Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the top of the Champs-Elysees, a monumental triumphal arch commissioned by Napoleon to honour the armies of France, carved with great reliefs and sheltering the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and its eternal flame. Its rooftop terrace gives a superb view down the twelve grand avenues that radiate from it like a star.

Background

Jean-François Chalgrin designed the arch in 1806, taking the Arch of Titus in Rome as his model, and building began on 15 August 1806. Laying the foundations alone took two years. After Chalgrin died in 1811, Louis-Robert Goust took over, work stopped until 1823, and Jean-Nicolas Huyot and finally Guillaume-Abel Blouet saw it through to its inauguration on 28 July 1836, at a reported cost of about 10 million francs. The arch is 49.54 metres high, 44.82 metres wide and 22.21 metres deep. It was the tallest triumphal arch until Mexico City's Monument to the Revolution was completed in 1938. It anchors the Axe historique, which runs from the Louvre courtyard to the Grande Arche de la Défense.

Source: Wikipedia, "Arc de Triomphe"

What's there

• The arch and reliefs - the monumental arch and its sculpted battle scenes.
• The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - the memorial and eternal flame beneath.
• The rooftop view - the panorama down the twelve radiating avenues.
• The Champs-Elysees - the grand avenue leading down toward the Louvre.

When to go

Year-round; a clear day or dusk for the rooftop view down the avenues, with the Eiffel Tower sparkling in the distance after dark. The flame is rekindled each evening in a ceremony.

Good to know

Reaching it means an underpass, not crossing the chaotic traffic circle, and the rooftop is a climb of many stairs. The rooftop charges and can queue. The view down the avenues is the highlight.

Nearby

The Champs-Elysees leads to the Tuileries and Louvre; the Eiffel Tower is a short ride.

Key facts