Table Mountain

The impressive presence of Table Mountain, flanked by the legendary Devil’s Peak and historical Signal Hill, stands proudly above the city. Beautiful white sandy beaches along a peaceful coastline frame the Cape Peninsula, which is famed for its unique floral kingdom, bountiful rivers, vleis and dams and magnificent countryside. The surrounding area extends far into the winelands, green in summer and red-gold in autumn.

Camps Bay beach

Cape Town boasts a multitude of entertainment, ranging from outdoor activities and adventures in the sun to a roaring night life under neon signs. The vast range of shopping opportunities includes haggling with shopholders at Greenmarket Square Flea Market, as well as breezing through sophisticated and stylish shopping malls. The huge variety of Cape Town restaurants reflects the multicultured history of the Cape and caters for everyone’s taste, from fast-food outlets and casual to the chic to the very elegant.

Cape Town City

Cape Town provides a setting for many scenic wonders, magnificent seascapes and panoramic vistas. The beautiful coastal areas of Camps Bay, Clifton, Llandudno, Bantry Bay, Hout Bay and Blouberg surround the breathtaking tranquility of the winelands, Constantia, Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.

Cape Town is a city of culture, built on a history that reflects in the architecture, cuisine, music and dance. Together with a warm summer and temperate winter climate and a friendly community, the Western Cape and the Mother City are an ideal holiday destination throughout the year.

The South Island has accommodation ranging from cottages, backpacker hostels, bed and breakfasts, holiday parks, luxury lodges, and hotels to home-hosted stays on farms. Because there are so many choices, you don’t have to worry about your budget to experience life-changing adventure. Another option for accommodation on The South Island is to rent or buy timeshares here. Once you’ve visited, you’ll want to spend future holidays in New Zealand – and a timeshare is a fabulous way to secure a South Island home away from home!

Tourist Attractions

If you’re looking for breath taking scenery, amazing attractions and fun activities for your New Zealand holidays, South Island is the place to be! With an incredible diversity of landscape, you are able to experience nature at its best. Have the time of your life white water rafting in Buller River, sky diving with New Zealand Sky Dive; visiting the world’s only Southern Royal Albatross colony in Dunedin, having helicopter rides over Lake Wanaka and the Canterbury plains, cycling through Marlborough Select Single Track, whale watching in Kaikoura, visiting Maori sites in Nelson, visiting the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch or simply relaxing and rejuvenating at the Aspects Day Spa in Queenstown. Whatever you’re interested in; South Island is well equipped to satisfy. Remember though the South Island is a adventurers playground.be sure to come with travel insurance.

Come and visit South Island to bring balance back into your life – quench your thirst for adventure, invigorate your soul, enjoy impressive meals, get in touch with nature, learn about Maori culture and leave with a lifetime of cherished memories. Finding Cheap hotels would be a bonus as there many activities that this beautiful Country has to offer. Try to find the best and place that suits you for cheap and reasonable prices.

Business

New Zealand is one of the best countries in the world for doing business – it’s been officially proven. According to the 2008 World Bank survey, New Zealand is the number two country of ease for doing business and comes only second to Singapore. International companies continue to operate and trade successfully from their base in NZ So why not consider coming to work and live here? With beautiful landscape, friendly people, an excellent education system and a strong economic performance, why not invest here?

Overseas investments in local businesses are encouraged and establishing a new business is welcomed too. The economy in the South Island is booming, that even businesses from the North Island are considering expanding here. If you want more information on doing business in NZ, visit here.

Good skiing

The south island is the largest of all the islands, yet it has about half the population of the north island. new Zealand is the undisputed center for adventure tourism and South Island is the epi centre of that and Queenstown is the adventure capital of the world!We highly recommend comprehnsive travel insurance even when not seeking adventure thrills of New Zealand.

The southern Alps are beautiful and offer some world-class skiing. Local surfers are a friendly bunch, so a laid-back, mellow attitude will make your surf trip much more pleasant. If your keen to on looking into more skiing trips ski-chalet.net has a wide range of various information and knowledge that can not only let you know where to go, but also provide you with accommodation information.

