The Eiffel Tower is an iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris, named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Erected in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World's Fair, it has become both a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world.
The third level observatory's upper platform is at 279.11 m (915.7 ft) the highest accessible to the public in the European Union. The tower stands 324 metres (1,063 ft) tall, about the same height as an 81-storey building.