspiring, the Olympic and Paralympic medals are the subject of a great amount of curiosity whenever they are revealed. Now we know exactly what the Paris 2024 medals are made from: a rare, precious and unique metal is at the centre of each of them - and it comes from the Eiffel Tower. 

For thousands of athletes across the globe, Olympic medals are the Holy Grail. They are a part of history and their importance in the world of sport spans many different generations and sporting exploits. For Paris 2024 , the decision was made to combine one of the strongest symbols of the Olympic Games - the medals - with the most iconic symbol of the French nation - the Eiffel Tower.

To make this happen, Chaumet , expert jewellers recognised the world over for their elegance and importance to the French craft of jewellery making, were chosen to create the medals.

For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, every Olympic and Paralympic medal will be adorned with a highly symbolic and invaluable piece of metal: the original iron used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

• Discover the medals from every modern Olympic Games

The Eiffel Tower and the medals of Paris 2024: a complex process of craft and creativity 

During the 20th century, work was undertaken to modernise the elevators of the Eiffel Tower. As a result, sections of the tower were permanently removed from the Iron Lady and carefully preserved.

For the upcoming Olympic Games, the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel has allowed these bonafide pieces of Parisian and French history to find a second home.

Manufactured in the forges of the city of Pompey, Lorraine in the east of France, the cast iron produced by the reduction of iron ore is refined through a process called “puddling”. Once the excess carbon from the cast iron is removed, the iron that remains is almost pure and extremely robust.

By integrating one of the most prestigious metals in France into the centre of the most prestigious medals in sport, Paris 2024 has continued the tradition begun by the audacious genius Gustave Eiffel. The famous engineer revolutionised the conventional techniques of his time to build the first-ever 300m tall tower. By incorporating fragments of the Eiffel Tower into the Olympic medals, Paris 2024 hopes to leave athletes with lasting memories of the Olympic Games, Paris and France.

“We’ve decided to add this hexagon [which represents the shape of France] in the way we would a gemstone - in the centre and placed as the most precious element of the medal,” said Clémentine Massonnat who is in charge of creative activities at Chaumet.

The design of the medal is also a nod to the trailblazing engineer Eiffel who ordered a pearl necklace from Chaumet to celebrate his daughter’s wedding at the end of the 19th century.

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Le blog des experts de la métallurgie

La structure en fer puddlé de la Tour Eiffel

La Tour Eiffel en fer puddlé.

La Tour Eiffel, construite à l’occasion de l’Exposition Universelle de 1889, présente plusieurs caractéristiques majeures : emblème de Paris, restée longtemps plus haute structure au monde, structure métallique en fer puddlé rivetée et enfin utilisation des calculs de résistance des matériaux pour assurer sa tenue. Cet article fait le point sur les aspects technique de la tour de 300 mètres.

La T our Eiffel en quelques chiffres

La tour Eiffel est une tour de fer puddlé de 324 mètres de hauteur. Construite en deux ans par Gustave Eiffel, ses collaborateurs et 250 ouvriers pour l’Exposition universelle de Paris de 1889, et initialement nommée « tour de 300 mètres », elle est devenue le symbole de la capitale française et un site touristique de premier plan (6 millions de visiteurs/an). La Tour Eiffel pèse environ 10 100 tonnes dont 7 300 tonnes pour la charpente métallique.

Le contexte créatif et industriel de la belle époque

Entre 1870 et la Première Guerre mondiale, l’Europe connaît une vague d’innovation exceptionnelle faisant suite à un siècle de poussée technologique. Cette frénésie créative, perceptible par les contemporains de l’époque, est considérée comme un tournant historique important dont l’ampleur rappelle les bouleversements observés à la Renaissance. C’est l’époque de la foi dans le progrès, l’âge d’or des expositions universelles, de l’entrepreneuriat populaire. Dans ce contexte de prospérité économique, la France et Paris jouent un rôle particulier (que viendront bientôt ruiner les deux guerres mondiales). Cette période d’expansion dans un climat d’insouciance, qui sera plus tard qualifiée de Belle Époque, est un tournant décisif vers la modernité. La Tour Eiffel s’inscrit, comme de nombreuses innovations, dans ce contexte historique où rien ne semblait impossible et ou les limites semblaient sans cesse dépassables. Les expositions universelles de 1889 et de 1900, qui accueillent respectivement 28 et 53 millions de visiteurs en quelques mois, sont sans doute les plus emblématiques de la Belle Époque. Elles représentent la vitrine technologique et industrielle des pays participants.

Les constructions d’Eiffel avant la tour

Avant de s’attaquer au chantier de la tour, l’ingénieur Eiffel et son bureau d’études étaient déjà connus pour avoir à leur actif la construction de nombreux ponts et ouvrages métalliques dont le fameux viaduc de Garabit (vallée de la Dordogne), défi technologique (le pont le plus haut du monde) qui mobilisa 1000 ouvriers pendant 4 ans et fut inauguré en grande pompe en 1884. Si la tour Eiffel fut un projet de très grande ampleur par rapport à un pont, les principes de base des ouvrages métalliques étaient déjà maitrisés. Eiffel du cependant résoudre de nombreux problèmes techniques, ce qui explique le retard pris par le chantier (plus d’un an).

Le fer puddlé

Le puddlage est un ancien procédé d’affinage de la fonte, inventé en 1784 (Henry Cort) consistant à la décarburer dans un four à réverbère à l’aide de scories oxydantes. Le mot puddlage vient du verbe anglais to puddle qui signifie « brasser ». La fonte est chauffée à très haute température dans un four à réverbère. Le puddleur, l’ouvrier chargé de l’opération, active la réaction en brassant cette fonte à l’aide d’un long crochet appelé « ringard ». Une fois suffisamment affinée, la loupe est extraite du four, pour être cinglée par martelage, puis est forgée ou laminée en barres. Le fer puddlé de la tour Eiffel a été produit dans les forges et aciéries Dupont et Fould de Pompey, en Lorraine.

Le fer puddlé a souvent une structure hétérogène, lié à une alternance de scories et d’oxydes au milieu de fer presque pur. Ainsi, l’allongement d’une structure puddlée pouvait varier d’un facteur 3 entre la direction de laminage et le sens transverse au laminage et le Rm et le Rp0.2 sont très dispersés. Ainsi le Rp0.2 du fer puddlé varie de 170 à 300 MPa contre 240 à 280 pour le fer doux de l’époque. De plus, le fer puddlé est difficilement soudable. Il peut avoir dans certains cas un comportement fragile et il est sensible à la corrosion à cause des plans d’inclusions.

