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You Can Stay in an Apartment in the Eiffel Tower

By Caitlin Morton and Melissa Minton

Go behind the scenes of a hidden apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower with Condé Nast Traveler .

If you’re traveling to Paris, seeing the sights from the top of the Eiffel Tower is a can’t-miss opportunity. Now, four lucky people will have the chance to enjoy the iconic building in a unique way—from their own luxurious apartment on the first floor. Vacation-rental company HomeAway is giving four winners the chance to stay in Haussmannian-style living quarters for the duration of the UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tournament, June 10 to July 10. The guests will enjoy panoramic views of the Arc de Triomphe, the Sacre Coeur, and the Seine river and surely treasure an unprecedented vacation memory.

But this isn’t the first and only apartment in the tower. When Gustave Eiffel designed his namesake tower, he included a private apartment for himself at the top, which is now available for the public to tour.

Eiffel was “the object of general envy” among Parisians during his lifetime, and it wasn’t for designing one of the most famous monuments of all time. Rather, it was due to the fact that he had a private apartment at the top of the tower—and almost no one else was allowed access to it.

In his book *La Tour Eiffel de Trois Cent Métres (The Eiffel Tower of 300 Meters),*author Henri Girard explains that Parisians would offer up “a small fortune” to rent his private space for a single night, but Eiffel consistently refused. However, he would occasionally entertain guests of the utmost prestige (Thomas Edison is one notable example).

Unlike the scientific marvel of steel and hard lines it’s housed in, the pied à terre is cozy and romantic—think paisley wallpaper, wood furniture, and oil paintings. All in all, not a shabby place to view Paris from the best vantage point in town.

While Eiffel Tower visitors were previously denied access to the apartment (what Monsieur Eiffel would have wanted, no doubt), the 1,000-foot-high space is officially open to the public. At long last, we mere peasants can get a look at what it’s like to live at the world’s most enviable address.

By Megan Johnson

By Katherine McLaughlin

By Joyce Chen

The Secret Apartment at the Top of the Eiffel Tower

By kirstin fawcett | apr 1, 2016.

When Gustave Eiffel designed the Eiffel Tower, he created a sky-high landmark for the public—and for himself, he included a secret apartment.

According to Atlas Obscura , the tiny apartment was perched 1000 feet in the air, providing Eiffel with a bird’s-eye view of 1890s-era Paris. He furnished the lofty abode with wallpaper, cabinets, furniture, oil paintings, and a grand piano. There was also a small adjacent room with laboratory equipment, which allowed Eiffel to conduct meteorological observations, The Independent writes .

While many elite members of the public clamored to rent the space, Eiffel shunned their exorbitant offers. Instead, he used it to greet illustrious guests like Thomas Edison (who gave him a phonograph machine as a gift), or as a quiet space for solitary reflection.

Author Jill Jonnes provides a great visual image of what an evening was like in Eiffel’s private apartment in her 2010 book Eiffel’s Tower: The Thrilling Story Behind Paris’s Beloved Monument and the Extraordinary World's Fair That Introduced It . She describes one evening that Edison and other luminaries spent in Eiffel’s aerie:

The guests settled in on the dark velvet settees trimmed in fringe. The walls, a warm yellow, were already covered with framed artistic mementos: photographs, drawings, paintings. “Eiffel has a piano there,” said Edison. “Gounoud, the composer of ‘Faust,’ played and sang, and he did it splendidly, too, despite his more than eighty years.” High above Paris, Gounoud’s music wafted forth as the guests smoked cigars, drank brandy, talked, and even sang, a magical late-summer interlude. Working quietly in the background was American artist A.A. Anderson, best known for his oil portraits, but invited by Eiffel to try to capture Edison’s likeness as best he could in a sculpted bust that would commemorate this occasion of genius honoring genius.

The apartment was closed to the public for years, but in May 2015, Condé   Nast Traveler announced that it would open to visitors. You can’t stay overnight, but you can peer into the space—which contains its original furnishings, along with life-size mannequins of Eiffel and Edison—and admire the private hideaway of the famous French civil engineer and architect.

