There are many interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower that many people probably don't know.
A symbol of Paris, the Eiffel Tower dominates the Parisian
skyline and it is an icon all over the world. It took more than two years to build the tower and since then has been graced by more than 300 million visitors from across the world.
Despite its popularity, there are interesting and unknown facts.
It is repainted every seven years.
With 60 tonnes of paint required for the entire tower, it is repainted every seven years by hand. The tower has been painted in red and yellow hues and currently is in three different shades of brown.
The tower grows according to the weather.
The Eiffel Tower gains almost seven inches under the sun but shrinks back to its original size in the cold.
The designer wasn't Gustave Eiffel.
Gustave Eiffel's senior engineers, Emile Nouguier and Maurice Koechlin designed the tower. However, Gustave bought the patent and put the investment into creating the tower.
Someone is married to the Iron Lady.
Mrs. Eiffel is not Gustave Eiffel's wife. In fact, it's an American woman named Erika Aya, or as she prefers, Erika Eiffel, who "married" the Eiffel Tower in 2007. She reportedly has a condition called paraphilia, where individuals form deep emotional connections with inanimate objects.
It is the most-visited paid tourist attraction.
The Eiffel Tower welcomes approximately more than 6 million visitors every year, making it the most-visited paid tourist attraction in the world.
Hitler wanted the monument demolished.
When Hilter was about to lose the city to Allied Forces in 1944, he ordered the demolishing of the entire city including the tower. Thankfully, the military governor who was in charge did not follow through with that command.
The monument was supposed to be temporary.
The tower was built to show off the industrial prowess of France during the World's Fair. It was supposed to be destroyed after 20 years. However, Gustave put a wireless telegraph transmitter and a radio antenna, which the government deemed to be too useful to demolish.
It has a post office.
The first floor of the Eiffel Tower has a post office, right next to the gift shop. You can pick up a postcard, stamp it, and mail it from the post office of the tower. It will have its unique postmark when delivered.
How many of these facts did you know?