Pourquoi le fer puddlé et non pas l’acier  ?

On peut s’interroger sur le choix du fer puddlé alors que l’acier était déjà connu à l’époque. Eiffel avait bien conscience de la supériorité technique de l’acier, même si ce matériau avait alors des caractéristiques loin de celles des nuances d’aujourd’hui . En 1888, Gustave Eiffel précise ainsi que «La fabrication de l’acier est très délicate, et ce n’est que ces dernières années qu’on est arrivé à produire un métal dont on soit absolument sûr et qui réponde parfaitement aux qualités spéciales que l’on exige de lui. Il y a une tendance, de jour en jour plus marquée, à remplacer dans les constructions le fer par l’acier [ ] On peut, je crois, dire sans se tromper que l’acier est le métal de l’avenir. ». On peut penser que le faible recul et les difficultés de maitrise techniques ont conduit à écarter l’acier au profit d’une solution moins innovante mais plus mature qu’était le fer puddlé. Les premières « règles de charges » (caractéristiques mécaniques) des aciers doux seront publiées en 1891, soit peu après l’inauguration de la Tour Eiffel et dès 1913, le fer puddlé disparaitra de ces règles de charge, ce qui montre que son utilisation tendait déjà à disparaitre. En 1914, le fer puddlé ne représentait plus en France que 300 000 t/an contre 3 millions de tonnes d’acier/an.

L’utilisation des calculs de RDM

Les premiers ponts métalliques (Angleterre, France, Etats-Unis) en fonte puis en fer dans les années 1840 ont été dimensionnés uniquement par l’expérience en multipliant les renforts et en resserrant le maillage des treillis métalliques. La science de la résistance des matériaux s’est développée et a permis, du temps d’Eiffel, de calculer la tenue mécanique de chaque pièce. Cela a permis de limiter le nombre de pièces nécessaires, de les dimensionner au plus juste et d’alléger ainsi la structure. En particulier, les treillis ne sont plus formés que par des croix de Saint-André ou même par de simples diagonales. Sans la RDM, la Tour Eiffel aurait été beaucoup plus massive et encombrée de supports et de renforts inutiles.

Les ateliers Eiffel pour des éléments préfabriqués

Dans les ateliers d’Eiffel, une vingtaine d’ingénieurs et une trentaine de dessinateurs réalisèrent plus de 5 000 dessins et plans techniques qui permirent à quelques centaines d’ouvriers d’assembler les différentes pièces métalliques dans les ateliers de Levallois Perret (à l’ouest de Paris), dès juin 1887. Le secret de la rapidité du montage de la Tour Eiffel (en 22 mois), c’est la préfabrication intégrale des 12 000 pièces de la Tour dans les ateliers d’Eiffel à Levallois-Perret, déjà amorcée pendant la construction des fondations. Toutes les pièces y sont calculées, dessinées, coupées, percées, préassemblées par des rivets puis acheminées par éléments de 5 mètres environ sur le site et renvoyées à l’atelier si elles présentent un défaut. Sur le site, les 250 ouvriers, encadrés par une équipe de vétérans des grands viaducs métalliques d’Eiffell, s’occupent du montage. Les assemblages sont d’abord réalisés sur place par des boulons provisoires, remplacés au fur et à mesure par des rivets posés à chaud. Un tiers seulement des 2 500 000 rivets que comprend la Tour ont été directement posés sur le site, le reste a été posé à Levallois Perret.

L’assemblage par rivets de la structure

A la même époque, aux Etats-Unis, les ponts métalliques étaient assemblés par des axes et des boulons articulés. Cette technique était très productive et nécessitait peu de personnel. Cependant, avec les jeux qui apparaissaient en fonctionnement, des ruptures de boulons se produisaient, entrainant souvent la ruine de tout l’assemblage métallique. En Europe et en France, on préférait l’assemblage par rivets posés à chaud. Bien que nécessitant une main d’œuvre plus importante et plus pointue techniquement, les rivets amenaient une très bonne adhérence entre les pièces assemblées. Quatre hommes étaient nécessaires à la pose d’un rivet : celui qui le chauffait, celui qui le maintenait en position, celui qui formait la tête et celui qui l’écrasait à l’aide d’une masse. Eiffel avait ainsi constaté que « lorsqu’un pont rivé vient à être renversé par une force extérieure, l’eau ou le vent, ce ne sont jamais les attaches et les joints qui cèdent, mais les parties des pièces en dehors des assemblages ». Les rivets de la Tour Eiffel ont été fournis par une entreprise parisienne (Letroyeur et Bouvard). Les rivets vont plus tard disparaitre avec l’invention des assemblages soudés.

Les caissons étanches à l’air comprimé

Afin de construire les fondations des piliers de la Tour Eiffel coté Seine, et aménager les fosses de 7 mètres de profondeur (en dessous du niveau de la Seine), Eiffel a utilisé des caissons métalliques étanches (procédé Triger) où de l’air comprimé était injectée pour chasser l’eau de la zone à combler et réaliser la maçonnerie de soutien. Cette technologie était déjà largement utilisée pour la construction de ponts métalliques.

Le réglage des piliers par presse hydraulique

Afin de positionner dans l’espace de manière précise les 4 piliers et pouvoir les relier aux poutrelles horizontales du premier étage, l’atelier de Gustave Eiffel a utilisé l’emploi combiné de presses hydrauliques de 800 tonnes et de boites à sable qui ont permis de déplacer de quelques centimètres chacun des piliers et de régler précisément leur position dans l’espace.