Check out some photos below:

Serge Melki , Flickr // CC BY 2.0

Aniket Mone , Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 2.0

[h/t Atlas Obscura ]

There's a Secret Apartment Hidden Inside the Eiffel Tower

This Parisian apartment may not have all of the chic amenities you'd expect from a French pied-a-tierre, but it definitely has the best view: The City of Lights, as seen from top of the Eiffel Tower.

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Shhh! Don't Tell. There's a Secret Apartment Atop the Eiffel Tower

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The Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most famous selfie backdrops, but it's also home to a little-known apartment with an intriguing history steeped in science and secrecy.

The Eiffel Tower was unveiled in Paris as the pièce de résistance of the 1889 World's Fair. It was engineered as a testament to France's technological machinations and as a monumental way to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution . Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower, added a number of furtive extras to it, ranging from a secret apartment to telegraph and radio broadcast equipment. It was this equipment that may have saved the Eiffel Tower from being torn down as a temporary exhibit left over from the World's Fair, a demolition that was slated for 20 years from the time of its debut. Turns out, the French government discovered and appreciated the wireless — yes, wireless in 1889! — telegraph transmitter and radio antenna so much that it opted to keep and care for the tower indefinitely.

In 1903, just six short years before the tower was to be demolished, Eiffel doubled down on his invitations to scientists to host brainy discussions and conduct research from within the tower's little-known apartment. The apartment, about 1,000 feet (304 meters) off the ground, was outfitted with cozy rugs and chairs surrounded by other comforts, but it also had adjacent spaces to serve as mini laboratories.

From this bird-level apartment, the atmosphere was measured, the stars and planets were observed and the bounds of physics were explored by some of the greatest minds of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1903, Eiffel had found the answer to saving his tower. Captain Gustave Ferriè experimented with wireless broadcast signals , eventually sending signals as far as North America. The Eiffel Tower, and its scientific purpose, became too important to the French government to be torn down. Just a few years later, the tower would play a vital role in World War I , when the French military used the wireless communicators to transmit to ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

Today, the Eiffel Tower receives about 7 million visitors each year, and those who purchase a ticket to the top of the tower can look through a window at the apartment where Thomas Edison once conversed with Eiffel and other invitation-only erudite guests. For the most part, the apartment's original appearance has been preserved. There is upholstered furniture, a grand piano and burnished wood cabinets against a backdrop of patterned wallpaper. The apartment's laboratory areas still exhibit some of their original scientific equipment, and there is an observatory above the apartment that is not open to public viewing.

While you can't stay in the original apartment at the Eiffel Tower, there is now another option. The Gustave Eiffel Reception Room , situated at 187 feet (57 meters) off the ground, is open for event rental for a starting fee of 7,500 pounds sterling, which is about $10,000.

Engraved on the sides of the Eiffel Tower under the first balcony, by the design of Gustave Eiffel, are the names of 72 French scientists and engineers. The engravings were painted over in the early 20th century and restored in 1986-87 by the Société Nouvelle d'exploitation de la Tour Eiffel. Of the 72 names, not one is a woman.

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Do You Know About the Secret Apartment at the Top of the Eiffel Tower?

• Written by Finn MacLeod
• Published on September 26, 2015

Since opening in 1889, over 250 million people have visited the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris . A rare experience for most, a trip to the Eiffel Tower includes long queues, beautiful views, and...a visit to Gustave Eiffel's private apartment? Unbeknownst to most 19th century Parisians (save for a privileged few), the tower's celebrated designer built himself a humble little abode 285 meters (935 feet) up the tower. Closed for decades, in recent years the management of the Eiffel Tower have opened Eiffel's apartment to the public, grand piano and all.

Enter Gustave Eiffel's secret apartment after the break

Few would describe the steel girders of Eiffel Tower as "cosy." By contrast, Eiffel's comfortable apartment was said to be "furnished in the simple style dear to scientists," according to Atlas Obscura . Complete with all of the amenities required for a comfortable nineteenth century Parisian life, Eiffel's apartment has remained largely untouched since its construction. Elegantly appointed with carved wooden furniture, oil paintings, ornate wallpaper and a grand piano, Eiffel used the space for entertaining and quiet reflection, though invitations to the apartment were rare. The guest list was said to have included prolific inventor Thomas Edison, his visit now immortalized in wax figures that form part of the apartment's public display.

