Was the Eiffel Tower safe, likely to collapse of its own weight, blow over in a storm, or sink, or tilt? Would its shade destroy gardens? Would its presence blight not only the skyline, but also destroy property values? And then there were the aesthetes in high dudgeon. There was a fair bit of drama swirling around the Eiffel Tower from the very beginning.

Her storied past is one reason more than 7 million visitors every year make the pilgrimage to see her for themselves. But I believe it’s her beguiling beauty that is the reason 300 million tourists over the decades have made her Paris’ top attraction, many returning or waiting to visit after sunset, because the Eiffel Tower today is the world’s premier light show.