Les enjeux scientifiques de la Tour Eiffel

La Tour Eiffel ayant été commandée spécifiquement pour l’Exposition Universelle de 1890, elle devait être détruite au bout de 20 ans et faisait l’objet de nombreuses critiques et polémiques de la part de ses contemporains qui publièrent une « Protestation contre la Tour de M. Eiffel » (signée par Alexandre Dumas fils, Guy de Maupassant, Charles Gounod, Leconte de Lisle ou Sully Prudhomme …). Gustave Eiffel a vite compris que pour éviter son démantèlement après l’Exposition, il fallait lui trouver un intérêt autre que celui de simple sujet de curiosité à une époque où le tourisme de masse n’existait pas encore. Il a donc multiplié les contacts avec les milieux scientifiques pour lui trouver un intérêt réel (ou supposé) et un usage en météorologie, astronomie, physiologie, transmission de signaux, observations militaires, …

La protection contre la corrosion

Depuis le début, Eiffel a eu conscience que la corrosion était l’une des plus grandes menaces pour la pérennité de la structure métallique. Dans son livre « La Tour de trois cents mètres », il écrit ainsi « On ne saurait trop se pénétrer du principe que la peinture est l’élément essentiel de la conservation d’un ouvrage métallique et que les soins qui y sont apportés sont la seule garantie de sa durée ». Le fer puddlé, pendant la construction, est ainsi recouvert d’une peinture au minium (oxyde de plomb), d’une couche d’huile de lin et enfin d’une couche vernissée de ton brun-rouge. Depuis, la peinture (sans plomb) est refaite tous les 10 ans (entre le sol et le premier étage) et tous les 5 ans entre le premier étage et le sommet. Une préparation mécanique (de type discage) est d’abord réalisée afin d’éliminer les écailles et mettre a nu le métal avant l’opération de peinture proprement dite. Les parties basses de la structure sont agressées par la pollution (voiture) et les déjections des pigeons tandis que les étages supérieurs souffrent davantage du chocs thermique (jour/nuit) et de l’impact de la foudre (partie haute).

Un atelier de forge en plein Paris

Le journaliste Émile Goudeau visitant le chantier au début de 1889 en décrit ainsi le spectacle. « Une épaisse fumée de goudron et de houille prenait à la gorge, tandis qu’un bruit de ferraille rugissant sous le marteau nous assourdissait. On boulonnait encore par là ; des ouvriers, perchés sur une assise de quelques centimètres, frappaient à tour de rôle de leur massue en fer sur rivets ; on eût dit des forgerons tranquillement occupés à rythmer des mesures sur une enclume, dans quelque forge de village ; seulement ceux-ci ne tapaient point de haut en bas, verticalement, mais horizontalement, et comme à chaque coup des étincelles partaient en gerbes, ces hommes noirs, grandis par la perspective du plein ciel, avaient l’air de faucher des éclairs dans les nuées. »

Conclusions

La tour Eiffel, au-delà d’être un emblème de Paris, fut pour son époque un challenge technologique qui mobilisa les innovations majeures de l’époque (fer puddlé, calcul de RDM, …). Elle a perduré jusqu’à notre époque en faisant l’objet de maintenance et de réparations régulières (peinture, modernisation, …).

4 commentaires

Bonjour, Merci pour votre article passionnant qui nous replonge dans la belle époque.

J’avais juste une petite rectification à faire : le magnifique et imposant viaduc de Gabarit ne se trouve pas dans la vallée de la Dordogne mais dans le Cantal où il surplombe les gorges de la Truyère.

J’encourage les vacanciers qui empruntent l’A75, à faire un petit crochet pour visiter ce bel ouvrage, niché au cœur d’une nature toute aussi belle.

Bonjour Paul et merci d’avoir apprécié cet article comme vous dites « connoté belle époque ». Merci de votre rectification sur la localisation du viaduc de Garabit. Comme quoi il y a des lecteurs qui suivent…

Merci pour cette excellente étude technique qui nous rapproche plus de ce monument universel qu’est la Tour Eiffel. Permettez-moi de vous signaler qu’il manque à cette étude, l’origine du fer. Sur les 7.300 tonnes de fer, quel est le pourcentage de fer des mines du Zaccar (Miliana -Algérie) ?

Bonjour Smaïl et merci de votre intérêt pour notre article de MetalBlog sur la structure en fer puddlé de la tour Eiffel. Bien compris votre question, mais l’origine de Zaccar du fer utilisé semble bien être une légende et la totalité du fer viendrait de Lorraine. En effet, à cette époque, tout l’Est et le Nord de la France étaient couvert de mines de fer, charbon et minerais divers.

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12 Interesting Facts and Secrets About the Eiffel Tower

Explore the history, science, and secrets of Paris' most famous landmark.

The Eiffel Tower — or, la Tour Eiffel — has long been one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, symbolizing the romance and ingenuity of the City of Light . 

Designed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, the Tower was meant to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and to show off France's modern industrial prowess on a world stage. 

And that it did. The tower's construction, finished after two years, two months, and five days, was considered a marvel of precision and speed. Gustave Eiffel's civil engineering firm used 7,300 tons of iron and 2.5 million rivets , and the result stood triumphant over the Champs de Mars, receiving more than two million visitors during the fair. 

The Tower’s now-famous silhouette has been  emulated around the world  in places like Las Vegas, Prague, Tianducheng, China, and, of course, Paris, Texas. The design wasn’t without its detractors , however — a "Protest against the Tower of Monsieur Eiffel,” signed by the likes of Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas fils , and other well-known artists, was published in the newspaper Le Temps before the project’s completion. The letter argued that the tower would be “a gigantic black factory chimney, its barbarous mass overwhelming and humiliating all our monuments and belittling our works of architecture, which will just disappear before this stupefying folly.”

In defiance of such protests, the Eiffel Tower did see the light of day and has stood the test of time. It remains one of the most visited monuments in the world, welcoming almost seven million visitors a year and more than 300 million people since its debut. It has changed over the years, with the addition of lighting, fresh coats of paint, and numerous installations that have come and gone. 

And there’s still more to this landmark than meets the eye. Despite the incredible number of people who have visited since it opened, La Dame de Fer still has a few secrets to share.  

There’s a penthouse apartment at the top.

Gustave Eiffel reserved the uppermost level of the tower for himself, where he hosted famous guests like Thomas Edison in a private apartment that he designed. The space has since been transformed into a recreation of Eiffel's office, complete with wax figures of himself, his daughter, and Edison, and it's open for the public to tour.

Gustave Eiffel didn’t design the tower.

While the tower is named for Eiffel, it was actually Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier — two engineers who worked for his company — who designed the structure. They also commissioned French architect Stephen Sauvestre to work on the appearance of the project in order to quell public concerns about the harsh, utilitarian nature of the original design. They ultimately beat out more than 100 other projects in a contest to choose the main attraction of the World's Fair.  

The Eiffel Tower was supposed to be torn down after 20 years.

The tower was built with the intent of showing off France's industrial prowess during the World's Fair, but the plan was to tear it down after 20 years. However, Eiffel cleverly put a radio antenna and wireless telegraph transmitter in the tower. After proving radio’s usefulness to the government in 1910, Eiffel was granted a 70-year extension to his lease. By 1980, of course, the tower had become an indelible symbol of both Paris and France, and it was in no danger of demolition.

