France

 

Paris City

 

 

France - The Eiffel Tower — aka la Tour Eiffel — has long been one of the world's most recognizable landmarks, symbolizing the romance and charm of the City of Light. Designed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair, it was built to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and highlight the country's modern industrial prowess.

And that it did. The tower's construction (finished in just two years, two months, and five days) was regarded as a marvel of precision and speed. Gustave Eiffel's civil engineering firm used a whopping 7,300 tons of iron and 2.5 million rivets — but it was more than worth the effort. The tower received more than two million visitors at its World Fair debut.

There’s more to this iconic landmark than meets the eye. Despite the more than 300 million visitors it's had over the years, La Dame de Fer still has a few secrets up its sleeve.