Discovered shortly after the tower's construction, the apartment was coveted by the Parisian elite. Eiffel's apartment was considered among the city's most valuable addresses, with many offering the architect hefty sums to spend a single night enjoying panoramic views of Paris . Eiffel was, according to Architectural Digest , considered “the object of general envy” among Parisians and reportedly refused all offers in favor of personal privacy. Now, Parisians and visitors of all stripes can visit Eiffel's private quarters for the mere cost of entry to the tower, though they are limited to peering in through the windows. Find out how to visit his secret space, here .

Story via Atlas Obscura , Architectural Digest and Business Insider

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Gustav Eiffel Built Himself an Apartment to Entertain the Elite in his Famous Tower

The eiffel tower’s secret apartment.

Photo: Serge Melki/Creative Commons

Atlas Obscura on  Slate  is a blog about the world’s hidden wonders. Like us on  Facebook  and  Tumblr , or follow us on  Twitter .

When the Eiffel Tower opened in 1889 to universal wonder and acclaim, designer Gustave Eiffel soaked up the praise. But as if that wasn’t enough, it was soon revealed that he had built himself a small apartment near the top of the world wonder, garnering him the envy of the Parisian elite in addition to his new fame.

Located on the third level of the tower, Eiffel’s private apartment was not large, but it was cozy . In contrast to the steely industrial girders of the rest of the tower, as RM1000 reports , author Henri Girard described the apartment in his 1891 book La Tour Eiffel de Trois Cent Métres  as being “furnished in the simple style dear to scientists.” The walls were covered in warm wallpaper, and the furniture included soft chintzes, wooden cabinets, and even a grand piano, creating a comfortable atmosphere perched nearly 1,000 feet in the air. Adjacent to the small apartment were some laboratory areas equipped with the experimentation gear of the day.

Once word got out about Eiffel’s little nest in the sky, all of Parisian high society turned simultaneously green with jealousy. Eiffel is said to have received a number of sky-high (pun intended) offers to rent out the space, even for one night. He declined them all, preferring to use the space for quiet reflection, and to entertain prestigious guests such as Thomas Edison himself, who gifted Eiffel one of his newfangled phonograph machines.

Today, after being off limits for years, the apartment is on display for visitors to come and peer into. The furnishings remain much the same and there are a couple of rather wan-looking mannequins of Eiffel and Edison. For the right type of architectural admirer, Eiffel’s secret apartment could inspire as much jealousy today as it did when it was built. 

For more on Gustav Eiffel’s Secret Apartment, visit Atlas Obscura!

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The Truth About The Eiffel Tower's Secret Apartment

Designed by Gustave Eiffel for the centennial celebration of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower  heralded a "revolution" in civil engineering, via the Encyclopedia Britannica . An imposing 1,063 feet tall, it could literally tower over older architectural marvels such as St. Peter's Basilica and Giza's Great  Pyramid . Yet, construction took far less time, and fewer workers, than smaller monuments of antiquity required. Elegant and airy, the structure boasts sleek curves which the official Eiffel Tower website says were mathematically designed to maximize wind resistance.

Wind wasn't the only kind of resistance the tower had to contend with. Various artists and writers tried to poke holes in its appearance, which seems a tad redundant given its heavy reliance on lattices. Creative detractors attacked the Eiffel Tower as "a truly tragic street lamp," a "belfry skeleton," and in one particularly blistering insult, "a half-built factory pipe, a carcass waiting to be fleshed out with freestone or brick, a funnel-shaped grill, a hole-riddled suppository." Critics warned that the city of Paris risked making itself "irreparably ugly and bringing dishonor." Eventually, though, people would offer to spend top dollar for the honor of staying in the apartment atop the tower.