The Eiffel Tower was almost destroyed during World War II.

In August 1944, as the Nazis were losing control of occupied Paris, Adolf Hitler commanded his generals to level the city. Plans were drawn up to mine the Eiffel Tower with explosives. Thankfully, Allied troops swooped in before the order could be carried out. Subsequent air raids over Paris caused significant damage, but the Eiffel Tower survived the war intact.

The Eiffel Tower is a cousin of sorts to the Statue of Liberty.

As sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi was designing “Liberty Enlightening the World”, he called upon his mentor, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, to design the statue’s internal framework. After Viollet-le-Duc died in 1879, Bartholdi turned to Eiffel and Koechlin. They proved their iron expertise with Lady Liberty before moving on to the Iron Lady.

The Eiffel Tower has been home to both a post office and a theater. 

The tower has been home to several businesses throughout the years, many of which are now gone. These include the newspaper “Le Figaro”, which had an office on the second floor for six months during the 1889 World's Fair, a post office tucked into the first floor, and a wooden theater on the first floor designed by Sauvestre. 

Gim42/Getty Images

The Eiffel Tower doubled as a scientific laboratory.

Eiffel, an avid scientist, housed a meteorology lab on the tower's third floor. He was known to perform studies in physics and aerodynamics there, even building a wind tunnel at the foot of the structure. Eiffel opened the doors of the laboratory for other scientists to use for their experiments as well.

The Eiffel Tower moves.

The massive iron structure is wind resistant and will sway during a storm. Wind isn't the only thing that can make the enormous tower move, though — the heat of the sun causes the iron to expand , making the Tower grow a few centimeters during the summer months. The tower will also lean an average of six inches away from the sun, as the one side facing the direct light heats up faster than the other three sides.

The Eiffel Tower is covered in the names of scientists.

The names of French scientists and engineers working in the 19th century were not forgotten by history — not only are they attached to several Parisian streets, but 72 of them are also engraved on the Eiffel Tower. The tributes were painted over in the early 20th century, but thanks to a restoration effort in the late 1980s, they are once again visible. Eagle-eyed visitors can see names like Foucault, Dumas, and Perrier cut into the iron surrounding the tower's first floor.

It takes a lot of work to keep the Eiffel Tower looking good.

Every seven years, workers apply around 60 tons of paint to the tower. This not only keeps La Dame de Fer looking good, but it also helps keep the iron from rusting.

The Eiffel Tower’s sparkling lights are copyrighted art. 

The Tower’s first light show coincided with the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in 1925. Automaker Andre Citröen financed a 200,000-bulb show that featured a shower of stars, alternating Zodiac symbols, comets, and (naturally) his car brand’s name at the finale. Another show, featuring 336 yellow-orange spotlights, came sixty years later , but the now-famous sparkling light show, consisting of 20,000 bulbs, first lit up the night sky New Year’s Eve 1999 to ring in the new millennium. While the Tower itself is in the public domain , its illumination is protected by copyright under French law . However, don’t call your lawyer just yet — this only applies to pictures taken for professional use. You’re free to share any personal pictures of the Eiffel Tower and its lights as you please.  

There’s a Champagne bar at the top.

If you're brave enough to climb the stairs to the top of the tower, reward yourself with a glass of Champagne from the Champagne Bar . There's nothing like a glass of bubbly with a spectacular view.

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The birth of the Eiffel tower

A realized utopia, eiffel tower.

You are at the top of the Eiffel Tower, overlooking Paris at a height of almost 300 m / 1000 feet.

At the opening of the Tower in 1889, this very place was different from what you are seeing.

Le Campanile et le Phare de la tour Eiffel - Les merveilles de l'Exposition 1889 by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

It was used, in particular, as a laboratory to carry out scientific experiments and measurements. Many instruments were installed here such as barometers, anemometers, lightning conductors.

In fact, Gustave Eiffel arranged an office for himself at the very top of the Tower for astronomical and physiological observations. He even installed a weather station.

It was these scientific experiments carried at the Tower which saved it from being destroyed by popular demand. Did you know the Tower should have been pulled down just 20 years after it was erected for the 1889 Exposition Universelle!

Affiche - Chemin de fer Paris-Lyon-Méditerranée - Exposition Universelle 1889 - Paris by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

For the 1889 Universal Exhibition, marking the centenary of the French Revolution, a great competition was announced in the country's Official Gazette.

Universal exhibitions were a technological and industrial showcase for nations, testifying to the achievements made during the industrial revolution.

Le Champ de Mars et l'Ecole Militaire depuis les hauteurs du Trocadéro avant la construction de la tour Eiffel by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

The 1889 competition consisted of "studying the possibility of erecting on the Champ-de-Mars a 300-metre tower with a 125m2 square base". 

The Champ-de-Mars and the Military school as seen from the Trocadéro before the construction of the Eiffel Tower.

Selected from among 107 projects, it was that of Gustave Eiffel, an entrepreneur, Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, both engineers, and Stephen Sauvestre, an architect, that was accepted.

Gustave Eiffel en pied dans l'escalier de la tour Eiffel by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

A brilliant engineer, Gustave Eiffel founded a company specialising in metal structural work.

In this sense the Eiffel Tower was the very height of his career. He devoted the last thirty years of his life to experimental research.

This enthusiast and true genius was able to transcend his own limits to leave us monuments such as the dome on the Nice Observatory, the metal structure of the Statue of Liberty and the Bordeaux railway bridge.

Bureau des Etudes de Gustave Eiffel - La Tour Soleil de Bourdais, projet concurrent de la tour Eiffel (calque à la plume) by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

The competition held at the time of the 1889 Exposition Universelle received several other entries for 300-metre towers.

A serious component was the project of Jules Bourdais, he was the architect of Palais du Trocadéro. 

He imagined a tower of 300 m based only of stone.

Dessin projet de MM Eiffel, Nouguier et Koechlin by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

In June 1884, Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin, the two chief engineers in Eiffel's company, came up with the idea of building a very tall tower. It was to be designed like a large pylon.

It would have four columns of latticework girders, separated at the base and coming together at the top, and joined to each other by more metal girders at regular intervals.

Pylône de 300m de hauteur pour la ville de Paris - 1889 - Avant Projet de MM Nouguier et Koechlin by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

The company had by this time perfectly mastered the principle of building bridge supports. The tower project was a bold extension of this principle up to a height of 300 metres - equivalent to the symbolic figure of 1,000 feet.

