Sacré bleu: The Eiffel Tower has just grown.
The iconic French landmark, located in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, was fitted with a new digital radio antenna this week to bring the overall height to 1,083ft.
The TDF antenna, which is just under 20ft tall, was installed atop the tower on Tuesday morning using a helicopter. It was installed with the aim of improving coverage and broadcasting in the capital.
A helicopter helped install the new antenna.
Isa Harsin/AP
“This new antenna will improve the quality of digital radio coverage in Paris and the Île-de-France region,” a statement said. “The device joins the dozens of other antennas that allow TDF to broadcast nearly 30 DTT channels and 32 radio stations to 12 million people in Île-de-France within a radius of nearly 80 km around the Eiffel Tower.”
Of course, this is not the first time that the tower has contributed to major innovations in radio and television. It’s not the first time he’s pushed either. First erected in 1889, the Eiffel Tower, or “300m tower” as it was known, was originally topped by a tall flagpole and stood 1,024 feet tall. It was the tallest man-made structure in the world for about 41 years until the Chrysler Building in New York won the title in 1930.
The Eiffel Tower now measures 1,083 feet.
Isa Harsin/AP
In 1924, Parisians swapped the flag pole for television antennas and meteorological equipment. Then, in 1957, new dishes and live broadcast transmitters were installed to bring the tower’s overall height to 1,050 feet. The historic monument grew again in 2000 when an Ultra High Frequency antenna was added to the tower to raise it to 1,063 feet. The Eiffel Tower is now roughly the same height as an 81-story building and a good 37 feet over the Chrysler Building.
The good news is that you can easily take a trip across the pond to see the tallest Eiffel Tower in person. France recently eased its border restrictions for American tourists, allowing both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers to visit. The country has also lifted mask rules and suspended its vaccination pass. Looks like spring in Paris is in the cards.
