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Photo: Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This iconic triumphal arch forms the focus of the main east-west road axis of Paris, running between the Louvre and the Grande Arche de la Défense in the west. The monument was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 as a tribute to his victories as Emperor of France - it was finally completed in 1836, long after his death. 50 m (150 ft) high and 45 m wide, the Arc de Triomphe is decorated with battle scenes and martial sculptures that includes La Marseillaise by Rude. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed beneath the arch in 1920, where an eternal flame burns in tribute to the French dead of both World Wars. The arch is surrounded by a large roundabout, aptly known as l'Etoile - 'the star' - with 12 thoroughfares leading off from it. Visitors can purchase a ticket to climb to the top of the arch, from where magnificent views spread out over western Paris. Admission to a small museum devoted to the history and meaning of the monument is included. The central island and the arch are accessed by an underground passage. Do not attempt to negotiate by foot the busy multi-lane road that rings the Arc de Triomphe, which many Parisian drivers seem to consider their own personal speedway.
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often simply called the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France. It is located at the western end of the Champs-Élysées, at the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle—formerly known as the "Place de l'Étoile"—named for the star-shaped configuration formed by the convergence of twelve radiating avenues. The monument is situated at the intersection of three arrondissements: the 16th, the 17th, and the 8th. Commissioned to honor those who fought and died for France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, the Arc bears the names of French victories and its generals engraved on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I, marked by an eternal flame commemorating unidentified fallen soldiers of the French Nation.
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Le Lido
The most famous cabaret celebrates spectacle revues. Children ages 4 and older are welcome. Casual elegant dress code. Coat and tie appreciated. Shorts, athletic clothing and tennis shoes are not allowed.
A striking 19th-century Russian Orthodox cathedral crowned with gilded onion domes, built for the city’s Russian community.
A Gothic Revival cathedral built in the late 19th century for the American community in Paris. Its elegant stone façade and stained-glass interior make it a distinctive and lesser-known stop near the Champs-Élysées.
For many visitors one of the must-see places in Paris is the Avenue des Champs-Elysées which was first created in 1667 by Louis XIV's gardener, Andre Le Nôtre, in order to improve the view from the Tuileries garden. This elegant and broad avenue was extended towards the end of the 18th century, now running from the place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. It is noted today as one of the most prestigious shopping boulevards of Paris.
A refined late 18th-century Neoclassical church with a calm, symmetrical interior inspired by early Christian basilicas.
Jacquemart-Andre Museum
Private collection of French, Italian, Dutch masterpieces in a typical XIXth century mansion.