The seasons here are reversed from what the United States experiences in the northern hemisphere. The best time to check out New Zealand is during the U.S. springtime. The water is warmest and surf is most consistent at this time. During the peak of winter, water temps can drop into the 40s for some locations. The east coast is more extreme, with summer highs hitting 100 degrees and winters dropping below freezing.

Shortboards are adequate for most surf conditions on the south island. Because of the variation in water temps, bring both a spring suit and fullsuit. This is a wise idea even during the summer months. There are lots of surf shops in the city areas, but gear is expensive here. Bring extra wax, fins, etc.

There are sharks and some other sketchy critters in the area, so ask around about where and when not to surf. This will also help you make some friends and lead you to the better surf spots. Theft is an increasing problem on the island as well. Keep valuables out of sight and in a locked car. You might be better off just not even bringing them.

The Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau has a comprehensive selection of support information for the use of the intending traveller. This section contains, maps and weather information, and links to other holiday destinations like Port Douglas accommodation.

Australian travel information such as visa application procedures, and visitor information including local banking, currency conversion, medical and emergency information, are also presented. This site contains a wealth of holiday information on Cairns hotels, The Daintree Rainforest, Palm Cove accommodation, Cape York, Cooktown and Cape Tribulation.

For an island alternative to the Great Barrier Reef that still allows snorkelling and diving on ocean reefs – experience Fiji holidays - full of beach fun and relaxation. For a huge range of Fiji resorts and bures right on the beach visit our site today.

Great Barrier Reef Accommodation

There are hundreds of accommodation providers all along the Tropical North Queensland coast! The Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau provides you with one easy booking centre for all of your extensive itinerary planning, including resort & hotel accommodation, tours & cruises, dive trips and car rentals – just one enquiry does it all… and our service is FREE with no hidden fees or handling charges.

Great Barrier Reef Activities

Sail away the days on crystal clear waters… Tropical North Queensland is all about lifestyle (just ask the locals) and with the range of activities available, we can certainly help you out with a reef day trip, a diving holiday, the ultimate fishing adventure, or just a bit of fun filled sightseeing. Great Barrier Reef tourscan either add some excitement to a holiday or the tour can become the whole holiday!

Great Barrier Reef Weather & Climate

The weather over the Great Barrier Reef varies a fair bit due to the long length of the reef. Stretching over 2500km down the coast of Queensland, the majority of the reef is in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The northern part of the reef is in a tropical climate with hot wet summers with heaps of rain and humidity. The southern end the Great Barrier Reef is sub-tropical with milder summers and far less humidity.

When plans for the park were prepared, it was designed to last for many years, even after the end of the Olympic Games. Unlike Olympic venues in other parts of the globe, Olympiapark still remains a major tourist attraction of its host city.

Olympic Park

In the park, visitors can find an indoor pool, an ice rink, residential areas, and the Olympic Stadium that was the home of FC Bayern Munchen (the local soccer team) before it moved to the Allianz arena in 2006. The stadium has seats for 80,000 spectators, with Olympic hall taking up to 14,000 people. Visitors enjoy a good climb to the roof which covers the stadium. However, it is only for adventurous people who dare try the experience.

The site of the Olympic Games was built by Gunther Behmisch, Frei Otto & Partners, making it world famous with the construction of a futuristic-looking tent-like roof. PVC-coated polyester fiber is used for the building of the roof. The site comprises of the stadium, Olympiahall, and a swimming pool.

Olympic Park covers an area of 3 square kilometers, and the huge parkland blends perfectly with the cityscape. The place can be reached by U-bahn, an underground transit railway.

In 1925, the terrain of the park was used by the Bayern army. After the end of the Second World War, rubble was transported from the city to the site and was used to shape the landscape of the future park.

Olympiaturm
Situated in the parkland, Olympiaturm is an observation platform used to take a bird view of the whole area. The 290-meter television tower houses a rock and roll museum and a revolving restaurant that can seat 230 people. A full revolution of 53 minutes allows customers to take a good look of the 1972 Olympic site.

Alternatively, visitors of the city can view the site from the Olympiaberg, a 60-meter high hill in Olympiapark which can be reached on foot.

1. The Eiffel Tower
La Tour Eiffel as it is known in French is quite simply the visual epitome of France. Built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel whom the tower is named after, this beautiful structure that graces the Parisian skyline is undoubtedly the most famous landmark in the country, attracting visitors from all around the world.