Reproductions des planches originales de Gustave Eiffel by © Collection tour Eiffel Eiffel Tower

On 18 September 1884, Eiffel registered a patent “for a new configuration allowing the construction of metal supports and pylons capable of exceeding a height of 300 metres”.

Sauvestre proposed stonework pedestals to dress the legs, monumental arches to link the four columns and the first level, large glass-walled halls on each level, a bulb-shaped design for the top and various other ornamental features to decorate the whole of the structure.

The first floor - Copy of Gustave Eiffel's original plates

The second floor - Copy of Gustave Eiffel's original plates

The top - Copy of Gustave Eiffel's original plates

Antennas - Copy of Gustave Eiffel's original plates

The first digging work started on 26 January 1887 and marked the beginning of the Tower's construction.

Conception—Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel

The Eiffel Tower in 1900

The eiffel tower's inauguration and first visitors, the construction of the eiffel tower.

La Tour Eiffel, France

Parcourez le monument le plus visité au monde

La Tour Eiffel de plus près

Depuis sa construction en 1889, plus de 250 millions de personnes ont visité la Tour Eiffel, symbole parisien par excellence. Exploit architectural à l'époque de sa construction, la Tour Eiffel fut le premier monument au monde conçu pour atteindre la hauteur symbolique de 300 mètres. La Dame de Fer est restée le plus haut monument au monde pendant plus de 40 ans (titre détenu aujourd'hui par la tour Burj Khalifa à Dubaï). La Tour Eiffel est aujourd'hui encore le monument le plus visité au monde.

Pour réaliser les images Street View, l'équipe Google Maps a suivi les traces des sept millions de visiteurs annuels pour monter plusieurs étages de la Tour. À l'aide du chariot Street View (conçu spécialement pour les monuments et les musées), l'équipe a recueilli des vues à 360° de l'architecture du monument et des différentes vues sur la capitale.

Vue de Paris sur le site de la Tour Eiffel

Partez à l'aventure.

En savoir plus sur cette collection sur le site Web du Google Cultural Institute, avec trois expositions immersives en ligne .

L'équipe Google Maps porte le chariot dans les escaliers pour accéder à tous les recoins de la Tour Eiffel.

Pascale Milite, de l'équipe Google Maps, pousse le chariot autour du balcon d'observation.

Le chariot Street View a été développé pour réaliser des images de musées, de sculptures et de monuments.

La Tour Eiffel fut le premier monument au monde conçu pour atteindre la hauteur symbolique de 300 mètres.

Explorez la Tour Eiffel avec Google Maps

Découvrez d'autres vues de la tour eiffel.

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Medal - Eiffel Tower

© DarthVader

Three workmen assembling girders close to the top of the tower. Buildings of Paris far below. With and without: "1900" in incused letters on the cross girder. On the left, beneath the horizontal spar, the maker’s monogram: “CAM”

Lettering: 1900 CAM

Engraver: Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier

A view of the upper part of the tower, flying the French flag. Buildings of Paris far below. To the right of the tower: “SOUVENIR / DE / L’ASCENSION”. Legend: “SOMMET DE LA TOUR EIFFEL”.

Lettering: SOUVENIR DE L’ASCENSION SOMMET DE LA TOUR EIFFEL

Plain. Silver plated medal stamped: "BRONZE" and a triangular maker's mark. Bronze medal triangular stamp only

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The ultimate Paris Olympics 2024 travel guide

Quite simply, the modern Olympic Games is the greatest sporting event that the world has ever known. Of course, the World Cup’s live audience and TV viewing figures will forever nip at its heels, but the Olympics in its complexity and its constantly evolving mission invariably wins out. 

Every four years, a different world city gives new vitality and new focus to a series of sports as old as prehistory: archery, athletics, sailing, swimming. For a short summer, athletes who usually train and perform at the periphery of our sporting attention achieve a heroic status on a par with the Greek Gods to which the ancient games were originally dedicated. Paris 2024 will be no different – and, as is the way of the Games, completely unique. 

Welcome to your host city. Since they began in 1896, the modern Olympics have always been held in different places; the original idea being to spread the appeal of sports globally. Since those messianic days, winning the right to host the event and then hosting it in style has become the competitive engine that keeps the Games rolling. 

When Paris first hosted the event in 1900, the event was a sporting add-on to the far bigger World Fair and deemed something of a flop – but the city redeemed itself in 1924, when it became the first to host the Games twice, putting on a thundering, Chariots of Fire -style spectacle that left its former critics in awe. 

A century later, Paris is hosting the Olympics again. Paris 2024 promises to reintroduce visitors to much-loved buildings in new ways and take them to parts of the city that normally they don’t see. You may think you know Paris, but these Olympics will proffer a great world city to you in unexpected ways. Check our tremendous guide for all the best tips and advice. 

Need to know

• Venues in Paris

Venues around Paris

Venues around france, when are the olympic games in france.

The Olympics will be held between July 26 and August 11 2024. The Paralympics will be held between August 28 and September 8. 

How can you get tickets?

Tickets have been released in stages at paris2024.org/en/tickets – and organisers recently announced that British supporters have purchased more than any other nation apart from France. Although sales have been good and most of the prestige athletics events and final stages of other high profile sports are sold out, there are plenty of decent sports to see, and from the second quarter of 2024, ticket-holders who will no longer attend the Games will be able to resell their tickets through the Paris 2024 secure platform and at their original value. 

There are also hospitality seats to be had – priced at €5,000 (£4,270) to see the opening ceremony, to give you some idea – and some very interesting holiday packages at (see hospitalitytravelpackages.paris2024.org ) starting at around €500 for a hotel and an event. 

How to get to France from the UK

The most direct way to travel to the centre of Paris from the UK is by Eurostar, but with capacity already at the maximum during the summer, it’s worth considering other options, including flights to Charles de Gaulle airport, which has good connections to the main venues. Boxing fans attending bouts in the North Paris Arena could almost walk to their venue from there, and the Stade de France is only 35 minutes away from CDG by RER train. 

You could even drive. Go from Portsmouth to Le Havre on Brittany Ferries, then leave the car in a suburb or orbital town with parking and a good RER connection like Saint-Germain-en-Laye. 

Will there be queues at the border?

Concerns over the European Union’s new entry and exit system (EES), which will require all passengers without EU  to have their fingerprints registered and their pictures taken on arrival, have been eased as the strict rules have been delayed until November 6. The system was due to launch in May, but was delayed because of technical issues as well as lobbying by French officials who did not want the scheme in place during the Olympics. 