Eiffel puts the 'loft' in 'lofty'

A tsunami of anti-tower criticism dissipated for the most part after construction, per the Eiffel Tower website . However, History writes  that novelist Guy de Maupassant despised the structure so much that he insisted on eating lunch underneath it just so he wouldn't have to look at its silhouette. Even if some people continued to see it as an eyesore, the Eiffel Tower was the belle of the 1889 World's Fair, attracting 2 million visitors. Gustave Eiffel became "the object of general envy" throughout Paris, according to Architectural Digest .

The envy didn't stem from the tower's top-tier popularity but the fact that Eiffel built a private apartment for himself at the top of it, which  boasted  an open-air balcony, a piano, a couch, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a toilet cubicle. However, it didn't have a bedroom. Gustave Eiffel used the space for experiments and esteemed visitors, like Thomas Edison . Author Henri Girard is quoted as saying that people offered to pay "a small fortune" to stay at the top-tier apartment.

Eiffel Tower Secret Apartment

Eiffel tower secret apartment | a hidden gem.

The Eiffel Tower, one of the most famous landmarks in the world, has a secret apartment on top of the Eiffel Tower. This apartment was originally designed for Gustave Eiffel, the tower's architect, as a private space for him to entertain guests. However, Eiffel only used the apartment a few times and it was later used as a radio station and laboratory.

Visitors can see the living room, bedroom, and small kitchen in the apartment, which are furnished with antiques from the time when the apartment was in use with the Eiffel Tower tickets . The apartment offers a glimpse into the tower's history and the life of Gustave Eiffel, who spent many years working on the tower and overseeing its construction.

While the secret apartment of Eiffel Tower is not widely known, it is a fascinating part of the Eiffel Tower's story and a must-see for anyone interested in the Eiffel tower's history and architecture.

History & Facts About Eiffel Tower Secret Apartment

• The secret apartment of Eiffel Tower was designed by Gustave Eiffel as a private space for him to entertain guests and located on the third level of the tower.
• Eiffel only used the apartment a few times and it was later used as a radio station and laboratory.
• The apartment was closed to the public for many years and was only accessible to a select few individuals.
• In 1984, the apartment was restored and opened to the public as part of a guided tour of the tower.
• The apartment features a living room, bedroom, and small kitchen that are furnished with antiques from the time when the apartment was in use.
• Later, during World War II, the apartment was used by German soldiers as a lookout post
• You can learn about the history of the apartment and the life of Gustave Eiffel, who spent many years overseeing the construction of the tower.
• Today, the secret apartment is a popular attraction for tourists visiting the Eiffel Tower and offers a unique glimpse into the Eiffel Tower's Architecture .

Note: The secret apartment was closed to the public for many years, but it was opened to the public in 2019 for the first time as part of the tower's 130th-anniversary celebrations. However, it was only open to a limited number of people and only for a few days. Currently, the apartment is not open to the public on a regular basis, and access is still restricted. If and when it does open up again, it will likely be for a limited time and with a limited number of guests allowed inside. Although you can still see it from the outside.

Checkout More: Eiffel Tower History

Explore Different Levels Of Eiffel Tower

The ground level of the Eiffel Tower, also known as the esplanade, is the starting point of your journey to the top. The esplanade is a large open space that can accommodate up to 4,000 visitors. From here, you can admire the tower's impressive steel lattice structure and take pictures of the tower from different angles.

The ground level also has a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs and a variety of Eiffel Tower merchandise. There are also several food stalls and restaurants where you can grab a quick bite before starting your ascent.

Checkout More: Eiffel Tower Lunch Tickets & Sightseeing Seine River Cruise

The first level of the Eiffel Tower is located at a height of 57 meters above the ground. This level offers a range of exciting experiences and activities for you to enjoy. One of the most popular attractions on this level is the glass floor, which allows you to look straight down to the ground below. There are also various restaurants and cafes where guests can take a break and enjoy the stunning views. The first level also offers access to the famous spiral staircase that leads to the top of the tower. You can choose to climb the stairs to the second level or take the elevator.