2. The Louvre
Musée du Louvre is one of the world’s most exquisite museums and this is because in its halls, one can see artworks of the most revered artists in history such as Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raphael and of course Leonardo da Vinci, whereby his ‘Mona Lisa’, possibly the greatest masterpiece of all time, hangs valiantly on the museum’s walls.

3. Notre Dame
This cathedral featured in the story ‘The Humpback of Notre Dame’ was built way back in the 12th century whereby it took almost 200 years to complete. A well known French monument that attracts up to 12 million visitors annually, the structure of Notre Dame is graced by enchantingly unique architectural lines hardly seen today.

4. Arc Du Triomphe
The famous ‘arc’ is a fairly simple structure if compared to the other landmarks of France but coupled with the Ave des Champs-Elysées, it is just a sight to behold. This arc was built under the orders of Napoleon to commemorate his army’s victories and at present, it houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

5. Palace of Versailles
Built when Louis XIV reigned supreme, this palace was commissioned by Roi Soleil (the Sun King) himself as a brash display of his wealth and rule over the monarchy during that era. A day’s trip away from Paris, the magnificence of this palace is sure to stop its visitors in their tracks in awe.

6. Mont St. Michel
The second most visited French location after Paris, Mont St Michel is a tidal island of the coast of Normandy.Its rocky surface houses the Benedictine Abbey which is a beautiful Gothic-style structure whereby the statue of Michael the archangel stands proudly atop the tallest spire of the abbey, being one of many reasons why Mont St. Michel is just something not to miss out on when in France.

7. Mont Blanc
Literally meaning the White Mountain, Mont Blanc is the Alps’ tallest peak, situated between the French and Italian mountain range. Typically, Mont Blanc is a famous skiing spot, whereby the first ever Winter Olympics is hosted here at Chamonix. However, non-skiers can appreciate this wondrous location equally as a simply cable car ride at Aiguille de Midi exposes visitors to some of the most wonderful mountainous sights in the world.

8. Chateaux de la Loire
The Loire valley has always been a beautiful location as members of royalty have been treating it as a playground from way back in the 15th century till the 18th century. As a result, we can see an incredible number of chateaus and castles spreading across the valley today. Apart from coming here for the incredible sights, this place is also famous for its fine wines, notably Muscadet and Sauvignon among many others.

9. Carcassonne
Located in the region of Languedoc, Carcassonne is literally the largest walled city in all of Europe. With a wide array of towers and turrets gracing its walls, this great French monument has a facade that would fit right into a fairy tale whereby its structure is truly one of the best examples of medieval architecture you can come across.

10. Lascaux
The south-western region of France is well known to house some of the world’s most impeccable prehistoric art collections. Although simply a replica of its original complex of caves, Lascaux is one of the famous locations here, whereby tourists can catch a glimpse of rare and equally breathtaking artworks from primitive eras such as cave paintings, some of which being over 35,000 years old.

However, the Hohenschwangau Castle was erected on the ruins of a medieval fortress, owned by a family of knights, the Lords of Schwangau, until 16th century. The earliest historical accounts of the fortress date back to the 12th century. After the 16th century, the fortress changed its ownership several times and was seriously damaged in warfare in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

The “renaissance” of the Hohenschwangau Castle occurred in 1830s when Crown Prince Maximilian (later King Maximilian II of Bavaria) visited the place and was strongly attracted by the historic site and its wild picturesque surroundings. He bought the property and rebuilt it in a neo-Gothic style. All reconstruction works were led and supervised by Dominico Quaglio, a famous 19-century architect.

In the early 20th century Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria electrified the building, installed elevators, and soon afterwards, the castle was opened to the public. Today, the castle is privately owned but functions as a public museum. Its interior features works of art and paintings of Bavarian folk heroes and knights. Some rooms contain frescos depicting legends, including Swan Kinght. Every piece of furniture in the castle is a used original, while the Hohenstaufensaal room has a square piano where Wagner entertained Ludwig with excerpts from his oeuvres.

Hohenschwangau Castle is a historic site attracting some 300,000 visitors a year. Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein are among the most visited tourist sites in Germany and visitors can tour both castles with one ticket.