That said, given the huge number of people travelling to France this summer, both for the event and for summer holidays across Europe, delays at the border are to be expected. To avoid further frustration, check your passport is valid and keep track of the latest travel updates from your airline, Eurostar, Le Shuttle or ferry provider.

How to get around France during the Olympics

The SNCF is a joy to travel on. If you are going to more than one destination, consider getting an Interrail pass . 

Where can I watch the Olympics if I don’t have a ticket?

A great deal of thought has gone into this aspect. If you are in the centre of Paris, Les Invalides is worth a visit for this purpose. However, the best spot is Parc de La Villette, the gorgeously bonkers art-filled park in the north-east of Paris proper that will become the home to Club France, where French athletes and fans alike will come together to celebrate and cheer on their fellow athletes. Other nations will have similar venues at La Villette, which will be filled with big screens showing events. 

There are also public events, such as the marathon. The women’s marathon has deliberately been chosen to close the Olympics and presents an insight into the organisers’ thinking. With the route running from the centre of Paris to Versailles, it will commemorate the 1789 march by thousands of women that precipitated the end of the monarchy. Rather than the city centre or Versailles itself, a good spot to watch it is Parc des Marnes, followed by a stroll east along the Seine to catch the runners coming back into town again.  

Back to index

Venues in Paris 

Paris is your playground. This is one of the strategic lines that organisers of the Games have been repeating throughout the bid process and the organisational stages, informing a strategy of rejuvenation and reinvention of some of the city’s less heralded buildings and areas. Perfect for travellers who are looking for something more from a city they already know well. 

The central venues are a group of temporary structures to the west of the city that orbit the École Militaire end of Champ de Mars. 

Central Paris

Eiffel tower stadium.

In London 2012, the beach volleyball stadium was impishly placed on Horse Guards Parade, creating a delightful juxtaposition with the beautiful Palladian architecture; a celebration of how sport can create unexpected continuities between different places. 

The French have gone one better by setting it underneath their capital’s most enduring yet still utterly compelling urban artefact: the Eiffel Tower. In the first of many echoes of the past, it’s worth bearing in mind that the structure was built for a very different but still comparable global event, the Exposition Universelle in 1889. More than any other city, big shows helped build Paris. 

Le Grand Palais

The historical echoes move onwards. The Grand Palais was also built for the Exposition Universelle and hosted events for the Olympics in that year. The partial reopening of Le Grand Palais is welcome as it has been closed since 2021 – though it won’t be fully open until 2025. However, the nave of the Palais is complete and is more than enough: 13,500 square metres in size with a glass roof, and due to host the fencing and taekwondo events. 

Champs de Mars Arena

Only one brand new venue is being built, meaning that temporary structures will stipple the city of Paris in 2024. This is probably the most beautiful, nestled behind the Grand Palais, its curved timber structure echoing those of the older building it nearly adjoins. The Champ de Mars Arena has been used as an alternative space while the Grand Palais is being refurbished and will be kept in place for a few more months to host judo and wrestling. 

La Concorde

One of the most imposing public spaces in Paris has had a makeover, and during the Olympics will be graced with several temporary stadia designed to host some of the newest Olympic sports. On a site first cleared to house a statue of Louis XV, various modern events – including skateboarding, 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle and, for the first time ever, breakdancing – will be played. 

It might seem incongruous, but putting relatively new sports in temporary venues in historic areas is a tried and tested strategy for the Olympics, reifying the qualities of the European city in particular: ancient and modern simultaneously. 

Les Invalides

Whoever chose to host the archery near the Hôtel des Invalides, now a French military history museum and monuments, was on to a winner. Typical of the first group of venues, Les Invalides is in the heart of Paris, with the Esplanade, one of the city’s preferred leisure destinations, a place where Parisians and tourists go to promenade and play. In 2024, it will be an area dedicated to the Games, a mixing place for athletes and spectators.

Where to stay: One of a new era of jazzy luxury hostels, Yooma Urban Lodge Eiffel (doubles from £85) is a great place for families, located 15 minutes’ walk from the Eiffel Tower along the Seine. Great thought has gone into its facilities including the kitchens but there’s still plenty of room for Parisian flair with a rooftop market garden and slick-as-you-like interiors. 

Where to eat: Guy de Maupassant used to have his lunch in a restaurant at the base of the Eiffel Tower as it was the one place he couldn’t see the structure he so despised. You don’t have to hold a position on the aesthetic merits of the Tower to eat at Madame Brasserie on its first floor. Go for the Gustave menu. 

What to do: The Musée de l’Armée at Les Invalides has undergone a major refurbishment and will open again, fully refreshed, in June 2024. The tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte stands at its heart in the Baroque church by Hardouin-Mansart, who also designed the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. 

Western Paris

Parc des princes and roland garros stadium.

Now home to the pre-eminent football club in France, Paris Saint-Germain, the Parc des Princes is steeped in sporting history. Older rugby fans may have memories of turning up there to watch the French national side during the Five Nations tournament as it then was. Deeper back in time, it hosted games during the 1938 World Cup. 

Roland Garros is home to one of tennis’s Grand Slam tournaments, also named Roland Garros. The venue may lack the rambling charm of Wimbledon but its avenues of trees and public spaces make it feel like an integral part of the city. 

Where to stay: The Hotel Botaniste (doubles from £157) in nearby Auteuil is one of the city’s loveliest boutique hotels, capturing the spirit of a district which was a rural retreat for the nobility in Louis XV’s time. 

Where to eat: Roland Garros’s food offering is perhaps one of the best of any sports venue in the world. Try the Food Court, in particular the stall that sells rougail saucisse , a rich tomato stew, made with sausages and aromatic spices. Football fans meet before matches in nearby Aux Trois Obus if that’s your vibe.

What to do: La Tour aux Figures stands at the tip of the delightful Parc Départemental de l’Ile Saint-Germain on an island in the Seine. This strange monumental sculpture, designed by Jean Dubuffet and later constructed in the 1980s, is the acme of art brut ; part graffitied lump, part medieval tower.

Southern Paris

South paris arena.

The Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is over 35 hectares in size, built in 1923 to host the Paris Trade Fair (Foire de Paris). It has been redeveloped over the years – and not always in the most sensitive way – although the decorated columns of the original exterior are still discernible. It’s a bit of a behemoth to be honest, but with plenty of room for weightlifting, handball, volleyball and table tennis for the Olympics and boccia, para table tennis and goalball for the Paralympics. 

