Eiffel Tower at sunset, Paris, France
© Alexander Spatari/Getty Image
The tower that won Paris over. Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
No other city is nearly as romanticised as Paris. Yet the French capital's history has not always been as rosy as the sunset glowing behind the Eiffel Tower. Built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, or the World's Fair, which marked the centennial of the start of the French Revolution, the tower was originally intended to serve as the fair's entrance centrepiece. Designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel and his team, the iron landmark rose more than 300 metres above the Champ de Mars and became the tallest structure in the world at the time.
Many locals criticised the bold design, but it quickly captured the public's imagination. During the World's Fair, millions came to see the monument and enjoy panoramic views unlike any they had experienced before.
Today, visitors can stroll along the Seine and explore old neighbourhoods and museums throughout a city that continues to reinvent itself. As evening falls and the Eiffel Tower glows against the night sky, it remains a powerful symbol of French creativity, ambition and resilience.
Related Images
At the top of Mount Fuji in Japan. Happy New Year!
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, China
View of Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona, USA
Houseboats parked on the banks of Jhelum River, Kashmir
Winter at the Isis Temple in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Firefall at Horsetail Fall, Yosemite National Park, California
Sandhill cranes taking flight over the Platte River near Kearney, Nebraska, USA
Bing Today Images
