Monday, January 18, 2010

Top of the Eiffel Tower


Few people know that on top of being one of the most visited monuments in France (about 7 million people on average, that is the 9th most visited monument in France) the Eiffel Tower also has a very practical usage: it's a huge transmission center. No less than 120 antennas are installed up there and most of the TV channels (and a few FM stations) broadcast from there. That is also at this level that the first telegraph transmission (with the Pantheon) was made in 1898...

32 comments:

  1. How did you do to zoom like that Eric? Were you on the 30th floor of a building, in front of the ET ?!

    One thing to say though
    Eiffel Tower!
    Eiffel Tower!!
    Eiffel Tower!!!

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  2. The 9th most visited????

    I thought it was the 1st, or at least the 2nd.

    Which one is the first then? Notre Dame?

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  3. WOOOOOOOW, how did you do that? Stunning!! Guille has probably guessed, but that's a really good shot!
    So, that's the ET brain, isn't it? Hmm I did not expect less impressive than that, for sure !!!
    "9th most visited in france" isn't it rather "in the worldé, non?
    I thought ET was on first place in France, wasn't it?

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  4. I have the same question as the first two visitors. If it is the world, what is the most visited monument?

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  5. I'll bet the pigeons are not happy with all those pointy antennas.

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  6. I've never seen such a close up view of the top. Wow.

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  7. Great Blog - keep up the good work. What lens and location did you use for this picture?

    Thanks.

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  8. I knew that. The radio station that I listen to broadcasts from there and they are very proud to announce that regularly on their station. http://www.chantefrance.com/

    The top of the Empire State Building in NYC has a similar looking arrangement of antennas at it's top.

    Your photo looks very "Star Wars" state of the art, hi-tech and modern. I like the people you captured too.

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  9. That is a fantastic zoom you've got there!

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  10. I see the top level is now open to visitors again; it was closed the last 2 times I was there. Great picture, Eric!

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  11. Oooh, this is fabulous, Eric! Guille has said it for all of us (ET! ET!! ET!!!), but I hope Suzy sees this one!

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  12. Now that's a cool shot!
    Next on PDP, a photo of Paris from the top of the Tower.







    ;)

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  13. Gosh makes me dizzy thinking about it . Have been lucky to visit Paris several times but never been to the top of the tower.Good to leave something to do for next time though!

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  14. I love the range of experiences that you give us Eric. A few days ago we were in the gutter looking up at the stars, and today we are right up there in the stars (well, almost as high).

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  15. I never made it to the top... too much fear of heights and a broken elevator. I stopped at the middle and spent a fortune at the bistro on the second floor.

    Gorgeous eye-level shot, Eric. How did you manage it?

    Ciao
    Eleonora
    Roma Every Day

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  16. So where were you when you got this fab closeup? New lens??? :)
    V

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  17. Wow! Fantastic zoom, I've never seen it so close.

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  18. next time I'm going to have to line up for sure...

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  19. Hmm, I always thought it was the number one visited monument in the entire world. You claim it is the 9th most visited in France. What are the others that top it? I know at one time it was the tallest structure in the world until NYs Chrysler Building topped it in 1930. As for the photo, it is amazing as is the ET and ET with his camera. Merci.

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  20. For France:
    the 50 main Parisian museums and sites drew 70.4 million visitors in 2007.


    French sites and monuments, by descending numbers of visitors:
    1 Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral : 13.6 million;
    2 Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre (basilica) 10.5 million;
    3 le Louvre museum, 8.5 million (2008);
    - the Eiffel Tower 6.8 million;
    - Château de Versailles 5.6 million (2008)
    - Centre Pompidou (the "inside-out" building): 5.5 million (library + museum)
    - Orsay museum: 3.2 million;
    - Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie 3.12 million;
    - le musée du Quai Branly, 1.4 million;
    - Arc de Triomphe 1.3 million.

    from WikiAnswers re: Top 10 French Sites

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  21. I bet its not number one because a lot of people are scared of heights and also because its so visible. So, they go to look at it but don't get a ticket to go up it and so they don't get counted as a "visitor".

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  22. Thanks for the info Coltrane. I did not know actually. I would have ranked Mont Saint Michel pretty high in the list.

    No new lens. Just my normal zoom, it's enough.

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  23. The enlarged version of this photo is particularly superb! What detail!

    Eric, seeing Mont St. Michel was the fulfillment of another dream for me. I happened to visit at an ideal time--a couple of days before Christmas 1992 ... There were only about a dozen tourists, so I could imagine the place as I expect it was intended to be--supremely peaceful and exquisitely beautiful.

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  24. I didn't know that actually and I'm surprised at 9th!

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  25. It is just such an amazing landmark. I'm so glad that Paris kept it! I can't wait to go and visit it!!!!!! (And, my hubby has promised me lunch or dinner at Jules Verne for our 25th anniversary! something to look forward to..) :D

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  26. I knew there would be an ET shot as soon as I was away from a computer for a few days!

    LOVE.IT. I've never seen it quite like this!!

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  27. Eric, I would have thought the the Eiffel Tour and Notre Dame might tie for first place. After many trips to France, my husband and I finally made it to the top this Spring. What a wonderful surprise when we reached the top, you can buy champagne to celebrate the event, and of course, we did! Also on this year's trip we visited Mont St. Michele which was another lifelong goal achieved.

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  28. ce n'est pas le monument le plus visité en France, c'est le monument le plus visité en Europe et même dans le monde...

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  29. if i could tell you how much i lvoe the eiffel tower than words, i would. i have walked around the top if that its a bit scary but well worth 13 euros.

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  30. I hope you have a nice day! Very good article, well written and very thought out. I am looking forward to reading more of your posts in the future.

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