It is the symbol of Paris and probably the best-known Parisian monument in the world: endless queues form outside the lifts. And yet ... And yet, when it was first silhouetted against the skies of Paris in 1889, numerous artists made vigorous protests against the engineer, Gustave Eiffel, who was disfiguring Paris: Maupassant, Charles Garnier, Gounod signed a petition to bring the blight to an end. But its success was immediate and beyond all appeal, from the moment of its inauguration. It is true that it was almost dismantled at the expiry of the concession in 1909, but the TSF saved the tower, which successively housed the international time service, transoceanic wireless telephone communications, French radio broadcasting, television and a meteorological and air traffic centre. The structure weighs 7,000 tonnes but its weight is less than that of the cylinder of air which encloses it. It exerts a pressure of 4 kilos per sq cm on the ground, equivalent to that of a seated man. It now reaches a height of 320m. The Tower permits innumerable visitors to discover a panorama which, from the third level stretches away for 67km on a clear day. Paris is laid out like a map and display boards help you to identify the sights. A small museum (on the first level) with an audiovisual display traces the history of the tower, while on the third level you can see the office that Gustave Eiffel had built for himself.