Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe stands at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris's 8th arrondissement, at the western end of the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, where twelve avenues meet in a star pattern. Commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to honour the French armies and completed in 1836, the 50-metre monument is covered in reliefs and sculpture, including the Departure of the Volunteers of 1792, known as La Marseillaise, by François Rude. Beneath the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from the First World War, where an eternal flame is rekindled every evening at 18:30 in a ceremony by veterans' associations. Visitors reach the arch through a pedestrian underpass, as crossing the traffic circle at street level is not permitted. Inside, a stairway of 284 steps climbs to a small museum on the attic level and then to the rooftop terrace, which has panoramic views along the Champs-Élysées toward the Louvre and the Tuileries, west toward La Défense and its Grande Arche, and over the Eiffel Tower to the south. A visit takes 45 minutes to an hour and a half. Crowds are heaviest at midday and on weekends, with evening visits popular for the illuminated city view and for the sunset. The best photo angles are from the rooftop, looking down the Champs-Élysées, and from the Avenue de la Grande Armée, which frames the arch in line with the Grande Arche at La Défense. Early morning and weekday visits are the calmest, and the arch is closed during major ceremonies, including on 11 November and 14 July. The monument stands in the middle of a 12-lane roundabout, which is also the site of the finish of the Tour de France and the start point for many national parades, including the Bastille Day procession. Around the arch, the Champs-Élysées, Avenue Foch and Avenue de la Grande Armée lead off in different directions, and the Métro station beneath has exits that bring visitors up directly into the underpass, making orientation straightforward.