eiffel tower essay in french

My Eiffel Tower – French Story & Translation

Let’s talk about my Eiffel Tower, “La Grande Dame” as the French call her. Free French story w hide/reveal English translations.

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here .

Cet article pourrait vous sembler très banal, je ne suis en effet pas la première à vous parler de la Tour Eiffel. Rassurez-vous, je ne vais pas vous en faire un exposé Wikipédia mais plutôt vous raconter mon expérience personnelle avec ce fameux monument de Paris.

This article may seem very banal, I am not the first to tell you about the Eiffel Tower . Rest assured, I am not going to give you a Wikipedia presentation but rather tell you about my personal relationship with this famous monument in Paris.

1 – Seeing the Eiffel Tower – A Dream Come True

J’ai rencontré “la Grande Dame” – le surnom de la Tour Eiffel – pour la première fois à l’âge de 6 ans lorsque mes parents ont décidé de me faire visiter Paris. J’ai la chance d’habiter à 1 heure environ de la capitale ce qui facilite les choses mais il y a encore beaucoup de personnes en France habitant dans les campagnes retirées qui n’ont jamais eu la chance de la voir en vrai.

I met “the Great Lady” – the Eiffel Tower’s nickname – for the first time at the age of 6 when my parents decided to show me around Paris. I am lucky enough to live about an hour from the capital, which makes things easier, but there are still many people in France living in the remote countryside who have never had the chance to see it in real life.

Chaque fois que j’y retourne, avec mes étudiants en immersion de français par exemple, je dois admettre que cette espèce de grande girafe en dentelle métallique fait le même effet à tout le monde. Hannah, qui venait en France pour la première fois en février dernier, avait les yeux qui pétillaient. Paris possède de nombreux monuments plus magnifiques les uns que les autres bien sûr, mais la Tour Eiffel reste malgré tout LE symbole de la France. Et elle me dit : « waouh, c’est fantastique, ça y est, j’y suis ! »

Each time I go back there, with my French immersion students for example, I have to admit this kind of big giraffe in metallic lace has the same effect on everyone. Hannah’s eyes were sparkling! – Hannah, who came to France for the first time last February, Paris has more than one monument, all as magnificent as each other, but the Eiffel Tower still is THE symbol of France. And she tells me: “Waouh, that’s fantastic, this is it, here I am”!

2 – The Eiffel Tower – A Committed Paris Monument

Ce que j’aime particulièrement à propos de la tour Eiffel, c’est que c’est le monument de Paris le plus engagé. En fonction des festivités ou des grands thèmes chers à notre République, elle se pare de différentes couleurs.

What I particularly like about the Eiffel Tower is that it is the most committed monument in Paris. Depending on the festivities or the major themes dear to our Republic it is adorned with different colors.

C’est en 1985 qu’elle s’est mise à scintiller de mille feux pour la première fois tous les soirs pendant quelques heures. Désormais, on l’habille de couleurs pour soutenir les grandes causes ou rendre hommage à un pays en visite officielle.

It was in 1985 that it began to sparkle for the first time every night for a few hours. Now it is dressed in different colors to support major causes or pay tribute to a country on an official visit.

En 2015 par exemple, à l’occasion de la Cop 21 (la conférence de Paris sur le réchauffement climatique), la dame de fer était tout illuminée de vert de la tête aux pieds. En octobre dernier, c’est de rose qu’elle se fardait à l’occasion du lancement d’Octobre Rose à Paris, pour le soutien à la recherche contre le cancer du sein. Mais si la France est en deuil, la tour s’éteint tristement.

In 2015, for the COP 21 (Paris conference on global warming), the iron lady was all green from head to toe. Last September, she was made up in pink at the launch of Pink October in Paris to support breast cancer research. But if France is mourning, the tower, sadly, is switched off.

3 – Visiting Paris in Winter

Visiter Paris en hiver, c’est super ! Il n’y a pas beaucoup de touristes et on peut accéder à tous les monuments très facilement ! La dernière fois que j’y suis allée, c’était pour mon anniversaire. Stéphane m’a fait la surprise de m’inviter au célèbre restaurant Le Jules Verne.

Visiting Paris in the winter is wonderful! It’s not crowded, and you can get into every monument very easily. Last time I was there, it was for my birthday . Stéphane surprised me by inviting me to the famous restaurant “Jules Verne”.

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4 – The Jules Verne – the Eiffel Tower’s Starred Restaurant

Ce restaurant étoilé se situe au deuxième étage et pour y accéder, il faut montrer patte blanche !! En effet, pour des raisons de sécurité, les contrôles sont nombreux et je dois l’avouer, la première impression est un peu bizarre !

