Champs-Élysées & Arc de Triomphe★★
The Avenue des Champs-Élysées is considered the "most beautiful street in the world" — a title historically justified, even if the 1.9 km long boulevard is now more dominated by chain stores, fast-food restaurants, and flagship stores than by the elegance of past centuries. Nevertheless: The view from the Arc de Triomphe down over the avenue trees to the obelisk on the Place de la Concorde (and beyond to the Louvre) remains one of the grandest city views in Europe.
The Arc de Triomphe (1836, 50 m high) is Napoleon's tribute to his armies. Under the arch burns the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (solemn ceremony every evening at 6:30 pm). The terrace on the roof offers a 12-ray star view — the twelve avenues radiating from Place Charles de Gaulle are a geometric marvel from above. The ascent: 284 steps up a spiral staircase (no elevator).
At the lower end of the Champs-Élysées lies the Place de la Concorde, the largest square in Paris: Here stood the guillotine of the Revolution, here Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette were executed. Today, the 3,300-year-old Obelisk of Luxor (a gift from Egypt in 1836) and two monumental fountains dominate. Adjacent: the Jardin des Tuileries (free, ideal for strolling) and the Grand Palais (reopened after renovation in 2025, changing blockbuster exhibitions).
💡 Tipp
Avoid the restaurants directly on the Champs-Élysées — overpriced and mediocre. The Arc de Triomphe is particularly impressive when illuminated in the evening, and it's quieter on the terrace then. Access is via an underpass (do not run across the roundabout!).
