Arc de Triumph

    Raised by the command of Napoleon, the Arch of Triumph dominates the Avenue of the Champs-Elysées. Its construction began in 1806 and ended in 1836, 15 years after the Napoleon's death.

    Tourists regularly climb the stairs within the monument in order to reach the roof. The perspective of The Louvre, Concorde Square, and the Grand Arch of Defense is amazing. It is one of the most beautiful panoramas of Paris.

    The site on which the monument stands is called the Place de l’Étoile, because of the multicolored star built into the pavement of the roundabout. Roundabouts are common in France, and are used in place of intersections like the ones found in America.

    The arch is 50 meters high, 45 meters wide, and 22 meters thick and is decorated with low relieves which depict the battles of the French first Republic and Empire periods (1789-1815). Under the arch, the Unknown Soldier Tomb can be found (a soldier of the First World War).