Pakistan Dir Tourism Place

Distt- Dir is Situated in the West North of Swat, It is a Small Distrect but God Bless this area with natural beauty. The above Picture shows one of the Village of Lower Dir, "Shahzadi Bala". The place is very beautiful and eye catching of Tourists but due to some Govt-Problems there is lack of facilities to Tourists. Now the local people are promoting the area for attracting tourists.

Kalam The Beautiful Place Pakistan

Kalam is situated in the North of Vally Swat. The Boundries of Kalam Touches Distt- Dir in the North. It is a eye catching Place and rich of Natural Beauty. This is a Place of Tourism Specially in Summer. In Winter the Valley is Covered with Snow and so it is called the off season of Tourists.

IS PAKISTAN SAFE FOR TOURISM?

Are you kidding? Most travelers would rank Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan as the most dangerous places to visit on earth. The British government advises it's citizens to avoid all travel to parts of Pakistan because "[t]here is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan. Attacks could be indiscriminate including at places frequented by expatriates and foreign travelers." And they get very specific:

• 25 January 2011 marks Arba’een (Chehlum) which commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the battle of Karbala. Shi’a Muslims observe the day by holding large processions to signify the end of the 40 day period of mourning. In the past Sunni Islamic extremist elements have targeted these processions and it is anticipated that there may be an increase in terrorist attacks against minority communities in Pakistan over this period. You should remain vigilant and avoid any processions, public gatherings and crowded areas.

• We advise against all travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the areas of Peshawar, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki and Dera Ismail Khan. We advise against travel to the city of Peshawar and districts south of the city. The Pakistani military is conducting ongoing operations against militants across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Federally Adminstered Tribal Areas (FATA) .

• We advise against all travel to Northern and Western Balochistan and advise against all but essential travel to Quetta and parts of Interior Sindh to the north of Nawabshah.

• We advise against all travel to Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir, including travel on the Peshawar to Chitral road via the Lowari Pass. In these areas there are ongoing reports of military or militant activity. Localised curfews may be imposed at short notice.

• We advise against all but essential travel to the Kalesh Valley, the Bamoboret Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. These areas have seen an increase in militant activity recently which has included abductions, violent armed robbery and murder.

• We advise against all but essential travel to Lahore, due to the recent increase in terrorist attacks in the city. Staff at the British High Commission in Islamabad and the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi are not allowed to travel to Lahore for recreational purposes.

• There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan. See Safety and Security - Terrorism & Sectarian Violence.

• The Pakistani authorities are also concerned about the threat to foreigners of kidnapping.

• If you are intending to travel to Pakistan, even if you are a regular visitor with family links, you should follow the developing situation in the news media and consult FCO Travel Advice regularly. You should also register with the British High Commission and take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.

The U.S. State Department put Pakistan on it's list of countries to avoid in July and emphasizes the presence of Al-Qaida, Taliban elements, and indigenous militant sectarian groups that pose a potential danger to U.S. citizens throughout Pakistan, especially in the western border regions of the country.

Terrorists and their sympathizers regularly attack civilian, government, and foreign targets, particularly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPk) province. The Government of Pakistan has heightened security measures, particularly in the major cities. Threat reporting indicates terrorist groups continue to seek opportunities to attack locations where U.S. citizens and Westerners are known to congregate or visit, such as shopping areas, hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of worship, schools, or outdoor recreation events. In recent incidents, terrorists have disguised themselves as Pakistani security forces personnel to gain access to targeted areas. Some media reports have recently falsely identified U.S. diplomats-- and to a lesser extent U.S. journalists and NGO workers-- as being intelligence operatives or private security personnel.

