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To see: Eiffel > Triomphe
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To see: between the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
Metro: Ch. de Gaulle - Etoile
This famous triumphal arch stands on a hill and is 50 metres tall. The arch was built in honour of the victories of Napoleon's army. It also contains the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. After Napoleon's victory in Austerlitz, he wanted a monument to commemorate the victories of his troops. Dozens of designs later, construction began in 1806 and didn't stop until 1936. The square is on a roundabout. No less than 12 straight streets end in this roundabout, which is often in complete traffic chaos.
The roundabout also has a symbolic value as it allows all corners of the city to be reached quite quickly from this point. Of course, nowadays getting anywhere quickly by car in this part of town is virtually impossible.
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The Guimet Museum
Metro: Iéna
The museum's full name is 'Musée national des Arts asiatiques-Guimet'. You can admire Asian art here in all its forms, from paintings to sculptures and furniture. It is not a small museum. The entry price includes an audio guide.
Palais du Chaillot
Metro: Trocadéro
This modern building is located on a plateau near the Seine. The palace was built in 1937 for the world fair. The palace is home to various museums.
Place du Trocadéro
Metro: Trocadéro
An equestrian statue of Marshall Foch stands at the Place du Trocadéro. Trocadéro was the name of a fort conquered by the French in the early 19th century. In 1867 a palace was built here in the same style. It was torn down 50 years later to make room for the present Palais de Chaillot. The main attraction is the square below with its many fountains. No less than 20 water cannons and 12 water pillars result in an unprecedented water show. In order to avoid consuming too much energy, the cannons only operate a few times per hour.
The Eiffel Tower
Metro: Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel
Construction of the Eiffel Tower began in 1867 to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution. The architect was an engineer called Eiffel. He had also designed the first metal bridges that hadn't collapsed. He had the 300 metre tall tower built in less than two years. During a heavy storm, the tower only moves 12 cm. In extreme heat, its height increases by 15 cm. The Eiffel Tower was the highest building in the world at the time of its construction. In 1909 its concession ended and the tower was to be torn down, but the radio channels, which were using the tower for their antennae, managed to prevent this. Now the television masts at the top make the Eiffel Tower 320 metres tall. The Eiffel Tower only became the symbol of Paris in the late twentieth century because of the rise of mass tourism. An Eiffel Tower visit (in the lifts) takes about two hours.
Champ de Mars
Metro: Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel
The square between the Military School and the Eiffel Tower used to be an exercise ground for soldiers who went to school here. Now it is a place where great demonstrations are held. The name 'Champ de Mars' has nothing to do with the school's military drills. The name refers to Roman war god Mars.
Ecole Militaire
Metro: Ecole Militaire
The Ecole Militaire or Military School was built in 1751 and was meant as a place to stay and a training centre for the poor nobility who wished to fight and sacrifice their lives to the King. Napoleon I is one of the school's famous graduates. In 1878 the building became home to a higher military academy. Now several institutes of higher military education are based here.
Dôme des Invalides
Metro: Ecole Militaire
This 'hotel' was built in 670 on behalf of Sun King Louis XIV. It was to be used as a place to stay for incapacitated soldiers who otherwise would have been condemned to live as beggars. Until this day, more than one hundred injured soldiers stay here. At the time of its construction, the building could accommodate 7,000 people. Now there is a revalidation centre for soldiers. The biggest part of the building is a military museum.
The dome of this building, the Dôme des Invalides, is quite special. Behind it is the St.-Louis church. Thousands of soldiers could attend a service on the stands. The church is decorated with the flags of conquered enemies. When the St.-Louis church became too small, the Dôme des Invalides was built. The dome weighs 260 ton and is covered in gold leaf. It is a kind of mausoleum and people like Foch and Vauban are buried here. In 1840 the remains of Napoleon were transferred here from the island of Saint Helena and in 1861 he received a tomb here. At the front of the building, the Esplanade square was built between 1704 and 1720. After the construction of a car park and the underground, it now has its original look back. The triumphal battery of cannons at the access gates were used until 1918 to announce the victories of the French army, but are silent now.
Musée Rodin
Metro: Varenne
A small and quiet museum in the centre of the busy city. Statues by the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin are scattered all over the garden. You will certainly notice 'The Burghers of Calais' or 'The Thinker'. The former Hôtel Biron gives you a clear image of his life and work. Rodin also loved the work of others and his collection of statues can also be viewed in this museum.
Cours la Reine - Pont Alexandre III
Metro: Champs Elysées - Clemenceau
The opulent bridge Pont Alexandre III is the continuation of the Esplanade square. On the other side we see the Grand and Petit Palais. Across the bridge, on the Place de la Concorde stands a statue of Albert I. The equestrian statue of this Belgian king was made to honour his courage during the First World War when he resisted the German advance. A street was named after him in this area as well.
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Picture: © iStockphoto.com/Mark Jensen
Text: GVDV - © AT-Europe bvba
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