The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (Triumphal Arch of the Star) is a must see in Paris. Even if you don’t climb the 284 steps to the top, strolling up the Champs-Élysées as the 50 meter high French Revolutionary and Napoleonic War memorial comes into ever greater focus is memorable. We visited on a somewhat rare hot and sunny Parisian summer day.
Surprisingly, there was no queue to speak of and we launched ourselves straight up the stairs with gusto and out into the startling sunlight with gleaming Paris at out our feet. Here, we are at the centre and ‘the star’ (l’etoile) is sprawled around us with the 12 avenues leading away to the blue, blue sky.
It’s so beautiful that I want to cry so I just take lots of photos instead and try not to look too emotional. The real attraction here is to just take it all in. Once I compose myself I put the camera down, take a deep breath and look around. It’s all there – the Champs-Élysées looking down to Place de la Concorde, Montparnasse, Sacré-Cœur off in the distance and of course Le Tour Eiffel. With the seasonal greenery you can even spot the parks along the Peripherique and the huge Bois de Boulogne.
Of course this sense of peace and wonder can’t last long when travelling with two children and as luck would have it, the youngest bursts my bubble (and perhaps a few others) with cries of ‘poo poo!’. I gather him, rather than my thoughts, and race back down two flights of stairs to the bathroom queue. Crisis averted we climb back out into the sunshine on the terrasse to take in the views for a little longer. More photos and sighs but by now the boys are getting restless and my travel companion and Parisian guide for the day, the lovely Claire au pair, decide it’s time to move on.
Outside again, this time looking up at the Arc, we’re close enough to see the detail of the sculptures on each of the Arc’s pillars. Le Départ de 1792, Le Triomphe de 1810, La Résistance de 1814 and La Paix de 1815 celebrating the First French Republic, the Treaty of Schönbrunn, the War of the Sixth Coalition and the Treaty of Paris respectively. The reliefs at the top of the pillars represent important moments in the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars. As you stand right underneath it and look up at the 21 roses on the underside of the arch itself, the full impact of its grandeur can be felt. The eternal flame of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier also burns at the base of the Arc.
Good to Know There’s no need to tempt fate dodging the traffic on the Place Charles de Gaulle that surrounds the Arc. Take the pedestrian underpass located at the top of the Champs-Élysées on the northern side of the road. Children under 12 are free but it’s best to leave the pram at home (or at least downstairs) and carry the very little ones – hold on tight on the narrow spiral stairs. You don’t have to pay if you’re not climbing up to the Terrasse (viewing platform) – you can walk around the base of the Arc and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier without buying a ticket.
Would I return?
Yes. Of course! I would choose sunset next time so I could watch the lights ignite in the city of love.