Champs-Elysées - Etoile - Concorde
Now it is the turn of the well-to-do districts lined with their affluent avenues. The mythical Champs-Elysées presents an unforgettable perspective stretching from the Arc de Triomphe to Concorde. Formerly devoted to luxury and prestige, little by little, the famous avenue has become a cosmopolitan promenade, a meeting place for tourists, shopaholics and partygoers.
In the beginning, Kings and Emperors
At the end of the 17th century, the landscape designer, Le Nôtre, redesigned the Tuileries Gardens and extended his central tree-lined alley westwards. In 1709, this became the “Champs-Elysées” in reference to the Elysian Fields, the final resting place for heroes in the Underworld of Greek mythology. Place de la Concorde was built at the end of the 18th century at the extreme south-eastern point of the Champs-Elysées: an area of 84,000m² in tribute to Louis XV… its name was later changed to Place de la Révolution – where Marie-Antoinette was guillotined – but regained its name of Place de la Concorde as a sign of peace. Since 1836, it has been the site for the obelisk offered to France by Egypt.
At the other end of the avenue stands the work of Napoléon I. After the victory of Austerlitz in 1806, the Emperor commissioned the construction of the Arc de Triomphe, completed 30 years later. In 1840, Haussman redesigned Place de l’Etoile where many roads meet, giving it its star shape. With its gardens, redesigned in 1994, today, the Champs-Elysées is part of the “Voie Triomphale” which passes through western Paris from the Louvre to the towers of the business district of La Défense.
Descending the Champs-Elysées from Etoile
From the top of the Arc de Triomphe, it is possible to see the wide line of the Champs-Elysées descending towards Concorde and a panoramic view of the entire capital. Both major tourist sites, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées are also greatly loved by Parisians; this is where, together, they have celebrated the great moments in their national life: free Paris welcomed General de Gaulle there in August 1944, and, on a entirely different note, there the crowds celebrated the victory of the French team in the French World Cup in 1998.
Measuring 1.9km long and 71m wide, for many years, the Champs-Elysées was a centre for luxury brands. Some are still present, refusing to give up this prestigious international showcase. Airline companies and car manufacturers also present themselves on “the most beautiful avenue in the world”. But, the “Champs”, as the Parisians refer to it, is also home to cheaper brand names, fast-food restaurants and cinemas which are always packed. Extremely busy and popular, the Champs lives all night long because many of the shops close their doors very late – some not even at all– and the nightclubs attract many clubbers.
From the museums to Concorde
Delightfully bucolic, the bottom of the Champs-Elysées is lined with beautiful English-style gardens. Some theatres and famous restaurants can be found here, as well as the palace built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, today, turned into major museums. The Petit Palais is home to Paris Museum of Fine Arts and, below the impressive glass roof of the Grand Palais, temporary major exhibitions are presented. In the Grand Palais, science lovers may also visit the Palais de la Découverte.
The alleys of the Champs-Elysées lined with horse chestnuts open out on to the huge Place de la Concorde where cars rule. In continual motion, nevertheless, from its centre, Concorde does offer a remarkable panorama of the open perspective along the Champs. Watched over by the obelisk and the facade of the prestigious Hotel Crillon, Concorde opens out on to the Seine, with the National Assembly building lying on the opposite bank.