Where to stay: The Hôtel Moderniste (doubles from £157) on Rue de Langeac plays on the history of the Expo site, with beautiful posters from the halcyon days of trade shows on display throughout its stylish rooms. 

Where to eat: Oui Mon General is closed on the weekends, but offers up a good and relatively cheap example of how French dining, in Paris at least, is (at painfully slow pace, admittedly) incorporating other flavours, here from other Mediterranean cuisines.  

What to do: One of Paris’s greatest secrets is La Petite Ceinture, a former elevated railway line that long predates the similar transformation of New York’s High Line. The section in the 15th arrondissement, not far from the Expo, is arguably its finest. Don’t expect a designed space: just genuine wilderness and a very un-Parisian stillness and calm.  

Eastern Paris

Bercy arena.

After the Pompidou Centre was built in 1971, carte blanche was given for some frankly bonkers Parisian edifices to follow in its wake throughout the following two decades. The Bercy is one such building: a delightfully goofy pyramid surrounded by metal trusses and crazy fountains. It’s a music venue usually, but will host basketball and gymnastics during the Games. 

Where to stay: The area around the Bercy Arena sums up all that is bad about Parisian hotels: bland chains or stuffy, expensive one-offs. It’s why hostels – albeit hostels that offer double rooms – are a better option. The People Bercy (rooms from £46) has a superb roof garden and bar.  

Where to eat: There is a great stretch of bistros and bars to the north of the Arena. Anco is huge but very popular, invariably full at lunchtime. Further to the west are a couple of more boisterous bars if you want refreshment before the events. 

What to do: A side trip to the Vélodrome de Vincennes is a must. Stroll there through the Bois de Vincennes and then appreciate this quaint monument of Olympics past. This charming old track with wrought-iron columned stands was the main stadium for the 1900 Summer Olympics. In addition, the great Eddy Merckx crossed the finishing line for each of his five Tour de France victories here, as it was the culmination of the Tour for many years. The restaurant attached to it, La Cipale, is top notch too. 

Stade de France and the Aquatic Centre

Put it this way: Saint-Denis is fascinating. One of the enduring frontiers of French society is the line between it and Paris proper. The Stade de France sits at the edge of an area that has the highest poverty rate in mainland France, and the highest proportion of immigrants. The stadium itself is a marvel of modern architecture: a truly adaptable multifunctional structure that will host athletics and rugby. 

The adjacent Aquatic Centre is the only new permanent venue to be built during the games and will host the diving. A stunning structure, particularly inside, it will be converted into a community pool afterwards. 

Where to stay: There are no recommendable hotels in Saint-Denis, although there are some chains around the fringes of the stadium itself. There are some excellent Airbnbs to be found in the area, but as the footballer Thierry Henry said, “Saint-Denis is not Paris”. It is, however, 10 mins from Gare de Nord on the RER (not covered by metro tickets). 

Where to eat: If you are feeling intrepid, go to Chez Suzanne on Rue Fontaine for braised chicken and plantain. 

What to do: The Basilica of Saint-Denis is perhaps the most important church in France – one could argue the world. Not only is it the final resting place of French kings, it is also where, under the mercurial Abbot Suger, Gothic architecture was first conceived and executed. Long disregarded, it is slowly being restored. 

Colombes & La Défense

Yves-du-manoir stadium.

Set in the utterly delightful – if ever so slightly dull – suburb of Colombes (strong Richmond-upon-Thames vibes), this stadium was where the events portrayed in Chariots of Fire , the victories of Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, actually happened. It is also the stadium where the fictional events of Escape to Victory nominally occurred (although the film was shot elsewhere). It was the main stadium for the 1924 Olympics, and the site of the final of the second ever World Cup. It will host hockey events during the Olympic Games. 

La Défense Arena

This multi-purpose indoor arena lies within the business district of Paris and is surrounded by some of the tallest buildings in the region. The arena was opened in October 2017 as home of the rugby union club, Racing 92. It has yet to really become part of Paris’s sporting culture, but following the Olympics – when it will host the swimming events – it may yet. 

Where to stay: The hotels in La Défense – there is nothing in Colombes really – generally cater for business tourists. If that’s OK with you, try the Aparthotel Adagio Access Colombes La Defense (rooms from £57) or Hôtel Courseine (doubles from £96). 

Where to eat: Colombes has lots of lovely places to eat, but the best is the singular Local Bear , run by two brothers, Cameron and Brett, from Virginia. It serves the finest burgers in France, and also has a Star Wars -themed wine bar next door. 

What to do: If you can’t find something fun to do in the Bois de Boulogne to the south-east, there is no hope for you. The amusement park is super charming and the Hippodrome (a 1924 Olympics venue) gives Longchamp a run for its money as Paris’s finest race track.

Château de Versailles

It is incredible to think that before Louis XIV, Versailles was little more than a hunting lodge. The Palace of Versailles is one of the grandest palaces on earth; a monument to the end of monarchy as much as its lifestyle. In 2024, in ingenious fashion, the Etoile Royale esplanade at the heart of the Palace’s gardens is being temporarily fitted out to stage several equestrian and modern pentathlon events. The cycling venues are also nearby. 

Where to stay: Time to channel your inner Louis XIV and go for a suite at L’Abbaye des Vaux de Cernay (doubles from £239). The complex of buildings was begun in the 12th century and, for another 600 years, slowly expanded. Derelict for a century after the revolution, the site was bought by Charlotte de Rothschild who saved the ruins of the church and part of the buildings, fully restoring the abbey. It is now a very large hotel. 

Where to eat: La Perle de Saint-Louis is a perfect little fish restaurant right in the heart of the old Saint-Louis district, which stands to the east of the palace. 

What to do: If you haven’t seen the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles, you haven’t lived. 

Châteauroux

Apart from being home of the French National Shooting Centre, this unheralded but beautiful town, right in the centre of France, is known for little else than being the birthplace of Gérard Depardieu. 

Where to stay: This really is chateaux country, so why not stay in one? Especially if it has an oblique relationship to the Olympics through the long-dead pilot and rugby player Yves du Manoir, as the Château du Boisrenault does (doubles from £86).

Where to eat: Ici Chef is a great little place which prides itself on its formule du jour and simple, straightforward fare. 

What to do: Châteauroux is simply a very old and very lovely French town. There are pleasant woods around it, but the main thing is the town itself, a little unremarkable historically, but beautiful to wander around and enjoy in detail. 

