Champs Elysees :

The Charming Chateau Frontenac Hotel is close to the Champs Elysees and The "Lido de Paris".
The 8th arrondissement contains the beautiful neighbourhoods which spread out as branches from the Place de l'Etoile . This square, renamed Place Charles de Gaulle , the crossroads of 3 arrondissements, is very frequented thanks to the Arc de Triomphe erected in honour of the Napoleonic armies . The most beautiful avenue in the world, the Avenue des Champs Elysees , also starts at this big square. There is a surge of tourists all day long on this big avenue which lives to the rhythm of businessmen and luxury shops . It is the most expensive neighbourhood of Paris , mainly frequented by a privileged social class. But you can also relax, in one of the two most famous cabarets of Paris : the Lido and the Crazy Horse or the Chateau Frontenac Hotel.

The Champs Elysees are also greatly appreciated for their cultural aspect, with the Palais de la Decouverte which will make you appreciate science, but also with the Grand and Petit Palais , witnesses of the great era, which house numerous exhibitions. This little cultural trip in the area of the Champs Elysees can end at the Theatre des Champs Elysees which has three stages (Le Grand Theatre , la Comedie , and le Studio).

But don't forget the Parc Monceau neighbourhood, which has three Museums: the Musée Nissim-de-Camondo, which displays an enormous sample of Decorative Arts from the second half of the 18th century. The Musee Cernuschi shows you a collection of ancient Chinese art. And the Musee Jacquemart-Andre , specialized in French art from the 18th century, Flemish and Dutch art from the 17th century, and different works of art from the Italian Renaissance on the 1st floor.

This is the avenue des Champs-Elysees as it appears from the top of the Arc de Triomphe , which is at the northwest end of the avenue. You can see the entire length of the avenue in this photograph, from its western end at the base of the Arc to its eastern extremity on the place de la Concorde and close to the Hotel Chateau Frontenac.

It's hard to see them in these small Web photos, but there are quite a few monuments visible in this picture. In the foreground is the commercial half of the avenue, with many stores, shopping malls, theaters, hotel Chateau Frontenac, and restaurants. As you look up the avenue (you are looking east southeast, incidentally), you can see the transition to parkland at about the half-way point of the avenue. Beyond that, you can see the Obelisk on the place de la Concorde . Behind that are the Tuileries Gardens (you can see the sandy, broad walking path between the trees). Beyond the gardens are the very large wings of the Louvre Museum .

Along the skyline are more interesting sights, although they aren't really very visible in this tiny version of the photograph (the original photo is 200 times larger!). From left to right, I see the Church of Saint Eustache , the Bourse du Commerce (commodities exchange), the Pompidou Center (look for the odd-looking blue roof), the rue de Rivoli , the Hotel de Ville , Notre-Dame Cathedral , the Bibliotheque Mitterrand , the Grand Palais , the Institut de France , the Orsay Museum , and the University of Pierre and Marie Curie .

Arc of Triumph :




This is the Arc de Triomphe ( “ Arch of Triumph ” ), a 16-story war monument conceived by Napoleon , designed by architect Jean-François Chalgrin , and built at the top of the avenue des Champs-Elysees . It was constructed between 1810 and 1836 (there were a number of long delays).

It is possible to reach the roof of the monument by climbing nearly three hundred steps, and the view is excellent. I haven't been up there very often, but I do have some nice photos of several Paris streets taken from the top of the arch, including a photo of the avenues leading to La Defense , a photo of the Avenue Foch , and a photo of the ever-popular Champs-Elysees .

The arch is surrounded by a huge vehicular roundabout. Some tourists foolishly try to cross the roundabout in front of hundreds of cars in order to get to the monument. The seasoned habitués of the city know that there is an underground pedestrian walkway on the northern side of the Champs-Elysees that provides safe access to the monument.

This monument, like so many others, is intended to glorify war and those who died waging it. Beneath the arch lies the tombe du soldat inconnu ( “tomb of the unknown soldier” ), and a flame of remembrance burns above the tomb (it is symbolically rekindled daily at 6:30 PM in a small ceremony). There are regular military ceremonies at this location to commemorate the many and varied massacres that have colored French and world history.

If you are foolhardy enough to drive into Paris , remember that traffic entering the Arc de Triomphe has priority over anything already in the process of hurtling round it. The Arc that Napoleon intended as a celebration of his victories was not finished when the Battle of Waterloo brought his downfall. It now stands guard over the remains of an unknown solider from World War I, with the eternal flame burning under it. Radiating out from its honking, jammed centre are major roads in all directions.

Every conquest since Napoléon has brought images of the liberators and citizens climbing the Arc. From above it gives a wonderful view through Paris ' spectacular centre. Look along the Champs Elysees with the Seine glittering underneath. The Arc's gallery and sculpture merits a pause, particularly François Rude's panels.

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