18.07.2012
The Eiffel tower conquers the World
The Eiffel Tower was built as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Though it wasn’t the love from the first sight between citizens and the “Iron Lady”, within the years the tower has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. Named for its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the tower is the tallest building in Paris and one of the most-visited monuments.
The Eiffel Tower
We on Wikimpia have the “eiffel” category (don’t confuse with German “eifel” with one “f”) that is is given to the objects made by Gustave Eiffel (like railway bridge in Pronto, Spain or railway station in Budapest, Hungary) or connected with the architect somehow.
But these places are not the only that can be put in “eiffel” category. The Eiffel tower was a revolutionary word in architecture. It excited architects from the whole world, so some of them made their own buildings inspired by the same technology like Blackpool Tower or Tokyo tower.
The Blackpool Tower is a tourist attraction in the town of Blackpool, Lancashire, in the north of England. The tower, 158 m tall, first opened to the public on 14 May 1894. Unlike the Eiffel Tower, it is not quite free-standing, its base is hidden by a building housing the Blackpool Tower circus. The top of the tower is accessed by two lifts. There are four viewing platforms open to the public, the lower of which is completely enclosed. These afford views of much of Lancashire and the Isle of Man, in addition to Blackpool and the rest of the Fylde peninsula. The enclosed lower platform contains a glass floor above the south-west leg that allows visitors to look down on the street below. The tower is topped by a flagpole, and normally flies the Union flag except during the illuminations when the flagpole is lit by nearly one hundred lamps. The tower is used as a transmission location by one local FM station and a variety of non-broadcast services. The tower is normally painted dark red, but for its centenary in 1994 was painted gold.
The tower is lit during the annual illuminations, when the town and seafront are adorned with colourful displays of bulbs that stretch up and down the waterfront for several kilometres. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.
The tower is lit during the annual illuminations, when the town and seafront are adorned with colourful displays of bulbs that stretch up and down the waterfront for several kilometres. It is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers.
The Blackpool Tower
Tokyo tower is a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.5 metres, it is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. The tower is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations. Built in 1958, the tower's main sources of revenue are tourism and antenna leasing. Over 150 million people have visited the tower since its opening. FootTown, a 4-storey building located directly under the tower, houses museums, restaurants and shops. Departing from here, guests can visit two observation decks. The 2-storey Main Observatory is located at 150 metres, while the smaller Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 metres.
Tokyo tower
Petřín Tower was built in 1891 in Prague. It extends to a height of 60 meters and was inspired by Paris' Eiffel Tower. In fact, with its hilltop setting, the tower's peak height above sea level is roughly equal to that of the Eiffel Tower. Visitors can, for a small fee, climb the stairs to the top of the tower, and command a clear nice view of Prague. Better views, as well as a couple of restaurants and some excellently secluded picnicking spots, are to be found in the park on the hillside below.
Petrin Tower, Prague
As every great work of art, the Eiffel tower has not only its followers, but a lot of replicas from around the world. And the biggest replica of it is in Las Vegas, USA.
Paris Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, it includes a half scale 165 m tall replica of the Eiffel Tower, a sign in the shape of the Montgolfier balloon, a two-thirds size Arc de Triomphe, a replica of La Fontaine des Mers and a 1,200-seat theatre called Le Théâtre des Arts. This place is probably even more french than Paris itself! A perfect hotel for a honeymoon or just a romantic journey in french style.
Replica in Las Vegas
If you feel like spending the day in french atmosphere, you should visit a closest amusement park. In such places (like in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA, or miniature park in Brussels, Belgium) you will certainly find La Tour Effeil.
The one-tenth replica of the Eiffel Tower at France pavilion at Walt Disney World Resort was also constructed using Gustav Eiffel's original blueprints. If you looked at the Eiffel Tower today as it stands in Paris, it would be colored in dark grey. However, here in Epcot, the Eiffel Tower is more tan and pinkish. The reason is the France Pavilion here represents the late 1800s and the Eiffel Tower is the same color it would have been then. Here even most of the shops are actual shops selling French goods such as Guerlain perfumes. The pavilion features "Impressions de France", a panoramic movie shown on five adjacent screens, offers a whirlwind tour through the country set to the sound of French classical music. A real old nice France in the middle of USA.
Replica at Walt Disney World Resort
Mini-Europe is a Belgian miniature park that has the reproductions of the most attractive monuments in the European Union on show, at a scale of 1:25, including the Eiffel Tower as well.
Mini-Europe, Brussels
Here is a Chinese replica of the Eiffel Tower in Shenzhen, at the Window of the World theme park. The park has about 130 reproductions of some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world squeezed into 48 hectares. The 108 metre tall Eiffel Tower dominates the skyline.
Replica in Shenzhen
If you search for "eiffel" in Romania you will find something really amazing. It seems like the tower was "born" in western Europe. Here are the old mine, where people used to produce iron, and a blast furnace for iron ore smelting. The iron made here can be found today at the Eiffel Tower. Pretty natural that there is a little Tour Effeil in Romania as well.
Replica in Slobozia, Romania
La Tour Effeil can show up in most unexpected places! Obviously people just love to built it near their houses or neighborhoods, probably just to add a little bit of "romantisme français" in their lives. However, here are some Rrussian Eiffel towers:
A 11 meters tall Eiffel Tower in Perm, Russia, is a popular place for newlyweds to celebrate their marriage. Indeed, why not to start your family life with a glass of champagne near the most romantic monument in the world?
Replica in Perm, Russia
Here is a town called PARIS not far from Cheljabinsk, Russia, with an Eiffel Tower right in the middle of it! Paris was founded in the beginning of 19th century, but the tower appeared just a few years ago in 2005. Can you imagine what an astonishment see the citizens of Russian Paris on peoples faces, when they introduce themselves in a conversation?
Paris, Russia
This is certainly not the whole list of the Eiffel towers in the world. You can literally find them everywhere: a lonely Eiffel Tower right in front of a gas station in a deserted area in Tatarstan, Russia, or a little copy of the Eiffel Tower in Donetsk, Ukraine. This one is from Varna, Bulgaria.
If you have any information about an Eiffel tower in your town you can share your knowledge with other members of Community or just contribute to Wikimapia by gathering all the towers from todays article to one special category. And don't forget to give a proper category to all your objects, these structures the data and may help to find even more interesting things!