Eiffel Tower 101: Facts about the Iron Lady you didn’t know before

The Eiffel Tower was originally painted reddish-brown, and in 1899 it even turned yellow-ochre before eventually getting its signature bronze-brown shade.

Heat makes the iron expand, so the Eiffel Tower can become up to around 15 cm taller during hot weather.

The tower is designed to flex slightly, so strong winds can make the top sway several centimetres.

The Eiffel Tower was meant to stand for only 20 years, but its usefulness for radio and military communications helped ensure it stayed.

The Eiffel Tower honors 72 French scientists and engineers, their names etched into the iron on the tower’s base. These engravings were painted over in the 20th century but restored in the 1980s. Look closely on the first floor and you’ll spot names like Foucault, Dumas, and Perrier—a science lover’s scavenger hunt!

Among its many surprises like the Le Figaro newsroom, a radio station and ]a theater, the Eiffel Tower once had a post office—located 187 meters high! It allowed visitors to send postcards with special Eiffel Tower stamps and postmarks. In fact, mailboxes on every level let you send greetings with proof you conquered each stage of the tower!

Do you remember how in The Hunger Games, District 13 had been turned into rubble by the Capitol? Paris almost faced a similar fate. In 1944, with the Allies nearing Paris, Hitler ordered the city destroyed, including the Eiffel Tower. Thankfully, General Dietrich von Choltitz—the German commander in charge—refused to carry out the order.