For whom was the most expensive apartment in Paris built in… the Eiffel Tower
The famous Eiffel Tower has been considered a symbol of Paris for over a hundred years. Its silhouette is familiar to everyone, as is the history of its creation. Many have even climbed to the observation decks of this engineering miracle. However, few people know one curious secret. At the top of the tower, there is a real apartment built along with it. Who was it intended for, and what is there now?
The secret apartment on the Eiffel Tower was designed by its creator himself. Gustave Eiffel decided that it would be wonderful to have a home at a height of 300 meters and admire the panorama of Paris. He was not even embarrassed by the fact that the tower was considered a temporary structure and was planned to be dismantled after the World Exhibition of 1889.
It so happened that the tower still stands, and the architect's cozy apartment has been preserved along with it. It is very modest in size, even by modern standards - only 30 square meters. The apartment consists of only two rooms - a living room, which is also a bedroom, and an office. Yes, the ceilings in the rooms are more than three meters high, so the rooms do not look cramped.
You can get to the apartment from one of the tower's platforms via a narrow spiral staircase. It's not very convenient to climb it, but the owner didn't expect frequent guests. He himself lived in the apartment from time to time, when his soul asked for privacy, or when it was necessary to perform some calculations and measurements on the structure itself.
The unique apartment above Paris was most often visited by engineers and scientists like Gustave Eiffel himself. Among the famous people, physicist Thomas Edison, with whom the tower creator had a long-standing friendship, visited here. Occasionally, a select circle would gather in the living room of the apartment to discuss problems of science, politics and art.
For a long time, the existence of the apartment was hidden from society. But then people found out about the designer's secret abode and started talking about it on every corner. Everyone wanted to see the genius engineer's home with their own eyes, but he didn't plan to organize excursions.
They say that one day a wealthy industrialist offered Eiffel to rent an apartment for a fabulous sum. This instantly turned the tiny property into the most expensive in Paris. But Eiffel refused, saying that it was a technical room, inseparable from the tower. He was not disingenuous - important scientific research was carried out in the office: astronomical, meteorological, and the influence of wind on the structure of the tower was also studied.
The apartment remained the property of Gustave Eiffel until his death. The engineer died in 1923 at the age of 91. After that, the premises stood unclaimed for a long time. No one changed anything in its furnishings, respecting the memory of the owner. Almost a hundred years after Eiffel's death, in 2015, the apartment was turned into a small museum.
Now in the apartment you can see the original furniture that Eiffel used, his piano, carpets, books and measuring instruments. In addition, there are three wax figures - Eiffel himself, his daughter Claire and his friend Edison. So, if you are in Paris and decide to admire the city from above, do not forget to drop in and visit the creator of this engineering masterpiece.
The apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower is a place where you can still feel the spirit of the era and the genius of its creator. Hidden from prying eyes, this corner with a unique history still attracts the attention of tourists and researchers. Would you like to spend at least one night in Gustave Eiffel's apartment? Share your thoughts in the comments!