Iron Beauty of Paris

The Eiffel Tower is a symbol of France and main sightseeing of Paris. Every year it is visited by millions of tourists who take tons of photographs of it. Here is another portion of its photos taken in the evening and a brief story about its creation.

As many know, the tower was originally erected as temporary. But why was it left standing in the very heart of Paris? You may guess, the giant black colossus completely spoiling the panorama of the city wasn't probably the thing the Parisians of that time dreamed about. Further we will know the answer.

The history of the tower began with the Paris World's Fair by which the tower had been built in 1889. Then it was a great and immediate success.

People were so astonished with its beauty that dropped their hats and cylinders onto the pavement right from the open carriages.

More than 2 million visitors had come to see the "iron lady" over the half a year of its exhibition.

But local intellectuals were against its construction from the very beginning. They stamped their feet and sent their outrage to the Paris City Hall demanding to stop its construction. "We will be forced to look at the ugly shadow of the hated iron columns and screws, which extends over the city like an ink-blot," they said.

Among those who wrote the shameless libels was Guy de Maupassant. This fact though didn't stop him from regular dinners at the restaurant at the first level of the tower. By the way, the current cafe is pretty lousy.

To the question of why he does it if he really does not like the tower, the writer answered: "was the only place in Paris from which it could not be seen". The story that is certainly known to many.

During its construction, the builders faced a difficult problem of transportation the future visitors.

Elevators should have moved on a curved trajectory with the changing radius of curvature.

The problem was solved and even nowadays two elevators of the "Fives-Lill" company established in 1899 operate in the tower.

Eiffel, of course, was pleased with his creation and absolutely did not want to take it to pieces. Besides, he rent the tower from the city authorities.

As for the Parisians... They reluctantly became accustomed to it. 

In 1906 the radio station was placed in the tower. Having made sure that his child was not in danger anymore, Gustave Eiffel safely died in 1991.

This is the third level, 247 meters high, it has almost no protection from bad weather. Views of Paris amaze. Those who want can enjoy some champagne here. 

Icons, postcards and other souvenirs are sold annoyingly nearby the tower. All the goods are quite similar - iron and plastic towers illuminated with different colors.

Inspection having fun.

Another, one of 243 million the same photographs of the Eiffel Tower.

View from the tower.

This is the left bottom of the previous picture. The square of Ecole Militaire (Military School, it's easy to translate). Looking at this photograph one can make some conclusions about Parisian life in general: architecture is beautiful, compact cars are compactly parked in the streets and the trees are tried to be preserved. But what is the most remarkable - it's the lack of street wires. In Paris they are hidden underground.

View of the Palais Bourbon.

The history of a ferris wheel is similar to the history of the Eiffel Tower. The wheel was also erected as a temporary construction to celebrate the Millennium. But its master refused to demolish his offspring. Nevertheless, the court decided to remove the wheel from the city, so it started its long trip about different European areas and fairs so that many years later to come back to Paris, to the Place de la Concorde.

There, in the distance, on the highest point of Paris (the hill of Montmartre) the Basilica of the Sacred Heart (Basilique du Sacré-Cœur) is located.

On further left there is an arch. Well, who does not know it?

The north-west. La Defence, the Paris downtown, was wisely built on the outskirts of the city.

The relatively young (built in 1937) Palais de Chaillot.

Closer. Varsovi Square in front of the palace.

The south-western direction. Somewhere in the distance is Versailles, and at the bottom - the Seine.

One of the numerous stadiums of the city situated at the foot of the tower.

10 pm and there are still some players on the field.

One more stadium.

The Montparnasse Tower.