Eiffel Tower

Gustave Eiffel's iron tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair and was meant to stand for only twenty years. Today it is the symbol of Paris: 330 metres tall, with restaurants on its first two levels and a summit platform that looks out over the whole city.

Lifts run from the base to the second floor and on to the top, and the energetic can climb the stairs as far as the second floor. For the classic photograph, start at the Trocadéro across the river, then walk down through the gardens and over the bridge.

After dark the tower sparkles for five minutes at the start of every hour; watch it from a Seine cruise or the lawns of the Champ de Mars. We book timed tickets well ahead, especially for the summit in summer.