For the many immigrants that flocked from Europe to New York, the Statue of Liberty was the first image they saw of the USA. The statue was a gift from the French government for the 100th birthday of America’s Independence.

Statue of Liberty Design
The statue was designed by a young French sculptor, Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, who was striving to build a statue like the great Colossus that once stood at the Greek island Rhodes.

The statue’s face was modeled after his mother’s and the story goes that the body was modeled after a prostitute.
The crown of Lady Liberty, as the statue is often affectionately called, has seven spikes, symbolizing the Seven Seas across which liberty should be spread. In her left hand she holds a tablet with the Declaration of Independence and in her right hand a torch, symbolizing Enlightenment.
Construction

Statue of Liberty
under constructionThe statue’s steel framework was made by French engineer Gustave Eiffel, better known as the man behind the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Thanks to an ingenious construction consisting of copper plates attached to the metal framework, the statue is flexible enough to withstand heavy storms. Large iron bars attach the framework to a central pylon.

The Statue of Liberty was constructed in Paris, France. It took nine years before it was completed in 1884 after which it was sent to the USA in 214 crates. Even before the arrival of the statue, Bartholdi himself had traveled to the Unites States to discuss the location of the statue with president Ulysses S. Grant. Eventually it was decided tot erect the statue at a small island in the harbor of New York City. Today the island is known as Liberty Island. Liberty IslandThe biggest and most embarrassing problem was the construction of the pedestal, which had to be paid for by the Americans themselves.

The statue’s torch was displayed in Madison Square park for six years – from 1876 until 1882 – in an attempt to spark interest and attract funds. But it was only after publisher Joseph Pulitzer published the names of those who donated money for the project that the funds started flowing in. Eventually, the statue was erected 10 years late, in 1886, when it was officially inaugurated by president Grover Cleveland.
The Statue

Aerial viewThe Statue of Liberty is 46,5 meter (151ft) high and together with the pedestal it reaches 93 meter (305ft). You can take the staircase inside the statue and walk all the way up the 354 steps to the crown from where you have a nice view over New York City.

If you want to enter either the pedestal or the monument’s crown it is best to reserve tickets well in advance. For more info on how to get tickets to enter the Statue of Liberty, take a look at this website.

Now there was one among them, known as “King of the World,” whose heart’s passion burned like fire, and who built a monument for the sake of love that would capture the imagination of the world…

At the age of fifteen, the prince who would be called King of the World met a refined and highborn young girl at a bazaar within the walls of the royal palace in Agra. Court poets celebrated the girl’s extraordinary beauty. “The moon,” they said, “hid its face in shame before her.” For both, it was love at first sight. Five years would pass before the auspicious day chosen for their wedding, and from that moment, they became inseparable companions.

Prince Khurram was the fifth son of the Emperor Jahangir, who ruled in the country now known as India in the sixteenth century. Although the prince was not the eldest son, he soon became the favorite. “Gradually as his years increased, so did his excellence,” wrote Jahangir. “In art, in reason, in battle, there is no comparison between him and my other children.” At his father’s command, Prince Khurram led many military campaigns to consolidate the empire, and in honor of his numerous victories, Jahangir granted him the title “Shah Jahan”, “King of the World”, a tribute never before paid to an as yet uncrowned Mughal king.

But when Jahangir’s health failed, his sons rivaled for succession to the throne. Ultimately, after years of battle and the deaths of his brothers under suspicious circumstances, Shah Jahan was victorious. In 1628, the King of the World ascended the throne in a ceremony of unrivaled splendor. Beside him stood his queen, his comrade and confidante. He titled her “Mumtaz Mahal”, “Chosen One of the Palace”, and commissioned for her a luxurious royal residence of glistening white marble. In turn, she gave him tender devotion, wise counsel and children – many children – to insure the continuance of the magnificent Mughal dynasty.

The reign of Shah Jahan marked the long summer of Mughal rule, a peaceful era of prosperity and stability. It was also an age of outrageous opulence, and a time when some of the world’s largest and most precious gems were being mined from India’s soil. According to author and art historian Milo Beach, “Jewels were the main basis of wealth, and there were literally trunks of jewels in the imperial treasury, trunks of emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds. Shah Jahan inherited it all. He had immense wealth and tremendous power and palaces all over the country.” The splendor of his court outshone those of his father and grandfather. Inscribed in gold on the arches of his throne were the words, “If there be paradise on earth, it is here.”

