There’s much more to the Eiffel Tower than simply climbing it

Seven wonders of the Eiffel Tower

There’s more to this iconic Paris monument than meets the eye, with everything from interactive exhibits to Michelin-starred dining to a champagne bar in the sky.

1 Go to the top

Making the climb … the highest observation deck sits at 276 metres above the ground.Credit: Getty Images

Clearly, the main event at the Eiffel Tower is to go to the very top, though it isn’t essential. There are three observation decks within the tower: one at 57 metres above the ground, another at 115 metres and then the highest at 276 metres. There are two different tickets available, one to visit just the first and second floors (by lift or stairs), and another that includes the top level, accessible only by lift from the second floor. At the top you will witness neverending views of Paris, as well as – because this is France – a champagne bar.

2 Visit the apartment

Wax figures in Eiffel’s “office”.

There’s an unexpected attraction at the top of the Eiffel Tower: an apartment. No one lives there, save for a few wax figures, but this is a re-creation of what was once an office for Gustave Eiffel, the architect behind the very structure you find yourself atop. Though this is known to some as “the apartment”, there’s no bedroom, and no evidence Eiffel ever slept here – it was more a place to meet visitors and sit in contemplation. Modern-day visitors can peer through the windows and see a waxwork Eiffel and his daughter, Claire, meeting American inventor Thomas Edison (who is, er, also wax).

3 Check out the first and second floors

Though the top-level observation deck feels like the goal at the Eiffel Tower, there’s a case for saying the views are better from the second floor, given you can see the sights a little more clearly – and there’s no doubt there’s more to do on the lower levels. On the first floor, there’s an interactive historic display, a garden area for relaxing and a few food options. On the second floor, check out a virtual reality experience on your smartphone and look out for more dining options.

4 Prepare to eat

Lunch with a view.

Let’s dig into those dining choices. The most notable is the Jules Verne Restaurant, a fine-dining establishment on the second floor of the tower, and one that now holds two Michelin stars (lunchtime tasting menus start from €290, or almost $500, so bring your credit cards). Elsewhere, there’s Madame Brasserie on the first floor, a little more low-key than the Jules Verne at €62 ($104) a person; buffet restaurants on the first and second floors; and a macaron bar on the second floor.

5 Relax at the Champs de Mars

Admire the tower from the ground at the Champs de Mars.Credit: Getty Images

There are ways to enjoy the Eiffel Tower other than climbing it. One of the most obvious (and cheapest) is to spend an afternoon relaxing in the Champs de Mars, the large public park that stretches between the Eiffel Tower and the Ecole Militaire. On a warm day, this is the ideal place to bring along a baguette, cheese, maybe a drink or two, and while away the hours.

6 Take photos from the Trocadero

The Trocadero is the perfect spot to pose for a photo with the tower.Credit: iStock

Of all the viewpoints of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, this is probably the best known and the most spectacular. The Trocadero is a hill directly north-west of the tower, named in honour of a battle in Spain between French forces and Spanish liberals. There’s a large, raised platform here that looks across the Trocadero Gardens and the River Seine to the Eiffel Tower – the perfect photo.

7 Visit Montparnasse Tower

Uninterrupted Eiffel Tower views from the 59-storey Tour Montparnasse.Credit: Getty Images

There’s a famous story that French author Guy de Maupassant – a vocal critic of the Eiffel Tower – would eat his lunch each day at the tower because that was the only place in Paris from which he couldn’t see it.

That’s an issue for those visitors who climb it to enjoy the views of Paris: from the top, the one landmark you can’t see is the Eiffel Tower. Head, then, to the 59-storey Tour Montparnasse, something of an eyesore in the 15th arrondissement, though one that commands flawless views of the Eiffel Tower from its observation deck.

The writer visited at his own expense. See toureiffel.paris/en