Check More: Eiffel Tower Dinner Tickets

Located at a height of 115 meters (377 feet) above the ground. From this level, you can enjoy panoramic views of Paris, including landmarks such as the Louvre Museum, Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Seine River. With second floor tickets you can also visit restaurants, souvenir shops, and exhibition spaces. The famous glass floor installation is located on this level, which allows visitors to look down and see the view below their feet. The Eiffel Tower stairs are a great option for those who want to avoid crowds and get some exercise while taking in the beautiful views.

You Should Also Visit: Eiffel Tower Restaurants

The third and top floor of the Eiffel Tower is located 276 meters above the ground and offers breathtaking panoramic views of Paris. This level can be accessed by elevators from the second level or by taking the stairs from the second level to the top. At the third level, step out onto the open-air observation deck and enjoy the stunning views of Paris and its landmarks, including the Arc de Triomphe , Champs-Elysées, and the Seine River. The third level also features a champagne bar and gift shop where visitors can purchase souvenirs. During the evening, the Eiffel Tower sparkles with a beautiful light show, adding to the magic of the experience.

Check More: Eiffel Tower Top Floor Tickets

The Eiffel Tower hides a captivating secret apartment on its upper reaches. Built in 1889 for Gustave Eiffel, the tower's visionary architect, this charming apartment was meant as a private retreat. With elegant décor that mirrors the Art Nouveau style of the era, it boasts period-appropriate furnishings, including velvet chairs and floral wallpaper. The apartment also features a grand piano and offers panoramic views of Paris through large windows. While it's not open to the public, it remains a captivating historical artifact, providing a glimpse into the tower's early history. This secret abode offers a unique blend of architectural brilliance and artistic beauty, concealed high above the City of Light.

FAQ's For Eiffel Tower Secret Apartment

Can the public visit the eiffel tower secret apartment.

No, the Eiffel tower secret apartment tour is not open to the public. It is occasionally used for private events but otherwise remains closed to visitors.

However, you can see it from outside.

Also Explore: Palace Of Versailles Tickets

How did the secret apartment come to be?

Gustave Eiffel built the secret apartment as a private space for himself at the top of the tower. He used it to entertain guests, conduct scientific experiments, and enjoy the stunning views of Paris.

Are the wax sculptures still in the secret apartment?

No, the wax sculptures of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison that were once in the secret apartment have been moved to the Musée Grévin in Paris.

You Should Also Explore: The Grove In Palace Of Versailles

How was the secret apartment discovered?

The secret apartment in Eiffel Tower was discovered in 1984 during renovations to the Eiffel Tower. The apartment had been kept secret for many years and was not mentioned in any official plans or documents related to the tower.

Who has access to the Eiffel Tower secret apartment?

Only a select few individuals have permission to enter the Eiffel Tower secret apartment, including members of the Eiffel Tower staff and high-level government officials. The apartment is considered a private space, and is not open to the public.

Checkout & Book: Palace of Versailles Tour From Paris

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Here’s your sneak peek into the secret Eiffel Tower apartment!

Things to do in Paris Paris Attractions Landmarks in Paris Eiffel Tower Eiffel Tower Apartment

If there is any monument in the city of Paris that is an everlasting symbol of love, happiness and perseverance, it is the Eiffel Tower . Constructed in 1889 as the entrance arch of the World’s Fair, the iron lattice tower is now a beloved monument attracting thousands of visitors every year. Located in the heart of the city, the Eiffel Tower can be spotted from almost all corners of the City of Lights.

Named after the man behind the colossal monument architect Gustave Eiffel , the iron marvel has two floors and a summit. All three levels of the Eiffel Tower are feature-packed and offer unparalleled vistas of the Parisian skyline.

However, it is relatively unknown that the summit of the monument features a unique detail - a secret Eiffel Tower apartment.

Navigation Guide

Gustave’s secret apartment on top of the eiffel tower, visiting the secret eiffel tower apartment, eiffel tower apartment tickets, staying at the apartment on the eiffel tower.

Room on top of the Eiffel Tower with Restricted Access

With the completion of Eiffel Tower in 1889, it was revealed that Gustave Eiffel had added a secret apartment on top of the Eiffel Tower. At that point in time, it was the highest apartment in the world and offered a view of Paris which was almost unimaginable.