But in this world, there is an ancient tradition: sweet pleasure is not without bitterness

In 1631, in the fourth year of his reign, Shah Jahan set out for Burhanpur with his armies to subdue a rebellion. Even though Mumtaz Mahal was in the ninth month of a pregnancy, she accompanied him as she had done many times before. On a warm evening of April in 1631, the queen gave birth to their fourteenth child, but soon afterwards suffered complications and took a turn for the worse. According to legend, with her dying breath, she secured a promise from her husband on the strength of their love: to build for her a mausoleum more beautiful than any the world had ever seen before.

The King cried out with grief, like an ocean raging with storm… He put aside his royal robes and for the whole week afterward, His Majesty did not appear in public, nor transact any affairs of state… From constant weeping he was forced to use spectacles, and his hair turned gray…

Shah Jahan grieved for two years. By official opinion, he never again showed enthusiasm for administering the realm. His only solace would be found in the world of art and architecture, and an obsession with perfection that would last his lifetime. Six months after the death of his wife, he laid the foundation for her memorial across the Jamuna River near his palace in Agra… the jewel of India, the far-famed Taj Mahal.

Pearly pink at dawn and opalescent by moonlight, Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb is so delicately ethereal that it threatens to disappear during Agra’s white-heat afternoons. In the center of the mausoleum lie the remains of the Empress. Subdued light filters through the delicate screens surrounding her cenotaph and mullahs chant verses from the Koran. It is here that Shah Jahan came with his children to honor the memory of his beloved wife. Here, at last, he found solace.

But Shah Jahan’s tranquility was suddenly shattered when his son Aurangzeb assailed the throne. Just as Shah Jahan had conspired against his brothers for Jahangir’s empire, so did his own son plot against him. In 1658, Aurangzeb declared himself emperor and imprisoned his father in a tower of the Red Fort in Agra. For Shah Jahan, King of the World, who once commanded the unbounded wealth of an empire, his only consolation would be a view across the Jamuna River to his vision of Paradise.

Shah Jahan created his vision of the world, not as it is, but rather as it should be – harmonious, graceful and pure. Inspired by love and shaped to perfection, the Taj Mahal immortalizes one man’s love for his wife and the splendor of an era.

Let the splendor of the diamond, pearl and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one teardrop, the Taj Mahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time…

“The Wall was over 155km (96 miles) long. In June 1962, work started on a second parallel fence up to 91 meters (100 yards) further into East German territory, with houses in between the fences torn down and their inhabitants relocated. A no man’s land was created between the two barriers, which became widely known as the “death strip”. It was paved with raked gravel, making it easy to spot footprints left by escapees; it offered no cover; it was booby-trapped with tripwires; and, most importantly, it offered a clear field of fire to the watching guards. During the Wall’s existence there were around 5,000 successful escapes into West Berlin. Varying reports claim around 192 people were killed trying to cross and many more injured.” BTW, where the Wall once stood you can see as a stone line with plaques.

In my old home region existed the “little Berlin”, so called because one village was divided, like in Berlin happened. I know that both walls, lived many years in such frontier region, remember for some bad tragedies in families. So you understand why I am still happy, 17 years later, to walk through the Brandenburg Gate, from East to West or back… I don’t understand why some (too much) people forgotten that time, and wish “to get back the fences and walls”.

The Eiffel {y’-ful} Tower, an immense stucture of exposed latticework supports made of puddle iron, was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England) officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was unanimously chosen, a radical creation from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec. 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923), who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

However, the controversial tower elicited some strong reactions, and a petition of 300 names — including those of Guy de Maupassant, Émile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra Garnier), and Alexandre Dumas fils — was presented to the city government, protesting its construction. The petition read, “We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.”

Nature lovers thought that it would interfere with the flight of birds over Paris. But the Eiffel Tower was admired by Rousseau, Utrillo, Chagall, and Delaunay. It was almost torn down in 1909 at the expiration of its 20-year lease, but was saved because of its antenna — used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature. In the 1960s, it was the subject of a wonderful study by semiologist Roland Barthes.

