Over 130,000 francs Now you can buy a piece of the Eiffel Tower - but you'll have to dig deep into your pockets to do so
You can now take a piece of the Eiffel Tower home with you: A section of the original Eiffel spiral staircase is being auctioned off in Paris. But beware - you'll not only need a big bank account, but also high ceilings.
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- On May 21, an original section of the Eiffel Tower spiral staircase, which visitors used to climb to the top, will be auctioned off in Paris. The segment comprises 14 steps dating from 1889.
- The estimated price is 120,000 to 150,000 euros (around 137,000 Swiss francs). It comes from a private collection and was restored before the auction.
- The staircase was removed during a renovation in 1983 and dismantled into around 20 parts, many of which are privately owned or in museums.
Do you love Paris and are an Eiffel Tower fan? Then there's good news: you could soon be the proud owner of a real piece of the landmark. On May 21, part of the original spiral staircase will be auctioned off in Paris - the very staircase that visitors used to climb to the top of the tower for almost a century.
The catch: it's not cheap. The auction house estimates the value at up to 150,000 euros, as reported by CNN. But in return, you get a piece of history for your home - including 14 original steps from 1889.
The staircase was replaced by elevators in 1983 as part of a major renovation of the Eiffel Tower and dismantled into several parts. Just such a section is now going under the hammer at Artcurial. The piece comes from a private collection where it has been kept for over 40 years.
The restored staircase section was completely refurbished especially for the auction. For the auction house, the sale is a rare opportunity: "It's more than just a historical object - it's a journey through time and space," says expert Sabrina Dolla.
A total of around 20 pieces of the original staircase were sold in 1983, many of which are still privately owned today. However, some pieces are also on public display - for example in museums in Paris, France and even in Japan and the USA.
Such auctions have already attracted great interest in the past. One particularly coveted piece sold for over 500,000 euros in 2016. It remains to be seen in May whether this piece will trigger a similar hype.
