From the 2nd Level
to the 3rd LevelIn 1982, the old elevator system between the
second and third levels was replaced.
 The
new elevator system, consisting of four cabins [two pairs of
counterbalanced cabins], can make the 160-meter trajectory in a single
try. At the same time, the old spiral staircase was
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Old Elevators to Top |
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New Elevator to Top |
removed and a safer |
staircase was installed but is
used only for emergencies; you cannot walk up to the 3rd level.
Tower Levels
From the Tower's three platforms — especially the topmost — the view of
Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the
panorama is at its best. If you can't be there in person, then check out
a Live Aerial View of Paris with TF1's webcam online: from the top of
the Eiffel Tower, you can see Paris in real time, 24 hours a day,
whatever the weather conditions in the French capital. To get the most
out of this view of Paris, we suggest you surf to their web site between
7:00 AM and 9:00 PM GMT [1:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.],
when the City of Light is at its best.
To mark the end of the tower's first century of existence, a huge
fresco, consisting of 100 individual panels, was created. The Otis
Company commissioned the frescos were drawn and captioned much as they
would have been in the news papers of the belle époque. They were then
distributed among the observation decks of tower's three levels and on
the staircases:
First Level
The Eiffel Tower's
First Level is 57.63 meters [189 feet] above the ground. The following
are found at this level:
·
The observatory where the
movements of the Eiffel Tower's summit are measured with a computerized
laser technology;
·
The FerOscope, placed
around one of the Tower's beams, provides scenes presenting the
techniques that enabled the building of the Tower and its painting
maintenance;
·
A wax representation of
the steeplejack painters perched on a beam;
·
A kiosk presentation
about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower;
·
The Cineiffel, a room
offering an exceptional collage of unusual images of the Tower. There
is also:
o
An electronic telescope
to view Paris in detail;
o
A cinema room with
screens presenting the Tower's history;
·
Souvenir shops;
·
A post office, where you
can find special stamps marked "Paris Eiffel Tower";
·
A large, circular
'panoramic' gallery, employing explanatory panels, displays Parisian
sites and monuments;
·
A spacious area to stroll
and relax;
·
One of the tower's two
restaurants, Restaurant "Altitude 95" [phone 01-45-55-20-04]. It is so
named because the first level is 95 meters above sea level. Its
ambience is much like the lighter-than-air ships of the twenties and
thirties. For its 200 guests, there are bay-window views of the Seine,
the Trocadéro
and the inside of the tower; Altitude 95 also runs a bar, at the ground
level, which serves refreshments and drinks all day.
Second Level
The Second Level is
115.73 meters [379 feet, 8 inches] above the ground. This level contains
the following: Restaurant Altitude 95
and In-place telescopes to see
the beautiful panorama of Paris;
Below: Jules
Verne Restaurant
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Animated displays
concerning the construction of the Tower and the operation of both the
elevators, that ran to the top until 1983, and the current elevators;
The two level [one open
air, one enclosed] panoramic view elevators that propel you 180 meters
to the Tower's top level;
The expensive gastronomical
restaurant, Jules Verne, is suspended in the heart of the angles
and perspectives of this giant structure. The restaurant
has its
own private elevator that traverses the southern pillar. Reservations
are absolutely necessary for this Michelin Red Guide one star
establishment; phone 01-45-55-61-44]. There are also some shops. |
Third Level - The Top
At the Third Level,
276.13 meters [905 feet, 11 inches] above the ground, there is an
exceptional panoramic view, day or night, of Paris and its surroundings.
Here, you will find:
·
The recently restored
office of Gustave Eiffel, showing him welcoming Thomas Edison;
·
A panoramic guide
displaying the location of Parisian sites;
·
Dioramas, presenting the
history of this platform.
The
Eiffel Tower at night is one of the great sights of Paris and shouldn't
be missed. The gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steelwork in
a way that is missed in daylight. Skip the tour buses and pickpockets on
Trocadéro and head up to the Ecole Militaire for a more tranquil view.
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View across Seine to northwest
showing Trocadéro
Gardens and
Palais de Chaillot |
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View southeast down Champ
de Mars to the Tour Montparnasse |
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