This starred restaurant is on the second floor and to get there, you need to prove your identity! Indeed, for security reasons, there are many controls and I must admit the first impression is a bit weird!

Nous sommes tous rassemblés dans un petit espace sombre au pied de l’ascenseur privé du restaurant, attendant qu’on nous appelle car les entrées se font au compte-goutte en fonction de votre horaire de réservation. L’endroit n’est pas chauffé et comme je suis née au mois de mars, il ne fait pas très chaud !!

We are all gathered in a small dark space at the foot of the private lift of the restaurant, waiting to be called because entries are done table by table according to your reservation time. This space is not heated and as I was born in March, it isn’t warm!!

En plus, je me suis habillée élégamment pour l’occasion et j’ai donc laissé au placard le pantalon et le gros pull en laine qui auraient été mieux adaptés à la fine couche de neige qui couvrait le sol ce matin-là ! Mais Paris sous la neige, c’est tellement romantique ! Une fois arrivés au 2ème, quel bonheur, notre table est située près de la vitre et la vue est magnifique.

In addition to that, I dressed elegantly for the occasion and I left in the cupboard my trousers and my big wool sweater that would have been more suitable for the thin layer of snow that was covering the ground that morning. But Paris under the snow is so romantic! Once there, what a joy, our table is by the window and the view is fantastic.

Je pensais que l’ambiance allait être un peu guindée mais pas du tout, en fait. Les serveurs sont très sympas et décontractés, je ne m’y attendais pas ! Les portions ne sont pas grandes mais il y a tellement de petites mises en bouche et cuillères en tout genre, qu’on sort de table rassasiés. Le repas a été un vrai régal. J’en ai encore l’eau à la bouche !

I thought the mood was going to be a little stuffy, but not at all, actually. The servers are very nice and cool, I didn’t expect that! The portions are not large but there are so many small appetizers and tasty spoonfuls of all kinds, that we come away from the table satisfied. The meal was a real treat. My mouth is still watering!

Si vous décidez d’y aller, sachez que les réservations se font en ligne et que vous ne gouterez plus à la cuisine d’Alain Ducasse car il a été évincé du Jules Verne au profit de Fréderic Anton. Le restaurant appartient en effet à la mairie de Paris et la société chargée de la gestion a décidé de changer de chef. Ceci a d’ailleurs donné lieu à une bataille juridique sévère !

If you want to go there, you should be aware that you need to book online and that you won’t taste Alain Ducasse’s cuisine anymore because he has been evicted and replaced by Frédéric Anton. The restaurant belongs to the city hall and the company in charge of the Eiffel Tower decided to change the chef. This led to a severe legal battle.

C’était une expérience formidable, d’un romantisme absolu. Je dois dire que Stéphane a marqué des points ce jour-là. La vue était démentielle ! Tout comme la facture d’ailleurs ! Mais … quand on aime , on ne compte pas, parait-il !!!!!

It was a wonderful experience, totally romantic. I must say that Stéphane scored points that day. The view was incredible! Just like the bill! But … when you love, you don’t count, it seems!!!!!

Bonjour ! My name is Chantal, I'm an immersion French teacher and I live in Picardie - only 40 minutes away from Paris by train. Come experience a real French lifestyle, discover my region and improve your French with me .

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Eiffel Tower — Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Categories: Eiffel Tower Paris

About this sample

Words: 579 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 579 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

Anthony, L. (2015). The Eiffel Tower. ABDO Publishing.
Danesi, M. (2014). The Eiffel Tower: The History of Paris' Most Famous Landmark. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Eiffel Tower Official Website. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.toureiffel.paris/en
Encyclopædia Britannica. (2021). Eiffel Tower. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eiffel-Tower
Hossack, R., & Ball, T. (2005). The Construction of the Eiffel Tower: The History and Making of the World's Most Famous Monument. Black Rabbit Books.
Lonely Planet. (2021). Eiffel Tower. In Lonely Planet.
Loomis, C. (2019). Paris in the Present Tense: From the Eiffel Tower to the Elusive Whore of the Nineteenth Arrondissement. St. Martin's Griffin.
Millon, N., & Weyers, G. (2015). The Eiffel Tower. The Preservation Press.
Ross, S. (2013). Building the Eiffel Tower: An Engineering Marvel. Raintree.
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2021). Paris, Banks of the Seine. Retrieved from https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/600

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La tour Eiffel

Symbole de paris, voire de la france.

It's impossible to imagine the Parisian skyline without the Eiffel Tower - or to believe that it was once considered an eyesore.

