Arc de Triomphe, Paris

Napoleon did not live to see it finished. He commissioned the Arc de Triomphe in 1806 to commemorate his armies after Austerlitz, but construction was suspended after his defeat at Waterloo and did not resume until 1833 under Louis-Philippe. The monument was completed in 1836, fifteen years after Napoleon’s death. His body did pass through it, though – in 1840 when his remains were brought back from Saint Helena and transported under the arch toward Les Invalides. It is the kind of irony that French architectural history is unusually good at producing.

The Arc stands at the centre of Place de l’Etoile, where twelve avenues radiate outward. The roundabout around it is one of the most chaotic traffic situations in Europe; accidents there are governed by special insurance rules where blame is always shared because determining fault in a twelve-way junction is practically impossible.

Visiting

Open daily 10am to 10:30pm, last entry 9:45pm. Extended to 11pm in July and August. Ticket prices: 22 euros April through September; 16 euros October through March; free for under-18s, EU citizens 18-25, and French residents 18-25. First Sunday in January, February, March, November, and December is typically free for all visitors. Book online in advance at the official site to access the “Entrée Réservée” line, which is significantly shorter than the general queue in summer.

The 284 steps to the rooftop terrace give a panoramic view looking down the Champs-Elysees toward the Louvre and in the other direction toward La Defense. The view at sunset is the one worth planning for: golden light on the buildings, then Paris transitioning to its night configuration with the Eiffel Tower sparkling on the hour below. Most visits run 45-90 minutes.

Do not try to cross to the Arc at street level. Use the pedestrian underpass on the north side of the roundabout.

The Carvings

The four main sculptural reliefs at the arch base are worth examining. La Marseillaise by Rude on the right facing the Champs-Elysees is the most celebrated – a winged Republic rallying volunteers. The names of 660 French generals and 558 battles are inscribed inside the arch; names of generals who died in battle are underlined.

The Eternal Flame

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier sits beneath the arch with an eternal flame burning continuously since 1923. A relighting ceremony takes place every evening at 6:30pm. It is brief, quiet, and if you happen to be there, worth standing for.

The Champs-Elysees

The avenue runs 1.9 kilometres from the arch down to Place de la Concorde. It is the address of choice for international luxury brands rather than an interesting street. The restaurants and cafes along it are uniformly expensive and mediocre; walk one block off the boulevard in either direction for substantially better quality at lower prices.

Practical Notes

The Paris Museum Pass covers access to the terrace and skips the ticket queue. The Arc is a 10-minute walk from George V and Charles de Gaulle Etoile metro stations.