I drove through the Khyber Pass from Afghanistan into Pakistan in 1969 and back the other way two years later. I didn't like the vibe and I couldn't wait to get to India so I drove through as fast as I could and saw very little of the country. Pakistan has been, for as long as I can remember, tourism's "next big thing." But I never really gave it a chance and I now consider that as a missed opportunity. Because I'm sure as hell not thinking about going back any time in this lifetime. Lonely Planet tries to paint an alluring picture without actually misleading anyone:

It’s a destination that has so much to offer visitors; drive the Karakoram Highway through the endless peaks of the Karakoram Mountains, or wander through the architectural glories of the former Mughal capital Lahore, the ancient bazaars of Quetta or the cosmopolitan streets of Karachi. But every time the country seems to be gearing up to refresh the palates of travellers jaded with last year’s hip destination, world media headlines send things off the rails – again. No matter the attractions, tourism in Pakistan has always been something of a hard sell. A glance at the map shows the country living in a pretty difficult region: always-unruly Afghanistan to one side, Iran to another, and a border with India running through the 60-year-old fault line of Kashmir. But since the events of 9/11, Western pundits have increasingly been wondering if Pakistan isn’t just living in a tough neighbourhood, it is the tough neighbourhood.

Yesterday I wrote at length about the similarities between the murder of Punjab Governor Salaam Taseer and the tragic massacre in Tucson around the attempted assassination of Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords within days of each other. Both inspired by violent, primitive, extremist factional leaders, Qari Hanif Qureshi in Pakistan and Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin in the U.S.

The Global Peace Index ranks 149 countries in terms of safety from New Zealand, Iceland, Japan, Austria and Norway as the top 5 and Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq as the bottom five. Although Arizona isn't ranked, the U.S. overall is considered far safer than Pakistan at this point. The U.S. comes in at #85, less safe than Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Laos, Greece, Sierra Leone, Morocco, for example, but safer than Bangladesh, Uganda, Mexico, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Armenia, North Korea, Haiti or Serbia.

Tourism Place "Dudipatsar Beautiful Part Of Pakistan"

This is the way back from Dudipatsar.Very still and calm nature no humans still there to disturb the natural environment.

Shogram The Nothern Area of Pakistan

The best picture shows the Shogram Valley of Pakistan. It is so beautiful valley which is situated in the Nothern Areas of Pakistan. God bless Pakistan such a beautiful places for catching the eyes of Tourism.

Nothern Areas Pakistan Deosai Plan Review

Deosai means the "Land of Giants". It is the second highest pleatue in the world after Tibet. The True beauty of Himalayas is visible everywhere around Deosai, Pakistan.It is also the home to the endangered Himalayan Brown Bears. Almost 19 bears lived there in 90's and now the population has increased to almost 24. The view here is taken at Sheosar Lake in Deosai.

PEACH FESTIVAL IN KALAM SWAT REVEIWS

A festival marking return of peace to Swat valley continued in Mingora, a similar event got under way in Kalam with a car rally on Sunday. Kalam Festival is starting from July 11, 2010 as Swat peace Mela continued with active participation of visitors from all over the country. Swat Hotels Association and Pakistan Army has arranged the peace festivals in collaboration with the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority (PaRRSA) to celebrate restoration of peace and promote tourism that suffered a lot during the almost three years of militancy.

Along all major roads in the valley, especially along those leading to the festival venues, the organisers set up counters to assist tourists from within and outside the valley.

Kalam festival will continue till July 18 along with festive activities in other parts of Swat valley like Mingora Grassy Ground, Kanju, Fizzagat and Marghuzar. The festival has succeeded to a great extent in attracting tourists, as hotel occupancy in Mingora, Fizzagat, etc remained 20 to 25 percent while in Kalam it is up to 40 percent

In collaboration with the district government of Swat and provincial disaster management authority, the army has organised the festival to help revive tourism in the once conflict-hit area.

The eight-day festival in Kalam would have musical night, Basant, industrial and cultural exhibition, peace rally, mushaira, puppet show, Sufi dance, car rally, cricket and volleyball tournaments and paragliding. The government and the people of Swat believe it will go a long way in reviving tourism in Swat.

The security in Swat has improved alot. The military has reduced the number of checkpoints on the main road to Kalam from nearly two dozens to only one at Charbagh. The visitors are also required to register before entering Kalam.

Pictures of SWAT, A beautiful place on earth:

TOURISM SLOWLY RESURFACING IN SWAT VALLEY

View of the White Palace, a tourist resort, in the Marghazar valley in Swat. photo: Fazal Khaliq

SWAT: Before the insurgency in Swat, tourists of many nationalities would visit Swat to enjoy the picturesque views and calming effect of the valley.

Places like Madyan, Bahrain and Kalam valley would be flooded with tourists from all over the world, but all this changed after the Taliban took over the region.

