Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Paris audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~60 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Paris Paris guide
About Arc de Triomphe
Napoleon's magnificent triumphal arch at the top of the Champs-Élysées, guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and offering a breathtaking 360° rooftop panorama.
The Arc de Triomphe is one of the most celebrated monuments in the world, commanding the western end of the Champs-Élysées from the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly the Place de l'Étoile, named for the twelve avenues that radiate from it like the points of a star. Napoleon commissioned it in 1806 after his triumph at the Battle of Austerlitz, declaring it a monument to his Grande Armée. He never saw it completed, construction halted during his exile and only finished in 1836 under Louis-Philippe, fifteen years after Napoleon's death.
The arch stands 50 metres tall and 45 metres wide, its sculptural friezes recording 128 battles and 558 French generals' names. Beneath it burns the Eternal Flame, reignited each evening at 6:30 pm, tending the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier interred in 1920. The rooftop observation platform, reached by 284 steps, affords a spectacular 360-degree view over Paris. Below, the famous roundabout, with its anarchic, unmarked traffic, is one of the most chaotic intersections on Earth.
Did you know? Napoleon never saw the completed arch, he died in 1821, fifteen years before it was finished in 1836.
How long should you spend at Arc de Triomphe?
Plan about ~60 min at Arc de Triomphe. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Arc de Triomphe worth visiting?
Arc de Triomphe is one of the 44 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Paris, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Paris
Hear the story of Arc de Triomphe
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