The Eiffel Tower is a wrought iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Constructed in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair, it was initially criticized by some of France's leading artists and intellectuals for its design, but has become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognisable structures in the world.
The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world.
During its construction, the Eiffel Tower surpassed the Washington Monument to become the tallest man-made structure in the world, a title it held for 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York City was built in 1930.
There are three levels on the Eiffel Tower for visit - the first (57 metres), the second (at 115 metres) and the top (276 metres) floors. Visitors may either climb the stairs or take the elevators to go up the Eiffel Tower.
The top level's upper platform is 276 m (906 ft) above the ground, the highest accessible to the public in the European Union.
Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or lift (elevator) to the first and second levels. The climb from ground level to the first level is over 300 steps, as is the climb from the first level to the second. Although there is a staircase to the top level, it is usually only accessible by lift.