Gustave’s apartment gained the envy of the Paris elite and many offered small fortunes to stay in the apartment for a small duration. Gustave was quite selective and did not allow any guests to stay in his apartment. However, a handful of people, like Thomas Alva Edison, were allowed to visit and stay in his apartment.

Eiffel Tower Apartment - Living on top of the world

Unlike the metallic and brazen nature of the monument, the apartment itself has an oddly quaint and homely feeling to it. Wrapped in paisley wallpaper and filled with wood furniture, Gustave wanted it to be his little escape from the city hussle. He also kept oil paintings, gramophones, and a grand piano in his apartment, making it quite a fancy escapade.

He also ensured that there was a fully functioning laboratory in the apartment. Even today, nearly 92 years after Gustave's death, the Eiffel Tower secret apartment is not open to the public to explore. However, visiotrs can take a glance of Gustave's office while exploring the Eiffel Tower Summit.

Eiffel Tower Climbing Experience with Optional Summit Tickets

Duration: 2.5 hours

• Begin your ascent of the sky-scraping Eiffel Tower with an English-speaking professional guide who’ll pique your interest with witty stories and history of the monument.
• Enjoy an unparalleled view of the Paris city from the 300-meter high Eiffel Tower Summit, a vantage point missed by many.
• Channel your inner daredevil as you walk across the glass floor on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, over 50 meters above ground level.
• Experience an exclusive tour of the Eiffel Tower with a small group of fewer than 20 participants.

Eiffel Tower: Morning Access with Summit Option

• Skip long queues and crowded corridors to enjoy a unique tour of the Eiffel Tower with this morning-access guided tour.
• Avoid the daytime and night crowds and get fast-track access to the Eiffel Tower Lifts at a discounted price compared to Skip The Line Eiffel Tower Tours.
• Listen to marvelous snippets from Eiffel Tower’s 131-year history and laugh at some of the humorous personal anecdotes of the guide.
• Enjoy a dazzling view of the City of Lights from atop the 300-meter high Eiffel Tower Summit.
• Visit the summit office of Gustave Eiffel, the brain behind the iconic global landmark.

Scientific endeavors at the Eiffel Tower Apartment

The Eiffel Tower has been renovated many times over the years and now features an array of technological advancements, including radio and telegraph antennas. The building was originally designed to be demolished in 20 years, but the addition of a wireless antenna on the top saved it from demolition.

Aerial wires ran from the cupola to anchors on the Avenue de Suffren and Champ de Mars up until the 1950s. Small bunkers were at the end of these longwave transmitters. An underground radio station was built near the Southern pillar in 1909. The room on top of the Eiffel Tower played a crucial role in the functioning of the transmitters.

Gustave utilized the apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower to conduct long distance tests for wireless transmissions and even invited scientific minds such as Thomas Edison for visiting the apartment. He further used the apartment to carry out meteorological observations and as a base to study the action of air resistance on falling bodies.

Image Courtesy: Architectural Digest Photo by: Serge Melki

Gustave Eiffel's Apartment now Features Two Wax Figures

The Eiffel Tower secret apartment has been maintained and renovated over the years and still remains in the same condition as Gustave left it. The paisley wallpaper, the furniture, and the grand piano are all in place and have not been altered by anyone. The apartment is maintained and cleaned every now and then.

Even though the apartment is located on the highly popular Eiffel Tower top floor, it’s is off-limits for visitors. However, it is opened every once in a while. The apartment now sports two wax figures of Thomas Edison and Gustav Eiffel and recreates the setting they worked in.

How much does it cost to Visit the Eiffel Tower Apartment?

Once you make your way to Eiffel Tower Summit and are lucky enough to visit the secret apartment Eiffel Tower, there is no charge for admission. Although you cannot live in the apartment even for a few hours, many companies have used a similar loft, an unused conference space, as a makeshift apartment for some lucky visitors.

Eiffel Tower Climbing Experience

• Ascend the Eiffel Tower with a professional guide
• Witness Paris from the Eiffel Tower Summit.
• Walk on the transparent glass floor on the first floor.

