Of the tower's three floors, the 1st (57m) has the most space but least impressive views. The Observation Deck offers panoramic views of Paris ©Drop of Light/Shutterstock First floor: cafe and souvenir shop
Work is underway to strip the previous 19 coats and apply the yellow-brown shade originally conceived by Gustave Eiffel, giving it a new golden hue in time for the 2024 Olympics. Sporting six different colors throughout its lifetime, the tower has been painted red and bronze since 1968. It was spared only because it proved an ideal platform for the transmitting antennas needed for the newfangled science of radiotelegraphy. A symbol of the modern age, it faced opposition from Paris’ artistic and literary elite, and the ‘metal asparagus’, as some snidely called it, was originally slated to be torn down in 1909. Upon completion, the tower became the tallest human-made structure in the world (324m) – a record held until the 1930 completion of New York's Chrysler Building. It took 300 workers, 2.5 million rivets and two years of nonstop labor to assemble. Named after its designer, Gustave Eiffel, the Tour Eiffel was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle (World's Fair). And even though some seven million people come annually, few would dispute that each visit is unique – and something that simply has to be done when in Paris. There are different ways to experience the Eiffel Tower, from a daytime trip or an evening ascent amid twinkling lights, to a meal in one of its restaurants.