To make matters worse, the floods washed away roads and homes, leaving the valley disconnected from the rest of the country.

With most the roads in Swat washed away, the Marghazar valley was the only place that was accessible to tourists. Famous for the Sufaid Mahal (White Palace), now a tourist resort, built in 1941 by Miangul Abdul Wadood, the valley was visited by many tourists this Eidul Azha.

The white marble of the palace was brought in from Bhopal and the palace was designed by Victorian architects. Nearly 14 kilometers away from Mingora, parts of the palace were destroyed in the recent floods that hit the region.

The valley attracts tourists for its majestic beauty and serenity, where high peak mountains surround a stream flowing form the Elum hill in a coiled approach.

A Large number of tourists on Eid day could be seen sitting along the crystal clear water of the stream sipping hot tea while some were enjoying a meal with their families up in the green hills.

Shaukat Sharar, an architect and social activist of the area, sitting along the stream said, “We only live once so we need to enjoy life to the fullest. People here are full of life and are resilient.”

The valley was so full of people that it was difficult to get through the crowd and cars were stuck in traffic jams for hours on end. The markets were full of life while local people were seen selling and haggling with potential customers light heartedly.

Restaurants were brimming with people who were enjoying the food and scenic views.

Umar Hayat, a resident of the valley and sells walnuts, told The Express Tribune, “With the grace of Allah our business is now very good; when people come to the valley it adds to our incomes.

“I have been selling walnuts that grow in this valley; I used to earn Rs 2,500 to 3,000 a day before the insurgency but then everyone stopped coming here, these days I can earn up to Rs 800.”

Marghazar valley offers beautiful views to tourists and was host to thousands of people this Eid. The local people have appealed to the government to help rehabilitate the region so they can once again develop their tourism industry and earn higher incomes.

The insurgency left the people of Swat demoralised and burdened but they showed resilience and are ready to bring their lives back on track.

Swat Valley The Beautiful Place

I am very fond of travelling and I love to explore new places. Visiting different places is my hob by and my father always helps me in arranging trips despite his busy schedule. I have seen many places in Pakistan but the trip to Swat valley is nothing less than a beautiful dream for me. Today I wish to share with you an interesting and enthusiastic journey to the beautiful Swat valley. My excitement knew no bounds when I learned that we were going to Swat. To add fun and to lessen our tension, we planned to travel in our own car.

We started our journey at 5:00am from our city Layyah, in southern Punjab. After an exhausting journey, we reached Kohat, a city in NWFP, to pick my younger brother from Cadet College Kohat. We then proceeded towards Peshawar, the capital of NWFP.
We reached Peshawar at 3:00 in the afternoon, and proceeded to the hotel. The next day we resumed our journey to Swat valley. Our first stay was in Mingora, a small city of Swat valley. On the way we passed from the cities of Chasadda, Mardan, Dargai, Bat Khela and Bari Kot.

Besides being a beautiful valley, Swat is historically interesting as well. It offers hundreds of archaeological sites spanning 5000 years of history. For the sportsman and trekkers, it offers good fishing and hiking opportunities.

Saidu Sharif and Mingora are twin towns, two kilometres apart. Saidu Sharif is the administrative capital of Swat division while Mingora is the district headquarters and main bazaar area. Both are 990m above sea level.

We reached Mingora after a five-hour drive, and proceeded towards the hotel, which is at a distance of 2km from the main city. The hotel itself was very beautiful and worth seeing building. The building was very old, built in the 19th century. The hotel has a small zoo and some shops of its own. We had lunch there and then I went out with my mother to buy some items from the shops.

We spent the whole day there and the next day we went out for our next point, Kalam. On the way to Kalam, we saw Swat Museum which is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. The museum is a worth seeing place for visitors especially for history lovers.Mingora’s main market is a nice place for shopping. It’s just like shopping malls in big cities like Karachi and Lahore.Afterwards, we visited Islampur, which is a village two kilometres off the main Saidu-Marghazar road, where visitors can see handloom weaving and buy hand-woven shawls and blankets.

At 12:00 noon, we reached Kalam. On the way to Kalam, a road turned to the most important ski-resort of Pakistan, Malam Jabba. We reached there after a three-hour drive from Mingora. The road of Malam was very dangerous for driving, especially for untrained drivers. I was very scared during the whole journey to Malam Jabba.

