This secret apartment may not have all the luxury amenities expected in a real French apartment, but it definitely has the best view of Paris…
Secret apartments hidden at the top of the Eiffel Tower
During his lifetime, Gustave Eiffel was the “object of universal envy” of Parisians, and not only for his exceptional talent in creating one of the most famous monuments of all time. The engineer was envied because he had his own apartment at the very top of the tower, access to which was allowed only to a close circle of his friends.
Secret apartments on the Eiffel Tower
In 1889, when the construction of the tower was completed, Eiffel arranged for himself a secret apartment on the third tier at an altitude of more than 300 m above the Champ de Mars. During the engineer’s lifetime, the small apartments were furnished with wooden furniture and upholstered with brightly patterned wallpaper, and there was a grand piano in the middle of the room. The apartment also had a small laboratory area, which Eiffel equipped with the most modern scientific equipment of the time.
The secret apartments of the Eiffel Tower
In his writings, French author Georges Arnault wrote that Parisians were even willing to sacrifice a “small fortune” to rent a room for one night, but Eiffel constantly refused all offers. However, from time to time he still hosted some “prestigious” guests.In particular, the American inventor Thomas Edison was a frequent guest in the apartment.
Wax figures of Gustave Eiffel and Thomas Edison in Eiffel’s apartment
Unlike the steel structures and rigid lines of the scientific miracle in which the apartments are enclosed, it is quite cozy and romantic inside – remember only the wallpaper with the Paisley pattern (woven drawings imitating the patterns of kashmir shawls) and oil paintings hung on the walls.
Modern reconstruction of the cabinet
This apartment, where Eiffel apparently never spent the night, has since turned into a zone of technical premises. The engineer’s office was recreated in its original form and opened to the general public. Wax sculptures of Gustave Eiffel, his daughter Claire and Thomas Edison are also on display in the room. This scene serves as a reminder of how the famous inventor visited Paris in 1889 and presented Eiffel with one of the first sound recording devices ever created.
Secret apartments on the Eiffel Tower, Paris
Eiffel Tower – top view
Eiffel Tower – Sunset view