Eiffel Tower Guided Climb

• Get access to the Eiffel Tower second floor and summit (optional).
• An English-speaking guide will help navigate your climb.
• Visit Gustave Eiffel's secret apartment on the summit.

The room at the top of Eiffel Tower has now been renamed as Gustave’s office, where you will find wax figurines of Thomas Edison, Gustave Eiffel, and his daughter. Although you cannot go inside it, you can still view the Eiffel Tower apartment from the outside.

There is no entry fee for this area as it is a part of the general Eiffel Tower summit admission.

When it was first discovered that Gustave Eiffel had managed to sneak in an apartment on the top floor of Eiffel Tower, elite Parisians wanted to get a taste of what it was like to live nearly 1000 feet above the ground.

Eiffel Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world at the time, offered unparalleled views of the Champs de Mars and the City of Lights. It was something even the richest Parisians could only dream of. However, Gustave ensured that no one used his apartment, apart from guests invited by him personally.

Can you rent the Eiffel Tower apartment?

Despite his death nearly a century ago, no one is still allowed to stay in Gustave Eiffel’s apartment. It has now been restored into a museum and looks exactly like how it was in the late 19th century.

Some lucky visitors did get to stay in the Eiffel Tower

In 2016, a rental site “HomeAway” used an unused space at the top of the Eiffel Tower and converted it into a second apartment for a few lucky visitors. A competition was held in the summer and the winners got to spend a night at the world’s most coveted address.

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Do i need tickets to visit the eiffel tower apartment.

No. The Eiffel Tower apartment is part of the Eiffel Tower Summit experience.

Can I stay at the apartment on top of the Eiffel Tower?

No. Gustave Eiffel's apartment is now a mini-museum and cannot be rented out.

How can I get to the Eiffel Tower Summit?

A: The Eiffel Tower Summit can only be accessed by glass-walled elevators. Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets are highly sought after and last minute bookings are generally difficult to come by.

Can I buy last minute tickets to the Eiffel Tower Summit on the day of the visit?

A: While you can book Eiffel Tower Summit Tickets online in advance, you can also try your luck at the ticket counter on the second floor on the day of your experience.

Is the security strict at the Eiffel Tower?

A: Security at the monument is strict, so remember to carry your ID cards, even for children.

How to skip the line at the Eiffel Tower?

A: The best way to skip the line at the Eiffel Tower is to prefer the stair entrance. The staircase leads to the first and second floors and the waiting time is usually less than 30 minutes.

A true son of God's Own Country, Febin comes from where the magnificent Kerala Backwaters drift. After 16 years in Kerala, he left to explore what India had to offer. He has been to almost all states of India and is always looking forward to his next trip with a semi-packed bag. If he is not traveling, you'll probably see him engrossed in PC games, Netflix or Spotify, in that order.

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There is a secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower

• Many hotel rooms and prized real estate overlook Paris’ most famous landmark
• But did you know that there’s a secret apartment at the top of the Eiffel Tower?
• While many tried to buy and rent the designer’s room at the time – the public can now tour it

Published on Dec 18, 2023 at 6:42PM (UTC+4)

• by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones

Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 3:46PM (UTC+4)

When Gustave Eiffel designed the most famous landmark in Paris, the Eiffel Tower, he included a private apartment for himself at the top.

Find out more about the little-known space in the video below:

Now that’s an enviable penthouse !

“The object of general envy” among Parisians during his lifetime, no one else was allowed access to it.

In his book La Tour de Trois Cent Métres ( The 300 Meter Tower ), author Henri Girard says Parisians offer up “a small fortune” to rent his private space for a single night.

But Eiffel consistently refused, preferring to do his work there in private with esteemed guests, including Thomas Edison according to Explorer Geo.

Unlike the steel and hard lines of the Eiffel Tower surrounding it, the pied à terre is cozy.

It has paisley wallpaper, wood furniture, and oil paintings – and the best views of Paris.

The nest, which sits 1,000 above the ground, is now open for the public to tour.

• Tags - Travel

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