The next point or small town on the way to Kalam is Khwazakhela, which is about 30 km from Mingora on the east bank of Swat River. Khwazakhela is the largest commercial centre in this part of the valley. From there the view of Swat River is too beautiful.After that we reached Miandam — a small summer resort at 1,800 metres, 10 kilometres up, a steep side valley and 56 kilometres from Saidu Sharif. This is a good place for walkers. The most attractive thing for visitors is the orchards of apples, pears, honey and other fruits.

Another resort we visited was Madyan. It is a tourist resort on the Swat River. At 1,321m above the sea level, it is not as cool as Miandam, but it expands over a large area and has many shops. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery and carved wooden items are sold along the main street.North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard.

From Madyan, we went to Bahrain, which is 10 kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at above 1, 400 metres. It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. It is about 29 kilometres away from Kalam. The road was dangerous, so we hired a taxi from Bahrain and left our car at the taxi stand there. Then we started our journey to Kalam. We reached Kalam in one hour. We saw many waterfalls on the way to Kalam and I captured most of them in my camera. Kalam is about 2,000 metres above sea level and the valley provides rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. We reached there in the evening and checked in a hotel. As our hotel was situated in the main market, after having dinner, I went to the bazaar with my father. We came back at 11:00pm and went to sleep.

The next day we planned to go to Ushu River, I had heard that the place was very beautiful but the way to the river was very dangerous, as after Kalam there was no metallic road, but I persuaded my family to go there at the cost of our lives.We hired a jeep and went for Ushu River and a waterfall there. Thank God we didn’t meet any accident in our whole journey.

Beyond Kalam the road divides. A dirt road follows the Ushu and Utrot rivers. All was going well, but we all were afraid as well as thrilled which increased the fun of the journey. Anyways after an hour, we reached at a glacier. There we spent some time and then decided to go back to avoid further risk of the dangerous journey. We came back to our hotel in the same jeep.

This ended our beautiful journey and the next day we departed for our hometown bringing with us the beautiful memories of the Swat valley. ?

Gulistan-e-Johar (Karachi Pakistan)

The area has around 2,500 residential flats divided into four main categories: A, B, C and D. Economically, it is considered one of the best places in Karachi to live for the middle and lower-middle classes, although most of the flats are rather dilapidated. All the shops are in Commercial Phase of Rabia City, which are equally divided into three phases, i.e., Commercial I, Commercial II and Commercial III.

Federal B Area/ Gulberg (Karachi Pakistan)

If you drive through Federal-B-Area today, you may not be very impressed at first sight due to "Urban Decay". But the locality has seen its glory days. The best part about the locality is that it is one of the planned localities of the city and has the huge potential to improve.

KDA Scheme 33 (Karachi Pakistan)

Karachi is expanding very rapidly. Scheme 33 is the best place to be in Karachi as it is located between Super Highway and University Road. Almost all important facilities including Schools and Hospitals are present in the area. Karachi University is just next to it.

PECHS (Society Rsidancial Area best Tourism)

Developed in 1960s during Ayub Khan tenure, PECHS is one of the best planned localities of Karachi. It gives the touch of being in the city of Islamabad with roads as wide as in Islamabad, its greenery and area architecture. Its close proximity to Central Karachi, Presence of the largest shopping district; the Tariq road; Parks such as Hill Park and the Jheel Park makes this area perfect to live in.

Defence Housing Authority (Tourism Risidance)

DHA has the reputation of being the best planned and the expensive community in the whole of Pakistan. Almost all retail chains, restaurants, clubs are present in the area. Sea Views makes DHA Karachi unique versus other DHA's across Pakistan. Best places in the area include Golf Club, Creek Club, Area 51 and Carlton Hotel.

Muhammad Ali Society (MACHS) Risidential Area of Tourism

Located near the City Center, MACHS is another best place to live in the city of Karachi. The presence of entertainment facilities like the Arena, Aga Khan University hospital, Expo Center, National Stadium, Large Parks & Lakes make this area perfect to live in. Its proximity to the Airport and Sharah-e-Faisal are another plus points.

