Here's Why the Eiffel Tower Is 20 Feet Taller Now

And it's not because the iconic landmark had an overnight growth spurt.

Catarina Belova/Shutterstock
Catarina Belova/Shutterstock
At the age of 135, the Eiffel Tower has grown another 20 feet, bringing its height to 1082.68 feet, according to CNN. The change in height isn't because the tower has new decoration; instead, a new digital radio antenna was fixed to the top of the tower on March 29.

This isn't the first time the tower has been used to assist in some telecommunication. The Eiffel Tower was actually first used as a transmitter back in 1899. It even helped with communication for the French military during World War I. So while the antenna might be new, this is not some great desecration of one of the world's most iconic tourist attractions. It's more like a continued advancement of one of its original functions.

Installing the new antenna didn't leave the tower out of commission for long. According to Reuters, it took just 10 minutes for a helicopter to lower the antenna to the top of the tower and for workers to secure it. If you've got plans to visit the City of Light soon, you'll be able to check out the new, taller Eiffel Tower without any issues related to this new update.

Still in the process of planning your trip? Check out Thrillist's coverage on all the affordable ways you can fly to Paris this year.

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Opheli Garcia Lawler is a staff writer at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.