Nantes is the marker point between the North of France and the South: the point at which farmland is no longer used for raising animals or growing crops but planting vines. The Beaujoire is a good old-fashioned stadium, perfect for football.

Where to stay: Sōzō means “creation” or “imagination” in Japanese. Despite this name, the Sozo Hotel (doubles from £98) is utterly rooted in France, housed as it is in a converted 19th-century chapel. 

Where to eat: Ch’ Ti Breizh Bar Brasserie is cheap as chips and the best place to try out the local delicacy of Welsh rarebit with Maroilles cheese. 

What to do: A memorial to the abolition of slavery, the Quai de la Fosse commemorates the key role that the city played in the international slave trade. 

Bordeaux 

Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, who were also architects for Munich’s Allianz Arena, the Bordeaux stadium is probably the most beautiful of all the Olympic venues. Its signature slender columns apparently represent the forest that surrounds the area, but just as likely the stylishness of the city. 

Where to stay: The interiors of classical Bordeaux are incredible. Book a night at the Acanthe (doubles from £63) near the Place de la Bourse, convenient for both the city centre and the tram to the stadium. 

Where to eat: Soif, in the Saint-Pierre area, is a wine bar that serves unfussy but singular seasonal dishes based on what Chef found in the market that day.

What to do: Avoid the expensive wine tours and head on out to Saint-Émilion by train from the Saint-Jean station in Bordeaux. In just 35 minutes, you’re in wine heaven. 

Lyon & Saint-Étienne

Lyon stadium and the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium lie less than an hour’s drive from each other, with the teams that normally use them, Olympique Lyonnais and Saint-Étienne, boasting 17 Ligue 1 titles between them. This area, after the suburbs of Paris, is the heart of French football, a suitable place for Olympic group stages for the sport. 

Where to stay: Hôtel des Artistes (doubles from £66) on Place des Célestins on the Presqu’île peninsula in Lyon is a serene experience.

Where to eat: La Madone in Lyon is a former rectory, turned trendy bar with roof terrace and, of course, lovely food.

What to do: Le Parc de la Tête-d’Or in Lyon is the closest the French got to Central Park, and a focus for Olympic activities during the Games. 

Marseille 

If you need an excuse to get to the south of France in the summer, then either the football group stage matches or the sailing off the Marseille marina should do the trick.

Where to stay: In a stunning location, Tuba is a renovated scuba diving school from the 1960s. If you’re lucky, you could get one of the five delightfully designed cabanon, available from £138 per night. 

Where to eat: Located on Corniche Kennedy with its stunning views, Le Rhul has been serving the local speciality bouillabaisse since 1948.

What to do: The Chateau d’If lies just off the coast of Marseille, and in former times was a prison, providing Alexandre Dumas with the inspiration for The Count of Monte Cristo . 

Nice is hardly a hotbed of football, but who’s complaining? The Olympic soccer group stages provide an excuse to visit one of the most beautiful cities in France. 

Where to stay: Get the right room in the delightful Hôtel Suisse (doubles from £281) and you have a view right down the Promenade des Anglais. 

Where to eat: La Lavomatique is a converted launderette in the old town where you get high-concept cooking in a friendly informal setting.

What to do: The Musée Matisse is a converted villa with a modern wing dedicated to the work of the great artistic genius who lived in the city from 1917 to 1954. 

Teahupo’o, Tahiti 

We’re stretching the definition of France a bit here – but so too are the Paris 2024 organisers, who chose to host the surfing competition in Teahupo’o in Tahiti, part of French Polynesia, a French overseas territory. Breaking over a reef, it sees some of the world’s heaviest waves, so you can hardly blame them. 

Where to stay: Punatea Village , on the north side of Tahiti, is a stunning series of beach bungalows with terraces and direct access to the beach (from £56 per night). 

Where to eat: Brasserie De La Remparts in Papeete, capital of French Polynesia, serves French bistro food: a timely reminder of the links between these lands and the old country. 

What to do: The Paul Gauguin Museum closed for renovations in 2013 and has not since re-opened. Instead take a guide and seek out the petroglyphs or rock carvings on the Te Pari coast. 

This story was first published in February 2024 and has been revised and updated.

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The Eiffel Tower at a glance

An object of discord, desire and fascination, the Eiffel Tower never fails to impress. Enriched by a history full of new developments, here you can discover all of its key information.

• Construite pour l'Exposition Universelle
• La tour au coeur des évènements
• La magie de la lumière
• Le monument le plus visité au monde

Date of construction of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle , which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution.

Two years, two months and five days

Its construction in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days was a veritable technical and architectural achievement. "Utopia achieved", a symbol of technological prowess, at the end of the 19th Century it was a demonstration of French engineering personified by Gustave Eiffel, and a defining moment of the industrial era. It was met immediately with tremendous success.

Only intended to last 20 years, it was saved by the scientific experiments that Eiffel encouraged, and in particular by the first radio transmissions, followed by telecommunications. For example, the radio signals from the Pantheon Tower in 1898; it served as a military radio post in 1903; it transmitted the first public radio programme in 1925, and then broadcast television up to TNT more recently.

The Tower at the centre of events

Since the 1980s, the monument has regularly been renovated, restored and adapted for an ever-growing public.

Over the decades, the Eiffel Tower has seen remarkable achievements, extraordinary light shows, and prestigious visitors. A mythical and audacious site, it has always inspired artists and challenges.

It is the stage for numerous events of international significance (light shows, the Tower’s centenary, the Year 2000 pyrotechnic show, repainting campaigns, sparkling lights, the blue Tower to mark France’s Presidency of the European Union or the multicoloured Tower for its 120th birthday, unusual fixtures, such as an ice rink, a garden etc.).

The magic of light

Like all towers, it allows us to see and to be seen, with a spectacular ascent, a unique panoramic view of Paris, and a glittering beacon in the skies of the Capital.

The Tower also represents the magic of light. Its lighting, its sparkling lights, and its beacon shine and inspire dreams every evening.

Visitors a year

As France’s symbol in the world, and the showcase of Paris, today it welcomes almost 7 million visitors a year (around 75% of whom are foreigners), making it the most visited monument that you have to pay for in the world.

A universal Tower of Babel, almost 300 million visitors regardless of age or origin have come from all over the planet to see it since its opening in 1889.

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On the same theme

Origins and Construction of the Eiffel Tower

It was for the 1889 Exposition Universelle , the date that marked the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, that a great competition was launched in 1886.

The Eiffel Tower during the 1889 Exposition Universelle

The Eiffel Tower in the world

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