The most famous landmark in France, the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) was built in the 19th century (completed 1889) by Gustave Eiffel. At the time, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world (until 1930).
The Eiffel Tower
Construction started in 1887, completed just 2 years later in 1889. They used 18,038 pieces of iron and over 2.5 million bolts to build the tower.
Over 200 million people have visited the Eiffel Tower, with millions more visiting each year. It is the most visited paid-for monument in the world! As you can see from the picture to the right, it is very busy when the weather is good.
During the German occupation of France in 1940, the lift cables were cut so the Nazis would have to climb to the top. Hitler chose not to ascend the tower, which started the saying 'Hitler conquered France, but not the Eiffel Tower'.
Hitler ordered the destruction of the Eiffel Tower in 1944 along with the rest of Paris, however General Dietrich von Cholitz disobeyed the order.
Hitler ordered the destruction of the Eiffel Tower in 1944 along with the rest of Paris, however General Dietrich von Cholitz disobeyed the order.
You can see the Eiffel Tower from all over Paris. A great place to view it is from the 16th, at Pont Mirabeau (right). You get to see the Eiffel Tower and the replica Statue of Liberty, erected by Americans living in Paris. It also looks great from the Trocadero (below).
It is hard to believe they were going to demolish the Eiffel Tower just 20 years after it was constructed. Luckily is was useful to the military as a radio tower...
We took the 360/180 photo across the river from the Eiffel Tower. During the summer it is well worth a stroll along the river, you get some great views of the Eiffel Tower.
Below is a Gigapixel photo of the Eiffel Tower. Select fullscreen to really enjoy the Eiffel Tower Gigapixel image. You can zoom and pan to any part of the Eiffel Tower Gigapixel Image. You can left-click and drag or use the buttons to navigate. Enjoy and check out our other Gigapixel images of famous Paris landmarks around our website. Can you spot the kissing couple? To see more Gigapixel Photos take a look at our new sister site Gigapixel Paris!
Our sister site has lots of Gigapixel photos of Paris Monuments and famous Paris places. You can even take your own photos and send as free e-cards to your friends and family.