The Eiffel Tower is France's most famous landmark, towering over the Parisian skyline.
The tower was built by Gustave Eiffel in the 1880s, in time for the 1889 World Fair. The monument was also a tribute to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution.
Nowadays around seven million visitors flock to the iconic structure every year, making the most of its various floors which offer some unrivalled views of Paris.
There are heaps of places throughout the city where you can see the monument from afar - popular spots include the Montparnasse Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées.
But how much do you know about the iconic landmark? We take a look at eight interesting facts about the Eiffel Tower...
1. The Eiffel Tower measures 1,063 feet high and weighs approximately 10,100 tons.
2. When it first opened, the Eiffel Tower was expected to be open for a maximum of 20 years. However its popularity saw it become a permanent fixture in the Parisian skyline.
3. There are 20,000 light bulbs which cover the tower. They light up for five minutes every hour on the hour for the attraction's world-famous light shows. However, most people don't know that there's one special show which takes place just once throughout the day.
4. Gustave Eiffel's plans were chosen out of 107 projects for the 1889 World Fair.
5. It took two years, two months and five days to create the entire structure.
6. When it was open at the World's Fair of 1889, it received two million visitors.
7. There are five lifts operating on the tower, including two of its original lifts. The five lifts' annual journeys combined are the same distance as travelling around the world 2.5 times.
8. The Eiffel Tower has been re-painted 18 times since its initial construction - and it takes time, as there is approximately 250,000 sq m of surface to paint! The colour has actually been changed several times from red-brown to yellow-ochre, then to chestnut brown and finally the bronze hue you'll recognise from today.