Built to celebrate the science and engineering achievements of its age, soaring 300m / 984 ft. (320.75m / 1,052 ft. including antenna) and weighing 7000 tons, the structure consists of two visibly distinct parts: a base composed of a platform resting on four separate supports (called pylons or bents) and, above this, a slender tower created as the bents taper upward, rising above a second platform to merge in a unified column.

This unprecedented work, the tallest structure in the world until the Empire State Building was built about 40 years later, had several antecedents. Among them were the iron-supported railway viaducts designed by Eiffel, an arch bridge over the Douro River in Portugal with a span of 160 m (525 ft), and a design for a circular, iron-frame tower proposed by the American engineers Clarke and Reeves for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Eiffel knew and publicly acknowledged this influence; he was no stranger to the United States, having designed the wrought-iron pylon inside Frederic Bartholdi’s Statue of Liberty in 1885. Later in the same year, he had also begun work on the cupola of the Nice observatory.

Eiffel was the leading European authority on the aerodynamics of high frames (he wrote “The Resistance of the Air” in 1913). In the construction of the Eiffel Tower, the curve of the base pylons was precisely calculated so that the bending and shearing forces of the wind were progressively transformed into forces of compression, which the bents could withstand more effectively. Such was Eiffel’s engineering wizardry that even in the strongest winds his tower never sways more than 4-1/2 inches. The superskyscrapers erected since 1960, such as the World Trade Center, were constructed in much the same way.

However difficult its birth may have been, the Tour Eiffel is now completely accepted by French citizens, and is internationally recognized as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Facilities and Views

In the basements of the eastern and western pillars, one can visit the gargantuan 1899 machinery which powers the elevators, an astonishing spectacle reminiscent of a Jules Verne novel. From the Tower’s three platforms — especially the topmost — the view of Paris is superb. It is generally agreed that one hour before sunset, the panorama is at its best; don’t forget to bring your camera, and experiment with the f-stop settings to capture a dazzling sunset on the Seine. If you can’t be there in person, then check out a Live Aerial View of Paris with TF1′s webcam online: from the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can see Paris in real time, 24 hours a day, whatever the weather conditions in the French capital. To get the most out of this view of Paris, we suggest you surf their web site between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM GMT (1:00 AM and 3:00 PM Eastern Time in the U.S.), when the City of Light is at its best.

First level: 57.63 meters (189 feet). Observatory from which to study the movements of the Eiffel Tower’s summit. Kiosk presentation about the mythic painting of the Eiffel Tower. Space CINEIFFEL: offers an exceptional panorama of sights from the Tower. Souvenir shops (yes, every tourist MUST have a miniature replica). Restaurant “Altitude 95″ (phone 01-45-55-20-04). Post office, with special stamps “Paris Eiffel Tower “. Panoramic gallery displaying the Monuments of Paris.

Second level: 115.73 meters (379 feet, 8 inches). Panorama of Paris. Telescopes, shops. Animated displays on the operation of the elevators. Jules Verne Restaurant (extremely expensive, reservations absolutely necessary; phone 01-45-55-61-44).

Third level: 276.13 meters (905 feet, 11 inches). Exceptional panoramic views, day or night, of Paris and its surroundings. Recently restored office, featuring wax reproductions of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison in conversation (see photo. Panoramic guide displays to aid orientation. Dioramas presenting the history of this platform.

Probably the best approach to the tower is to take the Métro to the Trocadéro station and walk from the Palais de Chaillot to the Seine. Besides fabulous views, especially when the Trocadéro fountains are in full force, you get a free show from the dancers and acrobats who perform around the Palais de Chaillot. The vast green esplanade beneath the tower is the Parc du Champs-de-Mars, which extends all the way to the 18th-century École Militaire (Military Academy), at its southeast end. This formal lawn was once a parade ground for French troops.

The Eiffel Tower at night is one of the great sights of Paris and shouldn’t be missed. The gold lighting highlights the delicacy of the steelwork in a way that is missed in daylight. Skip the tour buses and pickpockets on Trocadéro and head up to the École Militaire for a more tranquil view.