Champs Elysees :

The 8th arrondissement contains the Plaza Elysees Hotel and 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 .

The avenue des Champs-Elysees is the most famous on the 12 symmetrical avenues radiating from the huge rotary of Place Charles de Gaulle-Etoile . The Champs is lined with chain stores and expensive cafes, both of them frequented by throngs of strolling tourists but often passed by the fast-walking french. Although it has been a fashionable avenue since Marie de Médicis ploughed  its first incarnation, the Cours-la-Reine, through fields and marshland in 1616, it remained unkempt until the early 19th century, when the city built sidewalks and installed gas lighting. From that point on, the Champs flourished, and where elegant houses, restaurants, and less subdued bars and panoramas sprung up, the beau monde was guaranteed to see and be seen.  The infamous Bal Mabille opened in 1840 at n° 51. At n° 25, visitors have the rare chance of seeing a true hotel particulier from the second Empire - here the marquise de Paiva, adventures, famous courtesan, and spy, entertained the luminaries of the era. In recent years, the Champs elysees has become thoroughly commercialized.  But Jacques Chirac has made a concerted effort to resurrect the avenue, widening the sidewalks, planting more trees, and building underground parking lots. Today, the avenue is an intriguing mixture of old and new, inviting tourists to tramp through the enormous superstores, while managing to preserve pockets of greenery along with timeless glamour. The tree-lined streets merge with park space just past avenue Franklin Roosevelt , one of the sixth avenues that radiate from the Rond Point des Champs-Elysees . Avenue Montaigne, lined with paris 's finest houses of haute couture, runs southwest. For help conquering the Champs Elysees along with the rest of Paris , visit the enormous tourist Office at n° 127 and the Hotel Plaza Elysees.

The Avenue des Champs-Elysees is the best known avenue in France , and possibly in the world. It stretches for just over a kilometre in length from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde .

In 1667, King Louis XIV ordered his landscaper Le Notre to plant chestnut trees to extend the royal road from the gardens of Les Tuileries . By the Revolution the Avenue was well known. The Place de la Concorde was the setting for the guillotine.

The Avenue des Champs Elysees is a patriotic part of every French person. It is the setting for most the important events in France , both planned and unplanned. Every Bastille Day, there is a military parade.

The Champs Elysees was designed as part of a triumphal way out from the Tuileries and planted with elms a century before Napoleon planned his arch. To one side lies the Seine , to the other grand houses of the 18th century many of which are now airline offices. It still has a splendour of its own and hints at the wealth of the Triangle d'Or that stretches away from it towards Faubourg Saint Honore . Walking down from the Arc towards Place de la Concorde look right and see the great exhibition halls, the Grand Palais and Petit Palais built in 1900 and housing museums and touring exhibitions and the Hotel Plaza Elysees .

Until the year 1730, five streets radiated out from this " Etoile de Chaillot ".

In 1758, several plans were drawn up, such as a bizarre one suggesting to build a gigantic elephant housing ballrooms and theatre in the midst of the square. However, the plans appeared a bit too ambitious. However, as Napoleon Bonaparte had other ideas, he built a monument for the glorification of his Grande Armee , a triumphal arch in classical style - the Arc de Triomphe . The Arch was finished for the inauguration in 1836, during the reign of Louis Philippe . However, the rest of the " Place de L'Etoile " was not finished until 1854.
Haussman , responsible for redesigning Paris (1853-1870), added another seven avenues to the existing five ones, streching of them stretching up to the boulevard called after him.

Arc de Triomphe :





The plaza Elysees Hotel is close to the Arc of triumph.

This is the Arc de Triomphe , 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.

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 close to the Plaza Elysees Hotel.

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 and the Hotel.

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. 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.

L'Arc de Triomphe serves as a spontaneous patriotic rallying place for Parisians; for example, it was estimated that a million people surged through the streets here in spontaneous celebration when France won the World Cup in 1998.

To get a closer look at the Arc de Triomphe , you can take an underpass on the Champs Elysees or Avenue de la Grande Armee that leads you to the centre of the plaza. Cultural centres, deluxe hotels ( Plaza Elysees ) and other activities that participate in the tradition and prestige of the Champs Elysees are encouraged to return by the municipality.

The Arc de Triomphe and its massive piers are decorated with bas relieves depicting scenes from the revolutionary era (including the First Empire). To the right, on the side facing the Champs Elysees is the Marseillaise by Rude (the departure of the volunteers to the front in 1792); to the left is Napoleon 's Triumph of 1810 by Cortot. The resistance of 1814 and the peace of 1815 are on the other side, modestly facing away from the city.

From the summit of this massive triumphal arch you can see the whole length of the Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde . Take the lift to the top (it's a 284-step climb).

The Arc de Triomphe was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon in 1806 (it took 20 years to complete) to commemorate his military triumphs and is decorated with sculpted reliefs depicting battle scenes. Beneath the arch lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and an eternal flame, dedicated to those who died in the two world wars.

Standing on the western summit of the Champs-Elysees, out on the horizon at the top of the Chaillot hill is the largest triumphal arch in history, the Arc de Triomphe . Built by J.A.Raymond and J.F.T. Chalgrin from to 1830, it is the first important monumental arch in  Paris since the 1670s. The great size of the arch was chosen  partly because of the impact be much more stronger for its elevated position. The upper part of the arch was designed as an attic and heavily emphasized to prevent it from appearing to lean backwards or to fade into the clouds, and the giant statuary and huge relief panels maintained the proportion. Since the 17th- century, the Champs-Elysees the most grandiose and potentially symbolic urban perspective in  Europe with a length of over a mile, rising gently on an  gradient until its eventual clouds. Napoleon as decision to mark the end of the vista with a great monument was very much in character.

  Napoleon , the French emperor who conquered most of Europe at the beginning of the 19th century, admired the Roman people . In 1806, following their example, he decided to build a very big arch of triumph which stands at the top of the Champs Elysees . His victorious troops would march on through the arch cheered by the population of Paris . This never happened thanks to General Wellington who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815.

The Arc de Triomphe was finished in 1836. It magnificently crowns the hill from where the Champs Elysees , the Avenue Foch , the Avenue de la Grande Armee and nine other avenues radiate.

The Arc de Triomphe close to the Plaza Elysees keeps the memory of all the dead killed in World War I (1914/1918) with the grave of the unknown soldier and a permanently burning flame of remembrance. At national days, a flag is stretched through the arch.