Ask a friend to name five famous landmarks from around the world. Did they include the Eiffel Tower on their list? The pointy monument is one of the most iconic tourist destinations on Earth. It's visited by almost seven million people every year!
Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was built because of a competition? Paris, France was the host city of the Exposition Universelle (or World's Fair) of 1889. It was the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution, and the government wanted an impressive building to celebrate. So they held a competition to build an iron tower.
The winning design, selected from 107 submissions, was by engineer Gustave Eiffel. Eiffel worked with Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, as well as architect Stephen Sauvestre. Construction started in 1887 and took two years to be completed. The tower stands 300 metres (1083 feet) tall. It was the tallest building in the world at the time it was built. Today, it remains the tallest building in Paris.
According to the Eiffel Tower's website, the tower has over 18,000 metallic parts. Every seven years, it gets a fresh coat of paint to keep it looking its best. It takes 60 tons of paint to cover the entire tower. If you ever visit, you'll find a museum, restaurants and a gift shop – as well as spectacular views of Paris!
This March Break, you can also hop aboard our virtual tour bus with Touralingo and see Paris in the springtime. Bon voyage!