Clifton (Karachi Pakistan)

Despite problems caused by the Tankers Mafia, Clifton is constantly rated as the top residential area in Karachi to live in. The reason: 1) It is of course located in the downtown area and is the only poshest neighborhood of karachi, 2) its proximity to II Chundrigar road and other business streets, 3) Presence of almost all kinds of institutions, businesses, retail chains, excellent health facilities, schools, parks, consulates etc. 4) Presence of the Beach.

Tuscany Beautiful City of Itly

It is another popular city of Italy and one of the most beautiful tourist destinations. This city is well-known for the great work done by painters, sculptors and architects such as that of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. So it can be proved to be the greatest place for art loving people.

Uffizi Gallery: This gallery is in Florence that has magnificent paintings by Tiziano, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello, Rubens and other famous and renowned painters.

Tower of Pisa: This is the most popular and worth-seeing tower. It began to lean on a side soon after its construction. That’s why it is also called leaning tower of Pisa. However it was repaired and opened for general public. More interestingly, it had honor of being one of the seven wonders of world.

Venice

Venice is the most popular and well-known city of Italy as it has beautiful canals and gondolas to attract a large number of tourists. The most beautiful thing which you should never miss in your tour to Venice is the Grand Canal Venice.

Siena

It is another city which is famous for its pizzas including Pizza del Campo.

Other tourists’ attractions include:

• St. Peter’s Square
• Pantheon
• Dolomite Mountains
• Costa Smeralda
• Sicily and Sardinia Islands

Capital City- Rome (Worth Seeing Places)

Italy is included in those countries of the world which attract millions of tourists every year which has made Italy the most popular travel destination in Europe. The reason is quite clear. Italy has a large number of tourists’ attractions including cultural attractions, ancient monuments, spectacular cathedrals and churches and wonderful sculptures. The country is also gifted with beautiful coasts, stunning mountains and lakes. A tour to Italy can surely be full of thrill and fun. Here a description of some cities and places is given which are truly worth-seeing and you should never miss them while planning your tour to Italy.

Capital City- Rome

This city of Italy has a number of well-known places that magnetize the tourists. Some renowned attractions in Rome include:

The Colosseum: It was inaugurated for gladiator fights but now it is open for all where you can go and see its enormous structure.

Fontana De Trevi: It is another tourists’ favorite place. It is quite interesting as it is said that whoever will throw a stone in Fontana De Trevi, will come to Rome one more time.

Vatican City: It is an independent state of Rome having a large number of tourists attractions including St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museum and the famous Sistine Chapel.

Duomo of Milan: Rome has another very important tourist destination named Duomo of Milan which is the largest gothic structure in Italy. It is popular because it is the second last largest cathedral in world.

Bora Bora (Society Islands of French Polynesia)

Bora Bora is an island in the Leeward group of the Society Islands of French Polynesia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.The island, located about 230 kilometres (140 mi) northwest of Papeete, is surrounded by a lagoon and a barrier reef. In the center of the island are the remnants of an extinct volcano rising to two peaks, Mount Pahia and Mount Otemanu, the highest point at 727 metres (2,385 ft).

The original name of the island in the Tahitian language might be better rendered as Pora Pora, meaning "First Born"; an early transcription found in 18th- and 19th century accounts, is Bolabolla.

Bora Bora island is possibly the single most famous island in all the world. The legends, mysteries, and romance associated with the words "Bora Bora" bring an almost mystical presence to the island.

Bora bora is truly an experience worth having. A wonderfully relaxing place to be as well as a great island for you to experience, your Bora Bora vacation will never be forgotten.

Other pictures of Bora Bora.

Trafalgar Square (London An Elegant Place in UK)

London is the capital and most important city in UK. It has both ancient and modern places which are enough to make the visitors spell- bound. London has now become an international city that has all the things which a modern and global city requires. All aspects of life are found here in London including education, entertainment, media, healthcare fashion, strong infrastructure and well-established tourism industry. Due to this, London always remains crowded with tourists. There are a lot of places to visit in London both olden and modern. If you have never been to London before, then have a look on this article to know about must see places and attractions in London and then plan a tour to London.

Trafalgar Square

Trafalgar Square, made in 1830, is a popular place that is used for political meetings. The most fascinating thing which makes Trafalgar Square a must see place are countless pigeons found there. If you had a chance to visit London, you must have seen tourists feeding those pigeons. Locals and tourists come here every year on 31^stDecember to rejoice new year night.