My first visit to Paris was in 1989. Nowadays, there are elaborate light shows and fireworks for any number of events, including the annual Octobre rose illumination in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But I loved my first IRL view of the tower dressed up to celebrate its centennial, with 100 ans spelled out in simple lights .

Today’s issue of Lawless French à fond takes an in-depth look at the Eiffel Tower - its original purpose, lots of facts and figures, and how to visit, whether actually or virtually.

Table of Contents

Announcement

La construction de la tour Eiffel 🏗️ Video about Gustave Eiffel's vision and how he made it happen.

La tour Eiffel Go back in time to discover the origins of this perfect symbol of Paris.

Tour Eiffel Behind the scenes with an Eiffel Tower employee.

À quoi sert la tour Eiffel ❓ Animated answer to this question from a kid, from the always delightful 1 jour, 1 question .

Comment la science a sauvé la tour Eiffel How Gustave Eiffel saved his tower from its planned destruction.

Le monument

Histoire, chiffres clés, illuminations, peintures : découvrez tous les secrets du monument le plus iconique du monde. (Site officiel de la tour Eiffel)

La Dame de fer : le surnom de la tour Eiffel

This article from the official site is particularly interesting - it discusses a variety of names that were temporarily attached to the Eiffel Tower before its official name and most common nickname were established.

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La tour Eiffel

La tour Eiffel est le symbole de la ville de Paris. Elle a été construite par Gustave Eiffel pour l’Exposition universelle de Paris de 1889. La tour Eiffel mesure exactement 312 mètres de hauteur. Lorsqu’elle a été construite, la tour Eiffel était le monument le plus élevé du monde (elle l’est restée pendant quarante ans). C’est un site touristique très important, environ 7 millions de touristes visitent la tour Eiffel chaque année. Au total, on estime que depuis sa construction plus de 300 millions de personnes ont visité la tour Eiffel.

Du haut de la Tour Eiffel, on peut voir les principaux monuments de Paris : la cathédrale Notre-Dame, la tour Montparnasse et l’arc de triomphe. On peut voir aussi le fleuve qui traverse la capitale : la Seine. La tour Eiffel est située sur le Champ-de-Mars. C’est un parc où les gens viennent se promener en famille et entre amis.

Tout en haut de la tour Eiffel, il y a des antennes qui émettent les programmes de radio et de télévision. Il y a même des restaurants.

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Monuments Historiques #4: La Tour Eiffel

A photo of the Eiffel Tower at night, with its lights reflected in the Seine.

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"La Tour Eiffel" - Comprehension & Writing in French about the Eiffel Tower

Subject: French

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

6 August 2024

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This text written in French is dedicated to the Eiffel Tower : it talks about its creation by Gustave Eiffel, its construction, the number of tourists who visit it, its height and its use.

In this document (docx + pdf), you will find a comprehension exercise , with 6 questions to be answered. Then comes a writing question, the subject of which is: “ Have you ever visited the Eiffel Tower? What did you think of it? ”

The answer sheet is accompanied by the answers to the questions and two examples of writing.

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The Incredible Story of the Eiffel Tower

A challenge laid down for the architects of the time, that’s how this project starts. To build a 300 meter tall iron tower (980 ft.) for the 1989 Universal Exhibition . A crazy record that seems impossible to beat using the contemporary technology of that time.

However, a man named Gustave Eiffel rises to the challenge. He starts the colossal construction of the Great Iron Lady . He is in charge of the technical details and Stephen Sauvestre is summoned to deal with the aesthetic parts.

In numbers, the Eiffel Tower’s construction, consists of:

18,038 metal pieces,
5,300 blueprints,
50 engineers and artists,
150 workers in Levallois-Perret’s factory,
Between 150 to 300 workers on-site,
2,500,000 rivets,
7,300 tons of iron,
60 tons of paint,
2 years 2 months and 5 days of work,
and 5 elevators.

In addition to being a gargantuan project, it’s also a controversial piece. Artists of the period gather in a text a “Protest against M. Eiffel’s Tower” , which was published in the newspaper Le Temps against the construction of the “Useless and horrendous Eiffel Tower” . The Tower, according to them, goes against everything Paris represents in terms of beauty, architecture and arts. In response, Gustave Eiffel wrote that the beauty of the tower lies in the meticulousness of its construction, its incredible durability and in the harmony of its shape.

In the end, the success of the Tower during the Universal Exhibition, with more than 2 millions visitors silenced the critics. After almost 130 years of history, the Iron Lady has become the symbol of France . And she is still visited by more than 7 million people per year . And you, have you ever visited the Eiffel Tower? What is your favorite Parisian monument?