Arc de Triomphe

Top 5 facts about the Arc de Triomphe

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  1. It's the second Arc de Triomphe in Paris

  Originally known as the Arc de Triomphe de l'Etoile, it was built in 1836 – 28 years after the much smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel was completed closer to the Louvre.

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  2. It's architect didn't live to see it finished

  Jean Chalgrin, who also did work on the Palais du Luxembourg and Versailles, unfortunately died in 1811 – five years after designing the arch, and 25 prior to its completion!

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  3. It's the start of the annual Bastille Day parade

  Every year on July 14th, the begining of the French Revolution is marked by a military parade from the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs-Elysées, to the Place de la Concorde.

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  4. A plane was flown through it in 1919!

  French airmen, like the infantry, were ordered to march on foot to commemorate the end of World War I. Charles Godefroy protested by flying a biplane through it 3 weeks later!

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  5. An unknown of WWI was interred there in 1920

  After the Arc's vault became the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, military parades have avoided marching through the arch out of respect. Even Hitler observed the custom in 1940!

Frequently asked questions about Arc de Triomphe

Planning Your Visit

• When to visit?

  The Arc de Triomphe looks most spectacular at night, and the eternal flame that marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is most visible then. At a height of 50 meters, visitors can climb to the top from 10:00AM to 11:00PM (10:30PM off-season), and gaze down the surrounding illuminated boulevards. Tickets can be purchased at ground level.

• How to get there?

  The Arc de Triomphe can be easily seen at the end of each of the 12 avenues radiating from it, including the Champs-Elysées. The nearest Metro stations are Argentine and George V (both line 1), Ternes (line 2), and Kléber (line 6). Take the underpass to the arch itself, avoiding the dangerously busy roundabout that encircles it.