London Eye Beautiful Tourism Place

It is a worth-visiting place and should be a part of your plan while visiting London. This mind blowing attraction is based on the bank of River Thames. It has the honor of being the biggest observation wheel that completes one full circle in half an hour giving you an opportunity to have a magnificent view of London.

Tower Bridge England

It has become an identification of London and the most visited place. It is a unique bridge having two draw-bridges. They are raised with electric motors taking only ninety seconds. Standing on this bridge, you can have a beautiful view.

Buckingham Palace England

Buckingham Palace is the official residence of queen. During Annual Summer Opening, its rooms are opened for tourists and visitors. In case you miss to visit the rooms then there is another appealing thing for you. You can enjoy watching guard changing ceremony which takes place on particular and scheduled days. Make a plan to watch this ceremony after gathering complete information about the schedule of this ceremony.

British Museum Best Reviews

In British Museum, you will find the treasures brought by the soldiers from far-away shores. This museum boasts of to have the earliest known picture of Christ. Never forget to see the Greek and Egyptian ancient treasures there in the museum.

Madame Tussauds Wax Museum

It is a museum in London which has its other branches in major cities. It is a museum that has wax statues of world famous celebrities and sports personalities. It is a wonderful experience to visit this museum.

That were some of the most popular tourists destinations in London city but there are lot more things that are worth-seeing and commendable.

The Eiffel Tower (The Tallest Building in Paris)

The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River in Paris. The tower has become a global icon of France and is one of the most recognizable structures in the world.

Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, the Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris. More than 200,000,000 have visited the tower since its construction in 1889, including 6,719,200 in 2006, making it the most visited paid monument in the world. Including the 24 m (79 ft) antenna, the structure is 325 m (1,063 ft) high (since 2000), which is equivalent to about 81 levels in a conventional building.

When the tower was completed in 1889 it was the world's tallest tower — a title it retained until 1930 when New York City's Chrysler Building (319m —1,047 ft tall) was completed. The tower is now the fifth-tallest structure in France and the tallest structure in Paris, with the second-tallest being the Tour Montparnasse (210 m — 689 ft), although that will soon be surpassed by Tour AXA (225.11 m — 738.36 ft).

The metal structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tonnes while the entire structure including non-metal components is approximately 10,000 tonnes. Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower may shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7 in) because of thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun. The tower also sways 6–7 cm (2–3 in) in the wind.

As demonstration of the economy of design, if the 7300 tonnes of the metal structure were melted down it would fill the 125 meter square base to a depth of only 6 cm (2.36 in), assuming a density of the metal to be 7.8 tonnes per cubic meter. The tower has a mass less than the mass of the air contained in a cylinder of the same dimensions, that is 324 meters high and 88.3 meters in radius. The weight of the tower is 10,100 tonnes compared to 10,265 tonnes of air.

The first and second levels are accessible by stairways and lifts. A ticket booth at the south tower base sells tickets to access the stairs which begin at that location. At the first platform the stairs continue up from the east tower and the third level summit is only accessible by lift. From the first or second platform the stairs are open for anyone to ascend or descend regardless of whether they have purchased a lift ticket or stair ticket.

The actual count of stairs includes 9 steps to the ticket booth at the base, 328 steps to the first level, 340 steps to the second level and 18 steps to the lift platform on the second level. When exiting the lift at the third level there are 15 more steps to ascend to the upper observation platform. The step count is printed periodically on the side of the stairs to give an indication of progress of ascent. The majority of the ascent allows for an unhindered view of the area directly beneath and around the tower although some short stretches of the stairway are enclosed.

Maintenance of the tower includes applying 50 to 60 tonnes of paint every seven years to protect it from rust. In order to maintain a uniform appearance to an observer on the ground, three separate colors of paint are used on the tower, with the darkest on the bottom and the lightest at the top. On occasion the colour of the paint is changed; the tower is currently painted a shade of brownish-grey.

On the first floor there are interactive consoles hosting a poll for the colour to use for a future session of painting. The co-architects of the Eiffel Tower are Emile Nouguier, Maurice Koechlin and Stephen Sauvestre.via

Other pictures of Eiffel Tower.