Our trip to Paris wouldn't have been complete without a proper trip to Le Tour Eiffel / The Eiffel Tower.
Built by Gustav Eiffel in 1889 as a temporary entrance to the annual World Fair, the Eiffel Tower is now one of the most recognizable pieces of architecture in the world – and most-visited, with over 7 million visitors journeying to the top of this 279.1 metre-high structure each year.
To get the full of effect of this magnificent building, the best bet is to take the Métro to Trocadéro station and follow the signs. When you exit, you will have the regal Palais de Chaillot buildings on your sides...
...and the La Grande Dame directly in front of you. Nothing compares to that moment when you first see her. My heart skipped a beat.
If you head towards the Tower, you descend one of two great staircases, and pass through the Gardens of the Trocadero, with beautiful topiaries, sculptures, and this stunning water feature, The Fountain of Warsaw.
On the opposite side of the tower is the Champ de Mars, the popular public green space. The park is about 780m long and 220 m wide, anchored by the École Militaire (Military School) on the south east end.
Truth be told, we actually visited the Eiffel Tower several times during our stay in Paris (it was irresistible). This was the Tower one evening earlier in our trip, viewed from the far end of the Champ de Mars.
And, illuminated.
At the top of every hour starting at 10:00pm, the Tower sparkles. Photo below, video here.
No matter how many times I saw it, it was always magical.
On our last night in Paris, we ascended the Tower, and were able to get one final, incomparable view of the city we had come to love. Click here to get a sense of the view.
Below: sunset facing La Défense, Paris' major business centre.
Below: facing Champ de Mars and École Militaire, just after sunset.
We lingered at the top of the Tower until dark, watching the "The City of Light" illuminate through the streets, and then watched her sparkle one last time at 11:00pm. Then, it was hometime.
This was the last thing we saw before we jumped on the Métro. A perfect ending to a perfect trip.
