It may seem as if the iconic French monument has always stood over Paris, but how about taking a trip back in time to its origins? This is what an unusual visit to Gustave Eiffel's masterpiece offers: you're physically right in front of it, while at the same time being virtually transported back to 1889, the year of its inauguration during the Universal exhibition. An experience not to be missed!
The photos immortalizing the major stages in the erection of the Eiffel Tower, when it was still known simply as the "300-metre Iron Tower", are very famous, but don't allow you to fully immerse yourself in this impressive construction site. Today, thanks to virtual reality, it's possible to walk around the Tower and relive the era of the Universal Exhibition, an event that attracted over 28 million visitors to the French capital and commemorated the centenary of the French Revolution.
How? By following in the footsteps of an enthusiastic guide who, as you walk up the Champ de Mars, tells you the story of the monument that now represents France to the world. Thanks to virtual headsets, you can also discover the building's original environment and, as you stand right where our ancestors first discovered this veritable technical feat, you can see, as they did, the other architectural treasures that surrounded it at the time and even... cross paths with Gustave Eiffel!
A super immersive visit, the reconstructions are magnificent,
faithful and the result of months of research.
During these jumps between physical and virtual reality, your guide Vladina reveals all the Iron Lady's secrets, even though, like the Palais du Trocadéro and all the other monuments created for the World's Fair, it should have been destroyed immediately afterwards. A future that is difficult to envisage at the end of the 19th century as its innovative use of metal (a material not considered very noble) and its height were highly unpopular. Legal action was even taken to prevent its construction, but despite the delay it caused, the Tower was ready (just) in time!
Today, the Tower is a favorite of millions of French and foreign visitors who, if they've already had the chance to climb its steps and admire Paris from above, can now (re)discover it in a different way thanks to this immersive guided tour. The experience is accessible to children aged 8 and over and is offered daily in French and English (duration 1h15).
To book your time travel visit, it's here.
Valérie from Comme des Français
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